Positive Action and Elliott Scott HR 

"Positive Action" refers to our proactive efforts to enhance diversity by actively addressing underrepresentation in the candidate pool. This means that during the recruitment process, we are taking deliberate steps to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply and ensure equal access to opportunities. 

Such steps may include targeted outreach efforts, providing additional support or resources or simply creating an inclusive environment that welcomes and embraces candidates from various backgrounds. Our goal is to level the playing field and promote a fair and inclusive recruitment experience for all candidates. 

Positive Action is a provision under the Equality Act 2010 that allows us to take specific actions to address or prevent disadvantages faced by individuals from certain groups that are underrepresented, marginalised, or experiencing inequality. It is a legal mechanism designed to promote equality of opportunity and foster diversity in the workforce. 

Our policy at Elliott Scott HR is always to adopt a "Positive Action" approach and avoid any actions that may be considered "Positive Discrimination". Such discriminatory actions are generally regarded as unlawful, and we take them seriously. All our consultants have been trained to follow this policy. 

Positive Action: we will 

• Actively engage in targeted outreach efforts to attract a diverse pool of candidates, especially those from underrepresented groups. 
• Utilise a variety of channels to reach out to diverse communities, attend events, or collaborate with organisations that support diversity. 
• Craft job advertisements using inclusive language and imagery to encourage applications from a broad range of candidates and specifically candidates from under-represented groups. 
• Offer support to help candidates from underrepresented groups develop the knowledge to excel in the recruitment process. 
• Implement flexible application processes to accommodate different needs and ensure that barriers to entry are minimized. 
• Regularly analyse data on the demographics of applicants, shortlisted candidates, and hires to identify areas for improvement. 
• Always strive to provide clients with a balanced and diverse slate of candidates. 

Positive Action: we will not 

• Give preferential treatment to candidates solely based on their protected characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, gender, or disability). 
• Support quotas based on hiring from only specific characteristics, such as all-female shortlists 
• Overlook more qualified candidates in favour of someone from an underrepresented group without considering their skills and experience. 
• Exclude qualified candidates from our sourcing and shortlisting activities solely because they belong to majority groups.