This blog, created from a Courageous Conversations About Race session on May 12, 2025, is rooted in lived experience, my own, and that of so many others navigating the world of work as ethnically diverse individuals.

• We’ve sat in interviews where our qualifications were questioned but not our names.
• We’ve been told we ‘made the quota’ rather than being recognised for our skills.
• We’ve been hired for visibility and diversity statements, but not given influence, opportunity, or a genuine seat at the table.

In organisations where unconscious bias and tokenism remain unchallenged, working life can feel like constant code-switching, masking, and self-monitoring. Ethnically diverse staff often find they have to work harder to be heard, seen, and valued. This leads to stress, burnout, and high turnover, while employers scratch their heads about ‘retention issues.’ But it doesn’t have to be this way. When organisations move beyond optics into action—valuing people for who they are and what they bring—it’s transformational. It creates workplaces where people thrive, not just survive. This blog aims to share what that shift looks and feels like.

Inclusion is not about being perfect, it’s about being accountable. Colin’s story reminds us that when people are excluded or harmed at work, the impact is deep and lasting. But with courage, commitment, and care, we can transform systems into spaces where everyone belongs.

Let’s make sure our actions speak louder than our policies. Because equity isn’t just a principle, it’s a promise.

The Human Impact: When Inclusion Is Missing

Recruitment is not just a process, it’s an experience. When equality, diversity, and inclusion are overlooked, the consequences can be devastating. I shared the story of Colin, a Black intern who experienced racial harassment in a GP practice. Despite raising concerns about racist slurs and offensive music, he was met with inaction, counter-complaints, and isolation. The emotional toll led to serious mental health deterioration.

Colin’s story is not an isolated case. It reflects what happens when organisations fail to act, even with the right policies on paper. Discrimination, poor complaint handling, and lack of accountability erode trust and damage wellbeing.

COURAGE: A Framework for Meaningful Dialogue

To guide organisations in taking action, I introduced the COURAGE framework:

C – Commit to listening and learning without defensiveness

O – Own your impact and language

U – Understand structural inequalities and unconscious bias

R – Respond with empathy and integrity

A – Act beyond awareness, implement change

G – Grow collective accountability

E – Embed equity into everything you do

Beyond Words: Actions Speak Louder Than Policies

It’s not enough to have EDI policies tucked away on an intranet. They must be lived.

Organisations must:

• Make policies visible, accessible, and regularly reviewed
• Ensure induction and onboarding embed equality from the start
• Build a culture of speaking up, with protections from retaliation
• Involve diverse voices in decision-making and policy formation

Key Takeaways from the Podcast Preparation Discussion

• Recruitment must be inclusive by design: Equality should be embedded into job descriptions, person specifications, and interview scoring.
• Discrimination must be addressed, not dismissed: When complaints arise, they must be recorded, investigated, and responded to appropriately.
• Policies are meaningless without practice: Inclusion is demonstrated through daily actions, not just statements.
• Training is not a tick box: It should be measured for effectiveness and built into long-term strategy.
• Safe environments need active allies: Leaders and peers must stand up against exclusion and create a culture of psychological safety.

Checklist for Inclusive Practice in Employment

Recruitment and Selection

• Use inclusive language in job adverts
• Offer adjustments for neurodiverse or disabled candidates
• Reflect diversity on interview panels
• Use structured interviews and scoring rubrics to minimise bias
• Ask EDI-relevant scenario questions to assess candidate values

Reaching Diverse Candidates

• Advertise beyond mainstream platforms (e.g., Black Professionals Network, Disability Jobsite)
• Build partnerships with community groups and networks
• Include a lived experience statement or commitment to inclusion in recruitment packs

Supporting Staff

• Provide safe reporting systems for discrimination and microaggressions
• Ensure HR staff and managers are trained in trauma-informed responses
• Offer mentoring and sponsorship for ethnically diverse staff
• Track wellbeing and act on insights from staff surveys

Recording and Responding to Complaints

• Keep detailed, unbiased records
• Avoid minimising or gaslighting the complainant
• Take swift action and communicate the next steps clearly
• Prevent retaliation and offer aftercare support

Fostering Safe and Inclusive Environments

• Build ally networks and inclusion champions
• Celebrate cultural and diversity awareness events
• Use internal communication channels to amplify diverse voices
• Co-design changes with staff affected by inequality

Measuring and Improving EDI

• Use KPIs to track representation, complaints, retention, and progression
• Audit recruitment and promotion outcomes by protected characteristics
• Conduct impact assessments of policies and training
• Report progress transparently

What’s Next?

When equity is absent in recruitment, the process often feels exclusionary, performative, and emotionally draining. Candidates from ethnically diverse backgrounds have reported interview panels that lack diversity, unclear feedback, and assumptions made based on names, accents, or educational background. For instance, there have been high-profile cases where NHS Trusts and major UK universities have been exposed in the media for disproportionately shortlisting white candidates, even when diverse applicants met or exceeded the job criteria. In one case, a qualified Black candidate was repeatedly overlooked, and it later emerged that senior management had privately described him as ‘not the right cultural fit.’

Conversely, when inclusion is intentional, recruitment feels human, fair, and empowering. Inclusive practices involve diverse panel representation, structured scoring, accessible language, and an open invitation to disclose support needs. Ethnically diverse candidates report feeling seen, respected, and encouraged to bring their full selves into the process. Follow-up and development opportunities are tailored, and successful applicants often say they chose the organisation as much as it chose them.

FAQs

• Q: What is the main purpose of this blog?

A: To highlight real-life challenges and best practices in recruitment and employment through an equity and inclusion lens.

• Q: Who should read this blog?

A: HR professionals, recruiters, organisational leaders, and anyone committed to improving workplace inclusion.

• Q: What frameworks does the blog use?

A: It uses the COURAGE framework and practical checklists to drive systemic change.

• Q: Where can I find the podcast mentioned?

A: It will be made available via our website and distributed to those who attended or are members of our EDI networks via a password.

• Q: Can I share this blog with colleagues?

A: Yes, please do with credit. It’s a tool for reflection and action.