Diversity & inclusion

Diversity
& inclusion

We are committed to creating a diverse
and inclusive work community that
enhances our culture and improves our
business through our ability to attract,
identify and develop talent.

We define diversity as any classification that can be
used to differentiate groups or individuals from one
another, including: gender; sex; age; sexual orientation;
disability & neurodiversity; race and ethnic origin;
religion & faith; marital status; and social/educational
background and way of thinking.

At Auto Trader, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work community that enhances our culture and improves our business through our ability to attract, identify and develop talent. People are one of our business’s greatest assets, so ensuring we have a diverse workforce and a culture where everyone feels included is critical to unlock the full potential of our people therefore unlocking the full potential of our business; only with a mix of different ideas and perspectives can we come up with the most exciting new ideas and create the best experience for our customers and consumers.

We define inclusion as a state of being valued, respected and supported for who you are. We, and our people, strongly believe in pursuing this aim authentically and systemically, which we expect in time to be evidenced in our metrics. We are committed to driving long-term change in both the technology and automotive industries. Our focus is on developing diverse leaders as well as representative workforces in these industries. We invest heavily in our early careers programmes, as well as supporting several initiatives and partnerships, including DigitalHer with Manchester Digital, the Automotive 30% Club and our STEM Ambassador Programme.

Our representation of women at a total company level increased from 43% to 44%. During the year, the percentage of women on our Operational Leadership Team (‘OLT’) remained at 50%. We also increased the percentage of women in leadership roles to 42% as at 31 March 2024 (March 2023: 40%), as defined by the FTSE Women Leaders Review. To increase our representation across all levels of the organisation, we aim to stimulate the flow of diverse talent from early careers through to senior leadership by both targeted development programmes and equipping our leaders to get the very best out of everyone on their team and support their development through the organisation. Our Continuous Leadership Development programme, made up of a range of training interventions, supports our senior leaders and people managers. We have also continued with our Diverse Talent Accelerator programme designed to support the progression of mid-career colleagues.

We remain committed to supporting disabled and neurodiverse employees and those who become disabled during their employment with us. Recognising that everyone is unique, we provide the right support to ensure they continue to realise their full potential and develop their careers with us. Selection for employment, promotion, training and development (as well as other benefits and awards) is made based on merit, aptitude and ability and the Group does not tolerate discrimination in any form, including in relation to disabled candidates.

Promoting
diversity in the
workplace

We want to build a diverse and inclusive workplace where every
one of us can be our best and true selves; only with a mix of different
ideas and perspectives can we come up with the most exciting new
ideas and create the best experience for our customers and consumers.

We have a number of internal networks that support and align with
our diversity and inclusion strategy.

Everyone at Auto Trader is encouraged to join one of our employee-driven
networks. These networks and their leaders are a core part of our culture,
helping to welcome employees when they join our organisation, empowering
team members to thrive and spearheading outreach programmes that
support our local communities.

Driving our D&I strategy through
our internal networks

We have a number of internal networks that support and align with our diversity
and inclusion strategy. These employee-driven networks and their leaders are a core part of our culture, helping to welcome employees when they join our

organisation, empowering team members to thrive and spearheading outreach programmes that support our local communities. Everyone at Auto Trader is encouraged to join one of our employee-driven networks.

Our Age Network was launched last year and focuses on creating an inclusive environment for the multigenerational workforce of Auto Trader.

The Career Kickstart Network brings together colleagues from across the business to learn and grow together through shared experiences, resources and discussion.

Our Disability & Neurodiversity Network continues to create a more accessible and inclusive environment for our colleagues. 13.5% (2023: 13.5%) of our colleagues have disclosed a disability or neurodiverse condition. The network partners with various charities including Leonard Cheshire, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and the Business Disability Forum to educate colleagues and raise awareness.

The Ethnicity Network brings together colleagues from across the business to raise awareness and drive positive change for our colleagues, customers and communities who are currently underrepresented ethnically. With an aim to create an even more inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to contribute to their fullest potential.

Our LGBT+ Network representation is currently 10.0% (2023: 9.1%) and the network has continued to support our colleagues and connect with local LGBT+ charities, including The Proud Trust and the George House Trust.

Through building an internal community within the business, the Parents’ Network helps create an environment for colleagues to support each other in navigating the challenges of being working parents.

Our Social Mobility Network is focused on understanding how socio-economic background can influence individuals in the workplace and working to remove barriers and open opportunities. Auto Trader has signed the Social Mobility Pledge, committing to putting social mobility at the heart of what we do with 71% of our people sharing social mobility data.

Our Women’s Network is focused on improving and evolving representation of women at all levels in Auto Trader, the automotive industry and the digital communities within which we operate, by recruiting, retaining and developing female talent.

Accreditations & charters

We support various initiatives aligned with Being a
responsible business, including a number of accreditations
and charters that support and align with our diversity and
inclusion strategy.

We have received a number of accreditations
over the year, most notably:

Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2023

Our fourth combined Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Report
(published in November 2023, reporting the pay gap
as at 5 April 2023).

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