Think tanks need to improve outreach, change perceptions of the sector and adapt their recruitment to improve their diversity. 

This report investigates why think tanks are not as diverse as they could be and looks at barriers faced by applicants from minority ethnic groups and those from a lower socio-economic background.  

With diversity vital for research organisations – for its own sake, and because a diverse staff will be better able to draw on a wider range of experience to inform research – the report sets out a series of recommendations to make recruitment in the think tank sector more inclusive. It calls for greater outreach efforts to raise awareness of the think tank sector and reach people who might never currently think of applying, as well as conducting an external audit of recruitment processes to ensure they are as fair and inclusive as possible.