Successful businesses are predicated upon several aspects, not least a robust recruitment policy that places diversity and inclusion at its core. One organisation helping firms do just that is Newcastle-based NRG. Its Executive Search & Selection function delivers blue-chip clients trusted shortlists that are drawn from the widest talent pools, which ensure they have access to the highest calibre of candidates for top-level roles. Here, Scot McHarg, a consultant in the company’s Executive Search & Selection team, explains more.
It is well documented that diversity brings a multitude of advantages to an organisation. Businesses with diversity and inclusion at the heart of their strategy experience increased profitability and growth due to their ability to adapt and incorporate a wider set of values and viewpoints.
Diversity and inclusion remains a priority for business leaders as the economy bounces back from COVID-19 and a high level of recruitment activity resumes.
One organisation with first-hand experience of this is the Executive Search & Selection function at NRG.
An accountant by profession, highly experienced Executive Search consultant Scot McHarg has successfully delivered a catalogue of targeted search assignments on behalf of a huge variety of public, private and charity sector clients for more than 15 years.
With fully managed and research-focused assignments designed to deliver fresh, new, high- calibre candidates, NRG’s Search & Selection team has a reputation and strong track record of successful appointments aligned with high performance that have a major impact throughout the UK including chief executive, managing director, finance director, HR director and non-executive appointments.
“Diversity and inclusion is a high priority for all our clients, and an increasingly important part of any tender process,” says Scot.
“Our clients want to ensure as early as possible that our process works, that it’s robust and can be relied upon to present a shortlist of appointable candidates drawn from the widest possible pool of candidates.
“It’s not rocket science that any search campaign that excludes candidates for any reason, whether conscious or unconscious, immediately reduces the size of the candidate pool and therefore potentially affects the quality of the appointment.
“Not only is diversity, inclusion and equality the right thing to do, it makes business sense.
“It’s about everybody – those that work for you, those that buy your goods and services, those that go to school with your children, those who you would like to do business with, and those you’d like to attract to work for you.
“To be the best we can be, we need to be surrounded by great people.
“And for good people to be great we need to think about the environment we are putting them into. “In today’s globally competitive marketplace, businesses need to widen their talent pool with a fully inclusive recruitment strategy that reaches and engages talent from within under-represented groups.
“Diversity is not a one-off tick box exercise.
“In today’s digital age, candidates look for transparency and authenticity when deciding to join an organisation.
“With an increasing digital footprint including social media and employer review sites such as Glassdoor and Indeed, it is vital that businesses align their consumer and employer brands.”
Scot is one of NRG’s diversity champions.
His commitment towards an Executive Search practice driven by strong and consistent values of conscious inclusion and culture is evidenced in the part he played in the creation and launch of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the North East networking group.
The group creates a safe space for regional business leaders to discuss and share best practice to drive positive messaging around diversity and belonging, and ultimately how to create a fully inclusive workplace.
He says: “NRG’s commitment towards equality and allyship is demonstrated through active listening and learning in this group.
“We’ve had business leaders from some of the region’s foremost organisations, such as Home Group, Greggs, Cummins Inc, Northumberland Council and Karbon Homes, talk about what they are doing to tackle some of the harder elements that can sometimes prevent employees from achieving their full potential.
“The group has been a huge success and really interesting to be part of.
Scot adds: “We’ve recognised that we are all on a journey of discovery.
“We are able to highlight examples of bias and privilege and we’ve explored the thought processes, microaggressions and behaviours that may exclude or discriminate.
“Each session not only brings together the business community but creates a fantastic source of learning for the NRG team to make us better allies in our own workplace, and better informed to present a diverse shortlist to our clients.”
Article originally published in North East Times on October 7th 2021.