Breaking Barriers: improving access to professional service careers

ICAEW wanted to understand how to improve access to the chartered accountancy profession and how to support students from underrepresented groups throughout their studies and careers

With a focus on key cohorts: women, Black Heritage students, students with learning disabilities, LGBTQ+ community members, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds, our approach was participant-first, creating safe spaces where students could share their authentic stories without judgment.

The research combined robust qualitative methodology with empathetic moderation and intersectional analysis, revealing the complex barriers and enablers shaping career journeys.

ICAEW invited us to share findings with over 200 chartered accountant employers, delivering tangible action points. The initiatives are already transforming industry practices, proving that when you listen to untold stories, you can rewrite entire professional landscapes

‘We commissioned Magenta to conduct qual. research on the needs of ICAEW’s ACA students. Sarah and her team were brilliant: They helped us shape the research questions and methodology, provided weekly updates on the progress, and presented high-quality results and solutions. The research was conducted by a diverse team, and all researchers were extremely sensitive in handling challenging topics related to D&I. I would recommend Magenta to anyone who is looking to conduct (D&I) research.’

Diversity and Inclusion Manager, ICAEW

Unlocking Potential: Mapping the unspoken barriers of women’s career path

Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) brought together professional institutes in seven markets to uncover a story that transcended borders: what really happens to women's careers in chartered accountancy's middle years?

Through career mapping interviews and comprehensive surveys, we traced the complex pathways, barriers, and enablers that shape professional journeys. Each conversation revealed layers of experience that traditional career models had overlooked.

The research didn't just identify problems, it mapped opportunities. Our findings provided CAW with strategic insights that informed their global strategy development and the international launch of their comprehensive report.

By listening to women's authentic career stories across multiple markets, we helped CAW understand that supporting mid-career progression isn't just about policy, it's about recognising and addressing the real experiences that shape professional narratives worldwide.

Healthcare Inequality: Giving voice to unheard experiences

Diabetes UK understood that behind every statistic about health inequality lay untold stories of real people navigating impossible choices between medication and meals, between healthcare and housing.

We conducted online small groups across rural and urban areas, plus individual interviews for those who couldn't join groups. Our research explored how wider determinants such as food access, employment, housing, interweave with diabetes management in ways that clinical guidelines rarely acknowledge.

The findings revealed the harsh realities people face and the ingenuity they deploy to survive. These insights directly informed Diabetes UK's published Tackling Inequality Commission Report, ensuring that policy recommendations were grounded in lived experience.

By amplifying voices often lost in healthcare data, we helped transform understanding of diabetes inequality from abstract concept to human reality.

‘Magenta were a pleasure to work with. They listened to what we wanted to achieve and gave us very useful and constructive feedback on how to go about it. Once the project was underway they were extremely organised and communicated with us regularly about progress. We had chosen a cohort who are traditionally less heard from and Magenta were proactive in sharing challenges in recruitment with us and even readjusting some of the work to ensure we got what we needed. The sessions they ran were very well facilitated and the insights we have gained are very valuable and would have taken us a long time to gain on our own. The feedback they gave us was thoughtful and again very useful.’

Tackling Inequality Engagement Lead, Diabetes UK

Challenging Misconceptions: Reframing the Transgender Narrative

OnRoad Media identified an urgent crisis: media prejudices were distorting public understanding of transgender people. They needed research that could cut through misconceptions to reveal authentic perspectives.

Our sensitively designed qualitative research decoded the stories behind public opinion, identifying exactly what drives perception and misperception. We analysed the complex interplay between media representation and social attitudes.

The research revealed ten common myths and misconceptions about transgender people, while examining media's role in either feeding or dispelling discrimination. Our analysis provided OnRoad Media with the insight needed to develop communications strategies that could genuinely improve outcomes.

This wasn't just research, it was an exercise in narrative archaeology, uncovering the real stories beneath layers of assumption and prejudice to enable more informed, empathetic public discourse.

Inclusive Data Collection: Asking the Right Questions Changes Everything

Legal & General recognised that traditional gender data collection was failing growing numbers of non-binary, gender fluid, and transgender customers. This was critical for them to be able to provide their services. They needed to understand how to ask sensitive questions sensitively.

We began with expert interviews, speaking with specialists from Stonewall and Gendered Intelligence to understand best practices. Then we engaged directly with transgender and non-binary people, exploring their experiences, needs, and perceptions of data collection processes.

Our contextual understanding of the research topic enabled us to provide targeted recommendations that surpassed client expectations. The insights offered actionable takeaways for implementing inclusive data collection practices.

By listening to communities often excluded from traditional research approaches, we helped Legal & General transform their data collection from barrier to bridge, ensuring their services truly serve all customers.

‘I want to thank you. This research has delivered way above and beyond any expectations and provides us with such incredible insight to enable us to make important changes in our company’

Group Head of Customer Research, Legal & General

Inclusive Research Excellence: Rewriting the Rules for Disability Research

Ofcom and the Consumer Communications Panel recognised that truly representative research required fundamental changes to how disability and long-term conditions are approached in research design and reporting.

We conducted comprehensive research including a literature review with discourse analysis, 40 expert interviews across sectors from charity to government, and a collaborative stakeholder workshop bringing together 21 industry experts.

Our investigation revealed how language choices, methodology decisions, and reporting practices can either include or exclude disabled people's authentic experiences. The resulting comprehensive report provides clear guidance for commissioners and agencies on inclusive research practices.

We also created a practical one-page toolkit, making inclusive research principles accessible to everyone involved in the research process. This project demonstrates how examining research practices themselves can transform entire industries' approach to understanding diverse communities.

You can download the full report here.