Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Policy

(updated January 2024)

Here at Neko we know how important our role is in helping to shape more diverse, inclusive and progressive workplaces. But we also know that diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I) recruitment practices start from within.

We are a diverse team ourselves and we want our culture to promote and embrace DE&I, as we know our strength comes from building on and valuing our differences, as well as similarities.

We recognise the immense value that individuals from diverse backgrounds bring to the industry and we want to ensure that we are able to reach talent from all sections of the population so that we can maximise our clients’ potential to be innovative, creative and effective.

We are committed to fairness and social justice and will therefore actively work to prevent and oppose discrimination and inequality in all of our functions.

Our DE&I Policy reflects our dedication to creating an environment where our candidates, our clients and our staff are treated with respect, fairness, and equal opportunities. Indeed we strive to go beyond simply complying with legal requirements by actively promoting diversity and inclusivity across our services.

You can read more about our DE&I Policy here:

 This Policy applies to all:

 ·       All employees, whether part-time, full-time or freelance

·       All clients that are accessing our services

·       All candidates that are accessing our services

·       Any contractors, sub-contractors and consultants

·       Any students, interns or apprenticeships

By implementing this policy, and in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, we aim to achieve the following:

Ensuring and promoting diversity, equality and inclusion

·       We value diversity in all its forms including age, disability, gender, race (including ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality), religion or belief (or no belief), sex and sexual orientation.

·       We will actively reach out to and attract candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.

·       Our goal is to create a diverse workforce that fosters an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.

·       We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all candidates, eliminating discrimination, bias, and prejudice during the search and selection processes.

·       Our shortlisting decisions will be based on merit, skills, qualifications, and experience, ensuring that all candidates are evaluated fairly and transparently.

·       Reasonable adjustments will be made to accommodate all candidates, ensuring they can fully participate in the recruitment process.

·       We will actively prevent, oppose and call out intimidation, discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation across our services, both internally and with the candidates, clients and other partners we may work with. Appropriate measures will be taken to address such issues.

·       We are committed to cultivating a workplace environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone feels included, respected, and valued.

Training and development

·       We will continue to provide training and development opportunities for our employees in order to enhance their knowledge of DE&I and to maintain a culture of understanding DE&I issues. We understand that we will need to keep up to date with such learning as the relevant policies, guidance and legal framework evolve.

·       We will actively encourage collaboration, teamwork, and the exchange of ideas among employees from diverse backgrounds, recognising that diversity drives innovation and creativity.

·       Listen to staff, candidates and clients suggestions for improving our services and ways of working.

·       Promote flexible working to help staff to balance their work and personal commitments, reduce stress and achieve their full potential.

Monitoring and improvement

·       We are dedicated to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our diversity and inclusion efforts.

·       Internally we know that there is the potential for our services to have unseen barriers to those we work with, even if this is not our intention. We therefore want to do all we can to make better decisions and to try to ensure that the services we provide are fair to all.

·       We will collect and analyse data on the diversity profile of candidates, employees, and promotions to identify any disparities and areas for improvement.

·       We will regularly review and update our policies and practices to ensure they align with best practices in diversity and inclusion and comply with legal requirements.

By implementing this DE&I Policy, we aim to create a recruitment agency that not only appreciates and understands the importance of diversity in the workplace but also actively seeks to embrace, promote and celebrate it. Together, we can build a more inclusive and vibrant industry for all.