Dr Olga Frańczak joined the REC in March 2022 as our first EDI Programme Lead.
Olga works across all departments, from campaigns to product development, including internal EDI support and advice with the HR team. This work ensures that EDI is at the core of everything we do for our members, as well as staff.
Olga has been working on equality issues since 2011. She has worked in international organisations, charities, universities, and private firms in the UK and abroad. Her experience includes working with survivors of hate crimes and gender-based violence.
Olga has a master’s degree in law. In 2021, she received a PhD on gender stereotypes from a human rights perspective.
Get in touch with Olga:
Our EDI Committee is a staff group which works closely with the EDI Programme Lead, Head of Delivery and HR to ensure that the REC is a safe, empowering, and inclusive place to work. The group provides feedback and makes recommendations for change to ensure that the REC strives for best practice around EDI.
At the REC we understand that equality, diversity, and inclusion are closely tied to mental health and wellbeing. Our Mental Health First Aiders are staff members trained in providing initial mental health support where needed. Visit our Mental Health Hub for more.
Listen to all Talking Recruitment Podcasts.
Our recent research in partnership with neurodivergent training experts Uptimize revealed some astonishing findings about the state of neuroinclusive recruitment in the UK. We surveyed REC members to understand the level of awareness of neuroinclusive recruitment practices within organisations. Here are some key findings:
So, what does it take to become a neuroinclusive recruiter? What practical steps can leaders take to drive the movement? We spoke to Ed Thompson, CEO of Uptimize to guide us through this unexplored area of recruitment which could hold the key to tackling the ongoing skills shortages.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) isn't a corporate craze that'll disappear in a few years. What can be missing is not realising the commercial benefits of being a truly diverse and inclusive organisation. Being an inclusive organisation improves your desirability as an employer which is crucial to talent attraction and retention.
Who better to explain the impact of EDI in talent attraction and recruitment than Nicola Inge, Employment & Skills Director from BITC? Nicola led the 'Opening Doors' campaign which puts inclusive recruitment at its heart. As an Opening Doors Employer, Hayley Tatum, Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer from Asda, also joins us to share what actions they are taking to address the skills challenges and the work they're doing on EDI.
Tune into this episode to hear about:
The theme for Black History Month this year is 'time for change: Action not words'. We were joined by Adeife Onwuzulike, Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Director of Euromonitor International to talk about how recruitment businesses can champion this change by building strong partnerships with their clients and by acting as champions of inclusion in recruitment.
In this thought-provoking discussion, Adeife and Neil will take you through:
Recruiters are in a powerful position to influence businesses on their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion positioning and advise on practical ways to deploy successful EDI strategies. We spoke to our EDI Ambassador and Founder of Harper Fox Search Partners, Scarlett Allen-Horton, to understand what it takes to drive a successful EDI strategy.
Tune into hear:
We've got to get better at drawing people into work from some of the backgrounds where employment rates are not as high as they should be. One longstanding issue is that our disability employment rate is much lower than we'd all like it to be. What can we, as an industry, do to narrow the disability employment gap?
Hear Kate Headley, Director of The Clear Company, as she takes us through the role of the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) and her mission as the UK Government's Disability & Access Ambassador for the Recruitment Industry in the latest episode of our podcast. You'll hear about:
In this episode, our CEO Neil Carberry interviews Amanda Fone, Founder & CEO at f1 Recruitment. They discuss managing social change for clients, championing hybrid working for flexibility and equal work life balance, and diversifying the talent pool used to recruit candidates.
In this episode, tune in to hear:
Listen to our latest episode of the Talking Recruitment podcast, as our Chief Executive Neil Carberry is joined by Nicki Pritchard. They discuss the overall direction of ED&I and the commitment that Senior Leaders need to have towards this integral part of the business and how to attract the best talent.
In this episode, tune in to hear:
Joanne Lockwood, founder and CEO of SEE Change Happen, joins Neil Carberry to discuss our industry's role in creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. You'll hear about practical steps that your business can take to enable D&I, and to drive the UK’s productivity.
Tune in to hear:
