Message from Adam Our CEO
“Why is a straight white man working in diversity?”
This is a question I’ve been asked on countless occasions.
Back in the 80’s and 90’s when I was at school I was determined to become a fire fighter. I studied Public Services at college and was advised by the fire brigade to gain some life experience before I applied.
I decided the Royal Marines would provide an abundance of experience and transferable skills to help me on my journey to become a fire fighter. After some blood, lots of sweat, and maybe a few tears, I became a Royal Marine Commando and spent 5 years learning, growing and setting myself up to fulfil my vocation.
In 2006 I left the Marines and began applying for the fire brigade.
I applied to every recruitment intake over three years and on all four occasions I didn’t even get past the application stage.
The government had mandated that all public services level up the under represented groups using positive discrimination to address this. The result was that I missed out on my vocation, a job I would have done for the minimum wage and where I would have laid my life down to save others.
Positive discrimination has fortunately been unlawful since 2010 however, I see the same approach now with companies hiring for specific demographics when they’re not measuring who is actually in their organisation.
Some want to look as though they’re doing the right thing, and some are trying but getting it really wrong.
Our belief at Equal Employer, is that the best person should get the job every time. This prevents people being used as token gestures, helps employers and our GDP perform to the best of it’s potential, and in the case of the fire service, it maximises the preservation of life – which should always be the number one priority.
Over the last three years we’ve researched and tested multiple ways to create equality in recruitment and promotions, arriving at a certified standard in hiring – the first of it’s kind anywhere in the world.
Now, we’re certifying businesses around the globe in our mission to create a world of equal employment.
We’re fortunate to be working with many pioneering HR Directors and business leaders, that share our vision, wanting to demonstrate their ethics through our certification.
If you share our vision then I would love to hear from you so we can help you become an Equal Employer.
ADAM BOTTERILL CO-FOUNDER CEO
NINA AVAKIAN-GREEN CO-FOUNDER
ANTHONY GREEN TECHNICAL DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
Whilst discussing the challenges we had, and were, facing in employment, we understood that inequality was the root cause of the problems we had faced.
Despite our colour, gender, preferences or anything else about us, all we wanted was to be treated equally and be given a fair chance at promotions and new applications.
As employers we have seen organisations miss out appointing the best people due to bias, likewise through our careers, we have also missed out on applications we have submitted, all as a result of bias. We feel that training can only partially solve the problem of bias, so we set out to solve it completely. If we didn’t then the world would face countless missed opportunities where bias was effecting people and the diversity scales would be constantly tipped in one direction or another.
We believe that it is time we solve the problem once and for all and advance society forward by making employment equal for everyone!
Our Advisory Board
REMI RAY
JON WHITE
RASHID PATEL
OLGA VALADON
As a company committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, Equal Employer recognises the importance of seeking guidance and counsel from industry experts and thought leaders.
The Board of Advisors is comprised of a diverse group of professionals with extensive experience in a variety of fields, including management, diversity and inclusion, business strategy, psychology, coaching, neurodiversity, and customer relations. Their collective knowledge and expertise will play a critical role in helping Equal Employer achieve its mission of creating a more equitable and fairer workplace for all employees.