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REC Podcast: Talking Recruitment
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A regular podcast featuring the leading thinkers from across the recruitment and business world
Meet our host, Neil Carberry
Neil Carberry was appointed as Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in June 2018 having been managing director at the Confederation of British Industry, leading the CBI’s work on the labour market, skills, energy and infrastructure. In 1999, Neil began his career in recruitment working for executive search firm Fraser Watson before doing a post-graduate degree in Human Resources at the London School of Economics and joining the CBI in 2004. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the RSA. He is a member of the council of the conciliation service ACAS and a former member of the Low Pay Commission, which recommends UK minimum wages. A three-time nominee to the SIA staffing100 in Europe, he is also on the board of the World Employment Confederation, Total People and a primary academy trust in Oxfordshire. Neil is an RFU qualified rugby coach and is one of the 8000 co-owners who made Heart of Midlothian the UK’s biggest fan-owned football club.
*The views expressed by guests on the REC's Talking Recruitment podcast are not those of the REC and reflect the individual's personal opinions.
Welcome to our 2026 series
Episode 82: Has EDI been deprioritised – or is it evolving?
In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Olga Frańczak is joined by Beth Foley and Helen Tomlinson to discuss how approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion are changing across recruitment and the wider workplace.
The conversation explores how EDI has shifted from awareness campaigns and performative activity towards something more measurable, operational and commercially focused. The guests discuss why inclusion is increasingly being embedded into systems, processes and decision making, and how organisations are being challenged to demonstrate real impact rather than intention.
The episode also looks at the role of middle management in shaping workplace culture, the importance of retention and progression, and why psychological safety and inclusive leadership are becoming more important to business performance.
Alongside this, the discussion examines how AI and technology are reshaping hiring practices. The guests explore the risks of bias in automated systems, why human judgment still matters, and how recruitment businesses can balance speed and efficiency with fair and inclusive outcomes.
The discussion offers a practical discussion on what meaningful inclusion looks like in 2026 and how recruitment businesses can build EDI into long-term business strategy, workforce experience and future growth.
Host:
· Olga Frańczak, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead, REC
Guests:
· Beth Foley, CRO, Liquid Friday
Helen Tomlinson, Head of Inclusion & Employability at The Adecco Group
Exclusive ERB Episode
Episode 61: The Employment Rights Bill exclusive with Justin Madders MP
In this exclusive episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry sits down with Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets, for a timely conversation exploring the Government’s employment agenda and the future of work in the UK. With the Employment Rights Bill on the horizon and his recent fireside chat at RECLive25, this episode offers a front-row seat to the thinking behind the proposed reforms and what they mean for the recruitment industry.
Speaker: Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets
More episodes
Subscribe to Talking Recruitment podcasts on:
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Enjoying our podcasts? Why not join Neil's live webinar to discuss the big issues affecting our industry?
View our 2025 schedule of Neil's Talking Recruitment webinars and book your place early.
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