Sanderson’s Inclusive Hiring Certification 2026

Inclusive hiring isn’t just something we talk about at Sanderson, it’s a core part of how we work every day.

It shapes how we support our clients, engage with candidates and deliver consistently high-quality recruitment.

That’s why, in early 2026 we took part in the Talent Spaces Inclusive Hiring Certification, an independent assessment designed to evaluate how well inclusive hiring is embedded across an organisation.

We’re really pleased to share that we achieved a ‘Confident’ certification level.

What is the Inclusive Hiring Certification?

The Talent Spaces certification brings together academic research, regulatory guidance and industry best practice into a clear framework for inclusive hiring. It assesses organisations across six stages of the recruitment lifecycle, awarding one of three levels: Committed, Confident or Leader.

At its heart, inclusive hiring is about intentionally designing recruitment processes that reduce bias, widen access to opportunities and support fair, evidence-based decision making.

Our assessment included leadership surveys, consultant interviews across our service lines, as well as a detailed review of our policies, advertising, learning materials and processes which were then benchmarked against other recruitment organisations.

Why we did it

For us, inclusive hiring is fundamental to responsible recruitment. It helps open more diverse talent pools, improves candidate experience and ensures fairer outcomes throughout the recruitment lifecycle.

We undertook the certification to:

• Strengthen our ability to advise clients on inclusive hiring
• Make sure our practices stay consistent as we grow
• Create a clear framework for continuous improvement

What we were recognised for

We’re really proud to have achieved our ‘Confident’ level certification, reflecting the strength of our approach across the business.

In particular this assessment called out our:

• Strong, inclusive and skills-first culture
• Highly capable and professional consultants
• Particularly strong performance in talent attraction, candidate experience and accessibility

Importantly, it confirmed that inclusive hiring at Sanderson is embedded in what we do and not treated as a tick-box exercise.

What we’re doing well at

A few areas really stood out:

Consultant capability

Our teams show a strong awareness of bias and a consistent focus on skills-first, fair and merit-based hiring.

Candidate experience

We’re proud of our relationship-led approach, with a real emphasis on communication, preparation and respect throughout the process.

Inclusive attraction and accessibility

Inclusive advertising and thoughtful conversations around accessibility are already well established across the business.

Strong foundations

Our Inclusion & Diversity policy and learning programmes give us a solid platform for consistent, inclusive recruitment.

What’s next?

Achieving ‘Confident’ certification is a fantastic milestone and is a valuable independent validation of the work happening across Sanderson.

But while we’re proud of this achievement, we also see it as a stepping stone.

As we continue to grow our business in all locations across the world, we’re focused on:

• Building more consistency across systems and processes
• Strengthening governance, measurement and accountability
• Continuing to develop our inclusive advisory capability for clients
• Continuing to provide fairer access to opportunities for our candidates

If you’d like to learn more about our inclusive hiring approach, feel free to get in touch with our Responsible Business Lead at [email protected]