How TPP Recruitment turned passion into structured inclusion with Inclusive Employers

Passion and belief: The catalyst for inclusion transformation

“When we started our journey, we were keen and curious about inclusion. We had passion but it wasn’t in a formal, organised or particularly impactful way. We weren’t pointing in the same direction to move it forward. Now, with the support of Inclusive Employers, we have the courage of our convictions and quiet confidence to push the boundaries of where we are at [with inclusion].”  Jayne Morris, CEO  TPP Recruitment.

“We have the passion and the belief that this is the right thing to do”

TPP Recruitment are a specialist not-for-profit recruitment agency. They work with a wide range of clients from the non-profit sector including: charities, international NGOs, professional membership bodies, institutes, arts and heritage, higher and further education providers and social enterprises.

TPP offer a tailored service to find talent, from junior assistant level through to senior appointments. TPP joined Inclusive Employers in December 2019.

The challenge: How to progress from passion to sustainable inclusion impact?

Before TPP joined Inclusive Employers, members of the EDI Steering Group described their approach as: ‘disorganised passion. It meant a lot, but it wasn’t formalised, everyone had a vague understanding of EDI, but it wasn’t until we joined Inclusive Employers that we started to become serious about the intention of our inclusion activities..’

The culture of TPP has always been open and collaborative. Jayne was committed to progressing inclusion and the team were ‘quietly curious’ and ready to learn more. As a values-driven organisation, they needed support to take focused, planned action to develop the organisation’s inclusion maturity.

TPP already had external inclusion and diversity support in place but wanted to feel more inspired by the support they were getting. And, that’s when they found Inclusive Employers.

The Solution: Strategy, structure and action to progress inclusion maturity

Working in partnership with Inclusive Employers, TPP have made significant strides to embed inclusion in every part of their business.

TPP started with their statement and action plan, which created the opportunity to focus on how they could most effectively have an impact on inclusion in the organisation. Inclusive Employers guided this strategic approach, which allowed TPP to develop a plan that was realistic and aligned with their values. This meant that the actions that they implemented were considered, relevant and cohesive, designed to resonate and have a sustainable impact.

Below is a list of all the work TPP have implemented, since becoming Inclusive Employers Members, on their journey to inclusion maturity:

• Creating their inclusion and diversity statement and action plan.
• Establishing an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) steering group.
• Revised their internal recruitment policy and handbook.
• Publishing their candidate demographic stats on their website.
• Launched their Inclusive Recruitment guide, a collaboration with Inclusive Employers.
• Launched the Altogether Better Inclusive Recruitment Grant, which provides support for small charities to develop more inclusive recruitment processes. Inclusive Employers sit on the grant panel and provide the final casting vote.
• Created an Altogether Better LinkedIn group for their clients, which provides a safe space for professionals to be curious and ask questions.
• Moved from Disability Confident Level 1 to Level 2.
• Became an RNIB Visibly Better Employer.
• Shortlisted for Diversity Initiative of the Year, REC Awards 2023 and 2024.
• Awards/Associations – ReciteMe, Show the Salary, RNIB Visibly Better Employer, RIDI Pioneer, Menopause Pledge

Outcomes: Six ways membership has progressed inclusion maturity

“It’s about calling people in – it is about bringing people into that circle and saying you don’t have to know everything”

Without Inclusive Employers support, tools and resources TPP wouldn’t have felt as confident or comfortable to make the progress outlined above, that has led them to develop their inclusion maturity.

Below we highlight eight different ways that they were supported by Inclusive Employers to make this progress.

1. The account manager relationship

TPP’s account manager provides a monthly space to discuss challenges and opportunities and to ask questions in a safe, supportive, non-judgemental space.

Jayne reflects on the importance of the relationship TPP have with their account manager: “There’s an understanding not just of me as an individual and my knowledge, strengths, weaknesses and communication styles, but also the uniqueness of the fact that we’re a recruitment business who focuses in the not-for-profit sector.”

2. Training

The relationship with us has impacted the training TPP deliver internally. TPP are now offering training that is tailored and much more thoughtful and supportive. Our support gives TPP the confidence to support their recruitment consultants.

We always remind our recruitment consultants that first and foremost, they are recruitment experts. We provide training that encourages their curiosity about inclusion and diversity, and supports them to work with their clients on their own EDI goals.

3.  Privilege and allyship

The EDI Steering Group feel that membership with Inclusive Employers allows colleagues to use their position of privilege and show allyship to others:

“As recruiters, we know we are in a position of privilege, it’s amazing to hear that someone who might not have spoken up before feels that that they can now, they can use their privilege really powerfully. And that’s a great thing to have a conversation about.”

4.  Access to resources and webinars

TPP make great use of the Members’ Resources library, accessible to all members via the Inclusive Employers website. It’s a collection of resources that the whole organisation can use, not just those with an inclusion and diversity remit. It means that anyone, members of the steering group for example, can log on to the website and be curious. Jayne comments that, thanks to the resources her colleagues can be: ‘armed with more knowledge and come back with new questions and information to share’.

TPP have the same appreciation for our webinar programme and awareness day calendar. When colleagues attend webinars they share the learning in team meetings, so everyone can benefit. Making TPP ‘incredibly proactive’ when it comes to inclusion.

5. Hiring process

TPP have reviewed their employee handbook and incorporated EDI training into the induction process for new staff. The whole experience is now more inclusive. Jayne reflects on a recent experience, where she interviewed a candidate whose background was in delivering EDI training:

“I was asking whether or not there are any significant milestones or religious festivals that we needed to be aware of. He [the candidate] was blown away by the fact that we were asking these questions and wanted to be aware of these things”

6.  Impact on employees

Working with us has helped TPP to create a safe space for their employees. Because employees see and are part of conversations about inclusion they are encouraged to trust the environment they work in and feel safe to bring their whole selves to work.

“Be yourself, because that’s who we employed, and that’s who adds value to the organisation. As a group of individuals we are stronger for it.”

Jayne reflects that TPP are learning as a company now, not just as individuals, and this increases individuals’ confidence to have these conversations. Supported by the resources and other learning opportunities Inclusive Employers provide.

The impact of membership: Open, empowered and credible

TPP have seen the impact of membership inside and outside their organisation. The development in their inclusion maturity is highlighted by these three key developments:

 Open conversations around inclusion internally

Internally, the conversation around inclusion is more nuanced now. Colleagues have come together to learn and feel more comfortable to have inclusion conversations. Staff feel able to be curious and ask questions, and have more confidence in how to stand beside a colleague in allyship. This is a fantastic development in the inclusion maturity of colleagues at TPP.

Staff have applied this curiosity and confidence at work, and even at home, as The Steering Group reflects “This [membership] isn’t just good for the job that you do. It’s good for the conversations you have with friends or family or your kids. When your kids start getting curious and coming home and asking questions”.

Empowered: Progressing inclusion with stakeholders

The partnership has empowered TPP staff to have an impact on their candidates and clients too “our partnership gives our consultants the tools to have conversations” […] It’s not just the impact that our relationship has on us as an organisation. It’s the byproduct it has on all the clients, on the sectors that we work with and the applicants that we deal with.”

Enhanced credibility

Membership empowers TPP, by giving them credibility and confidence to keep driving inclusion forward: “It gives us lots of credibility to be linked with [an organisation] who are informative, non-judgmental, and have great resources. We are now much more overtly open. We have clear guidelines. We have internal EDI training as part of the induction. The overarching relationship we have with our clients, with our internal teams at TPP and EDI is something that we stand for. We have a quiet confidence about EDI and the commitment and support to drive it forward.”