Our Objective
Our objective is to lead our industry to make recruitment and staffing fairer for all.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are essential for any business that cares, values, and respects its people by empowering them to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. By embracing diversity, we have created an environment in which each individual can unlock their full potential, exercise their distinctive creativity and give valuable ideas to contribute towards better decision-making.
By joining Arc, you'll belong to a community in which differences are not just accepted but celebrated. We are constantly learning, educating, and trying to do better. We know that we're not perfect and that mistakes will be made along the way, however, we are committed to learning from them as we work towards our vision of shaping the world of flexible work into a better place for all.
Team Member Feedback
"Arc is possibly the most inclusive agency I have ever worked for. At no point have I ever felt underrepresented or like there aren’t equal opportunities for all while working for them."
Ogochukwu
Liverpool Team Member Feedback
I have had an exceptionally great experience with Arc Recruitment over the past year. What I appreciate most about them is the polite and kind nature of their managers who ensure that every worker is treated fairly and with respect. Whenever I have raised any concerns, they have always been quick to respond and provide a solution. Working with Arc Recruitment has taught me the importance of treating others with kindness and respect, and I am grateful for the opportunities they have provided me.
Omar
Birmingham Team Member Feedback
"Worked with Manager Mathew and his Midlands team and so far, I’ve seen nothing but good things, pay on time, professionalism, good communication, and fair treatment and understanding with employees. Would definitely recommend it to everyone"
Owen
Liverpool Team Member Feedback
"I have really enjoyed my time in the last 2 years working for ARC Liverpool. The staff have always been supportive and understanding of me and my condition with Crohn’s disease, and I have received nothing but kindness and understanding from them which I am grateful for. A mention to Richard, Sarah, Emma, Del and Chloe in particular."
The How
We have created an inclusive working environment at Arc, firstly, through our incredible core team who lead from the front in their passion for tackling social inequalities and through a series of initiatives:
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Educating our employees on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) – first with Be Inclusive Hospitality where we covered Introduction to Bias, and then we continued the training with Your D+I, covering Introduction to DE&I, and Inclusive Language at the Workplace
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Providing Safe Spaces to our full-time employees. This is an internal initiative where our employees can come and chat with one of our Mental Health First Aid trained Safe Spaces Officers - team members. zero tolerance policy - escalation
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Continuing the conversation about diversity and inclusion. We pledged to continue the DE&I conversation throughout the year, and we do this by celebrating diversity days, such as IWD, but also by launching our Diversity Brekky Club where employees research a DE&I topic and present their findings to the team, educating them while munching on delicious breakfast. We are keen to celebrate the diversity of our team members, and we are working with Your D+I to create a bespoke diversity calendar to celebrate specific dates relevant to our team throughout the year
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Updating our zero-tolerance policy for harassment, bullying, or discrimination of any kind and making it a public statement
Our Industry Initiative
Our original aim was to establish an industry initiative with our clients, peers, and community partners by 2025. With this, we have researched, discussed and analysed the processes we have in place and explored what we can do to improve these. We have made significant progress with our Industry Initiative. This initiative aims to collaborate with our clients, peers, and community to create a fairer hospitality industry by 2025.
We have examined how our teams make selection and staffing decisions to develop fairer selection systems and processes. With the increasing role of AI and automation, we have started discussions and implementations with our system suppliers to advance fair staffing and selection processes using technology.
We are committed to minimizing discrimination and bias, ensuring that automation in staffing selection supports our goals of inclusivity and fairness. If not handled correctly, these advancements could undermine our efforts to create a more equitable workplace.
Are you interested in joining us with this initiative? If so, please email us.
Our Move to Accessible Offices
As part of our commitment to being an inclusive company, we relocated six of our nationwide hubs to accessible spaces, ensuring that our workspaces are welcoming for all and support the diverse needs of our core staff, team members, and clients.
Each new location was carefully selected by our Associate Director of Finance, Andrew McKeown, who went above and beyond to find spaces that incorporated features including step-free access, a variety of workspaces including communal areas and quiet pods, and of course, ensuring that our offices were in close proximity of public transport to encourage more sustainable commutes.
By prioritising accessibility, we are fostering a more inclusive culture and taking further steps towards our vision "to shape the world of flexible work into a better place for all"
See Something? Say Something…
We have built a culture upon transparency and honesty which is why we want all of our team members to feel empowered to say something if they feel that it isn’t right.
Whether that be with someone’s behaviour or words, we stand strong against any form of discrimination. However, we understand that it can be an awkward situation to approach, here are some phrases that you can use to address inappropriate behaviour:
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“That’s not how we do things here”
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“Jokes about racism, sexuality, gender or disability are never ok”
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“That makes me uneasy”
If you wish to report an incident, please email our Head of People, Sarah Harrison, via sarahharrison@wearearc.co.uk