As a business, we reject racism and social injustice. We are avid supporters of creating better working environments for ALL. We recognise that unfortunately the working world isn’t fair, it isn’t equal and change needs to happen. We also believe that diversity in the work place creates a better work environment and a fairer working world.
Diversity comes in various forms, many of which we can’t see. As a business we want to celebrate all areas of diversity and use our skills and network to help bring about change. We believe that education is a key to this as well as active steps that will help to create a more diverse working environment.
Since our founder, Alice Weightman, set up Hanson Search, we have been championing diversity in the work place through many partnerships and initiatives. We published a report on “getting the balance right” in 2012 about women in the workplace , launched a social action campaign with Uprise in 2015 to support people from different backgrounds entering into the industry, worked with the government on the Disability Confident Campaign 2015 and became ambassadors of the Ideas Foundation in 2019. In fact, one initiative lead to the launch a social enterprise - The Work Crowd – helping businesses to connect with talented freelancers faster, cheaper and smarter than ever before.
For 2020 we have launched a diversity advisory board at Hanson Search to be focussed on three main areas:
We will be doing this for both Hanson Search, our industry and people outside our industry from diverse backgrounds to encourage them to into marketing and communications.
Our commitments for 2021:
Education
Promotion
Change
Download our diversity and inclusion policy here.
If you’re interested in a career in PR and Communications, we have sign posted below some information that can help you along your journey as well as some useful links for employers.
The term “disability” refers to a huge range of physical, mental and learning impairments that are faced by millions of people. Recent studies show that 1 in 3 people in the communications industry has a mental health condition – twice the rate for the general population. That makes disabilities our business.
We strive for greater inclusion and the removal of barriers preventing disabled people from fulfilling their potential.
There are many issues that have come to light regarding women in the PR industry in recent years. The most startling being the under-representation of women in leadership roles, despite the fact that 67% of the industry is composed of females. By launching Women in PR Middle East, we will be able to better address the challenges facing women in the industry in the Middle East.
Alice Weightman sits down with Bill Brock to discuss the diversity challenges facing the digital and creative industries