Inclusive hiring isn’t a gesture. It’s good business for every kind of business.
May 22, 2025Posted by:
Whether you’re building homes, running shops, delivering care or bidding for contracts the way you hire now speaks louder than ever.
Right now, thousands of UK employers are struggling with the same problems:
- “We can’t fill roles.”
- “We want to be more inclusive, but don’t know where to start.”
- “We’re doing the right thing, but no one sees it.”
The Social Recruitment Covenant is here to help.
It’s a free, public commitment that helps you get recognition for hiring with purpose, whether you’re a national contractor or a five-person firm.
You’re probably already giving chances to people who’ve been overlooked: care leavers, prison leavers, , people with support needs and those who haven’t worked for a long time.
The Social Recruitment Covenant turns that into proof. Into reputation. And in many cases, into revenue.
This isn’t a campaign. It’s a shift. And employers will lead it.
We’re aiming for every business who employs in a responsible way, to sign the Social Recruitment Covenant not for vanity, but for visibility.
Because the more of us who sign, the more this becomes the standard, not the exception.
And the more likely buyers, partners, and candidates are to ask:
“If others are doing it… why aren’t you?”
Signing the Covenant is about more than good intentions.
It’s about putting your values to work and getting noticed for it.
Here’s what this looks like in real life
A small construction firm in Derbyshire signs, because they’ve always given people second chances, but now they want clients to know.
A logistics company signs, because they’re working with The Restart Scheme to fill urgent vacancies and want to stand out in tenders.
A hair salon signs, because they hired someone fresh out of care and saw loyalty they’d never seen before.
A chain of cafés sign, because they’re tired of hearing “skills shortage” when good people just need someone to back them.
For public sector suppliers, this gives you a scoring edge.
Let’s be clear: if you’re bidding for government contracts, this helps you win.
Since PPN 06/20, social value is a scored part of public procurement.
Hiring inclusively helps you hit multiple themes, including:
- Reducing inequality
- Supporting disadvantaged groups
- Building community wellbeing
You don’t need to overhaul your recruitment.
You just need to show that your hiring includes people who’ve been locked out and that it’s working.
"We were already working with DWP. The Covenant helped us explain it better and we started scoring higher on bids."
— Bid Manager, FM Supplier
But even if you’re not bidding, this still matters.
Every business needs people. And socially responsible hiring gives you an edge:
✔ Better retention
People who’ve faced barriers often stay longer and commit more, because someone finally gave them a shot.
✔ New talent pools
When you widen access, you find skills and drive you’ve been missing.
✔ A stronger brand
Candidates, customers, and partners are looking at what your company stands for. Signing the Covenant shows you mean it, in one credible step.
Most businesses are already doing something right, but they’re not telling anyone.
We hear this all the time:
“We’ve hired people from tough backgrounds for years, but we never called it anything.”
“We didn’t think it counted as ‘inclusive hiring.’”
“We didn’t know we could use that in tenders or to build our brand.”
You can. You should. And we’ll help you.
The Social Recruitment Covenant helps you describe it, prove it, and connect it to bigger outcomes, without bureaucracy or jargon.
This isn’t about charity. It’s about unlocking what’s already working.
There’s no skills shortage.
There’s an opportunity shortage, for people with gaps on their CV, past mistakes, or lives that didn’t go to plan.
The Social Recruitment Covenant helps you open that door, proudly and publicly.
And in return, you get:
- New team members who are ready to work
- Recognition for the inclusive hiring you’re already doing
- A place among employers leading the future of fair, practical, human recruitment
👉 Sign here: peopleplus.co.uk/socialrecruitmentcovenant
It takes under 60 seconds.
And it changes how people see you and how you see who’s ready to work.
You’re already doing the hard part.
The hard part is saying yes to someone with a conviction, a support need, or a six-month career gap no one else will look past.
If you’ve done that, once or a hundred times, the Social Recruitment Covenant is for you.
We’re just making it visible. Measurable. Powerful.
Sign it today.
Tag someone else who should.
Let’s change what good hiring looks like, together.
May 22, 2025Posted by:
