‘I have a type’: City recruiter faces backlash for favouring Russell Group grads

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By Thomas Connelly on

14

Since apologised

The Russell Group universities
The Russell Group universities

A City recruiter sparked controversy on LinkedIn this week by revealing his preference for hiring Russell Group graduates, telling his connections he’s “not settling for average” when filling open roles.

Harry Green, associate director at Griffin Recruitment, began his post by explaining that, when it comes to seeking suitable graduates to put forward to his clients, “I have a certain type…👀”

Green has since made a further post in which he apologises, acknowledging that, in hindsight, his comments were “misjudged”.

The original post explained that his preference is for graduates from Russell Group universities — a group of 24 UK institutions — selected “not for the prestige, but for the journey they’ve undertaken to get there.

Green argues that these universities typically set a higher bar for entry, which he believes reflects graduates’ “strong work ethic and dedication”.

He goes on to stress that he does consider graduates from other unis, evaluating candidates across various factors, including academics, extra-curriculars, work experience, interests, hobbies, and sporting achievements.

Green — who studied at Gloucestershire Uni, a non-Russell Group institution, before completing a master’s at Cambridge, arguably the most prestigious of the group — concludes his post by stating that, with a market flooded with graduates and an increasingly high bar for entry, he’s “not settling for average… I’m on the hunt for superstars!”

It likely comes as no surprise that Green’s post drew over 100 comments, the vast majority of which were critical of his approach to filling vacancies.

Leading the charge was Justin Farrance, a former associate at A&O Shearman and who now leads the Magic Circle players’ diversity and inclusion initiatives.

“Your work ethic, dedication and ‘journey’ Harry points to, is in no way defined by the name of your university or the choices/circumstances you found yourself in at the age of 16-18,” Farrance replies. “Some of the most resilient and impressive friends/mentees I know went to Non-RG unis and are now working at the best global firms.”

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Green — who has nearly four years of recruitment experience in white-collar sectors like legal — also faced criticism from Rebecca Schrod, graduate recruitment manager at Reed Smith. “No one is saying that RG universities don’t provide an excellent education,” she wrote, “but there are academically gifted candidates from many universities or (shock!) some that didn’t go to uni at all.”

Former Magic Circle lawyer Tom Coode-Bate commented that he could sort of understand Green’s approach as a “time-saving measure”, but added, “given it’s 2024 and the importance of social mobility, I’d say this is a relatively weird thing to brag about”.

The post also drew numerous comments from lawyers who didn’t attend a Russell Group university, including Tara Louise Kaby, a trainee solicitor specialising in criminal defence.

“Everyone’s journey is different and that doesn’t mean that they are any less worthy of a role,” Kaby responded. “For example, I chose the university I went to because they ranked high and they were local to me as I was lucky enough to already work in the legal profession and I had to continue to work to fund my studies.”

Kaby goes on to question whether this recruitment approach contributes to the hiring issues in law firms, saying “they just aren’t giving the right people a chance to show just how much they can thrive. Big mistake”.

In response to the strong reaction, Green posted again within the past hour, stating that the feedback “caught me off guard” and expressing that he is “truly sorry” if he caused offence to anyone

14 Comments

A City law firm partner

Generally speaking he’s probably correct. But don’t stick it on LinkedIn 😂

Anon

WTF is a City law firm partner doing on legal cheek 😂 if true (unlikely) it sounds like you need to pull your head out of your a*** and do some more BD.

Anonymous

The worst thing he did was apologise, because it wasn’t genuine. I don’t agree with the sentiment of his original post, but still, stick to your guns.

Anon

Fool.

Kirkland NQ

Never seen a non-Russell Group grad drive a Lambo

Ex-recruiter now US firm Lawyer

To be honest, I totally understand why he said what he said, although I don’t necessarily agree.

I was a recruiter for law firm private practice for almost 5 years before I then went on to become a lawyer. In my 5 years of recruiting I had law firm hiring partners (note, these were the partners themselves not HR!) at top US and Magic Circle firms explicitly say they preferred Oxbridge/Russell group candidates. Even if you sent them 5 CVs you could see immediately they would take less interest in the non-Oxbridge/Russell Group universities. As a recruiter, you knew there was no point putting forward CVs that didn’t tickle the interest of the hiring partners.

Times may have changed now and law firms are more careful about how they market themselves but as long as the old boys remain partners in these firms, it is a biased that still exists among many firms, especially if a hire is for a specific partner who holds those views.

Non-Russell Final Year

It wasn’t a law firm recruiter but a rec2rec so the argument is weaker.

Seriously?

Shocking in this day and age that someone recruiting in a highly competitive and oversubscribed industry would prefer graduates with degrees from the best universities. Disgusting.

Anon

I have no idea why this type of approach is so criticised – we’ve been so interested in getting ‘woke’ that going to a prestigious university seems to not matter at all. Whilst it’s certainly true that good students can come from non RG unis and vice versa, it’s completely factual to say the average RG student is smarter and more diligent than the average non RG student.

The grades and extracurricular achieved during uni are also more impressive in RG unis, which typically set higher standards for work and give a higher workload to students (leaving less time for non-academic pursuits). This is coming from someone who attends Warwick currently, and I know the same distinction is true when comparing an Oxbridge student and someone at my own university.

By viewing every uni as equal, we discount the efforts and successes of many students.

An NRG grad

I appreciate the perspective you’re coming from and can see why you might feel that the distinction between Russell Group (RG) and non-RG universities has merit. However, I believe that focusing so heavily on the “prestige” of institutions can sometimes overlook more meaningful factors that determine a student’s capabilities, growth, and contributions.

First, while RG universities are known for high entry requirements, excellent research output, and rigorous academic standards, the idea that this makes the average RG student “smarter” or “more diligent” is more nuanced than it appears. Students choose universities based on many factors, not simply academic ability—such as location, finances, course specifics, and personal circumstances. These factors mean that some highly talented, hardworking students attend non-RG universities by choice, not as a reflection of lesser capability. Many employers increasingly recognise that students’ practical skills, resilience, and interpersonal qualities often matter more than the name of their university.

Moreover, workload intensity and grading standards are not exclusive to RG universities. Many non-RG universities have demanding programs and exceptional teaching staff. Quality and rigour often vary more by the individual program than by the institution as a whole. This makes sweeping generalisations about an entire cohort of students problematic. Additionally, extracurricular activities and non-academic pursuits can contribute just as much to a student’s overall skills and employability. Skills such as leadership, adaptability, and time management are cultivated both inside and outside the classroom. Non-RG students who balance academics with other activities can often develop these crucial abilities more comprehensively.

Furthermore, viewing every university as “equal” is not the same as discounting achievements. It’s about broadening our understanding of what “achievement” and “merit” look like, acknowledging that students’ successes are valuable no matter where they were earned. Focusing on prestige and exclusivity risks undermining the confidence and worth of many talented students who didn’t attend RG institutions but are just as capable and ambitious as their RG counterparts.

In essence, uni is only one step in a person’s educational and professional journey. Ultimately, it’s the skills, achievements, and growth individuals demonstrate in their careers—not where they studied—that define their success and potential.

Top-2 RG student

From someone who studied their undergrad at the University of Gloucestershire – wow never ever heard of it until now. LOLs

Observer

The ‘Russell Group’ is a marketing trick that puts a veneer of prestige on lots of oversized and mediocre institutions…

Xxxx

It’s rare nowadays to find a trainee at any of the city firms that isn’t from Russell group (or somewhere like bath). I don’t think this is controversial

Anon

Grades alone don’t make a good lawyer.

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