Embracing ED&I in recruitment

There is no doubt that the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) agenda has moved further and further up the corporate agenda in recent months due in no small part to the geo-political events of the past twelve months. And it’s not just about doing the right thing – which is obviously important – it’s about recognising the business case that increased diversity positively impacts both revenue and productivity.

ED&I in the recruitment profession

In order to really drive the diversity agenda across the recruitment profession and ultimately support diverse recruitment practices for the benefit of end-hirers, we have launched APSCo Embrace. This is an all-encompassing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion campaign which includes a number of different strands to support recruitment firms with their own ED&I approaches. This includes:

• APSCo Embrace ED&I Resources hub – a central resource for APSCo members which contains practical information and resources to help members hone their ED&I approach. These include best practice guidance and policies, specific resources relating to all the protected characteristics, support for leaders, research, inclusive comms and accessibility.
• APSCo Embrace events – A quarterly webinar programme focused on ED& I issues, the first of which will look at how to get started with developing an authentic ED&I strategy for a recruitment firm. APSCo is also launching a new ED&I Forum which will allow staff responsible for this area of member businesses to access expert content and share ideas. 
• APSCo Embrace Steering Committee – A panel of members, diversity thought leaders and inclusion experts who will look at new initiatives to help the recruitment sector lead the way in equality, diversity and inclusion. 

Starting at the source

The launch of APSCo Embrace is just the first phase of a wider strategy which will see APSCo introduce specific ED&I training, a new mentoring programme, an ED&I index and a focus on social mobility supported by member-based research. We are also collaborating with the REC on a research project to better understand the level of diversity in the recruitment sector itself. This information will help us drive change in recruitment that will, in turn, support the equality and inclusion objectives of the businesses that staffing companies partner with. If you haven’t yet filled in the survey – either on behalf of yourself or organisation then make sure you take some time out to have your say.

• Take part in our D&I Corporate Survey here
• Take part in our D&I Individual Survey here