Age, Bias, and Belonging: Challenging Stereotypes in Today’s Recruitment Industry

Jo Major explores how recruiters can become true catalysts for equity and inclusion, challenging performative practices and stereotypes while championing age diversity, candidate development, and authentic transformation across the recruitment landsc

In this thought-provoking episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Jo Major to explore why true inclusion in the workplace must begin with recruiters. Together, they deconstruct the performative side of diversity and inclusion in recruitment, highlight why making systemic change is more than just paying lip service, and consider practical ways recruiters can influence equitable hiring. The conversation moves beyond rhetoric to uncover barriers created by conventional recruitment, the vital role of representation in the industry, and the power of broadening the recruiter’s remit from simply “filling seats” to properly consulting on organisational talent strategies. Joanne and Jo examine why focusing solely on early careers narrows the talent pipeline and challenge the industry to provide greater support for jobseekers, particularly those facing age discrimination or returning to work mid-career.

Jo Major brings over 17 years’ experience as an agency recruiter combined with her expertise in advancing equity and inclusion across recruitment practices. Founder of an organisation dedicated to transforming the industry, Jo equips both agency and in-house professionals with knowledge, tools, and the confidence required to embed inclusive practice at every stage of the hiring process. Her passion lies in inspiring recruiters to genuinely care about people and to question established methods. Jo’s perspective is shaped by her personal journey from ethical but uninformed recruitment to a deeper understanding of inclusion and accessibility, and she is committed to helping the industry move past box ticking towards real change.

Through their candid exchange, Joanne and Jo discuss generational perspectives on hiring, innovative talent pipelines such as mature apprenticeships and alumni programmes, and how recruitment agencies can act as true business partners by advocating for both client needs and candidate development. The episode urges recruiters to challenge bias, leverage technology meaningfully, and step out of industry echo chambers.

A key takeaway from this episode is the recognition that the path to genuine inclusion starts with how recruiters mirror the communities they serve and the ways they consult with their clients and candidates. Listeners will leave with a renewed sense of how recruitment, when done purposefully, can dismantle barriers, create diverse opportunities, and drive sustainable inclusion far beyond compliance.

Published: 29.08.2025 Recorded: 27.03.2025 Duration: 1:04:03

• AI Extracts and Interpretations
• The Inclusion Bites Podcast #173 Inclusion Starts with Recruiters — app.castmagic.io
• Other Links
• SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts — seechangehappen.co.uk
• Inclusion Bites Podcast on YouTube

Clips and Timestamps

Viral Topic: The Challenges of Inclusive Recruitment
Quote: “It’s very, very different to class recruiters who are their successes measured and their performance is rewarded based on time to hire and speed and it may be minimal human resources, you know, and maximum output and then asking them to then integrate inclusion and accessibility and equity into that process, to change the way they hire, to change the way that they make decisions, to change, to add extra layers into that process.”
— Jo Major [00:06:24 → 00:06:53]

Viral Topic: Rethinking Careers in Recruitment: “Isn’t it sad that such an interesting career path is seen as something that you fall into? You know, why do people not choose to go into recruitment when recruitment itself can be an incredible profession and an incredible career?”
— Jo Major [00:10:22 → 00:10:37]

Viral Topic: Rethinking the Recruiter’s Role:
“How on earth are we not sitting down with recruiters and talking to Them about organisational design, workforce planning, dynamic employer brand development, EVP development and all of that.”
— Jo Major [00:14:13 → 00:14:25]

Viral Topic: Proactive Recruitment Strategies: “I know you’ve not asked me to do this, but I’ve done it and I’d really like to have a chat with you about the results.”
— Jo Major [00:18:12 → 00:19:44]

Recruitment Expertise: “as recruiters we claim that we are experts in interviewing. What can we do to share that expertise and also just being able to audit the capability of the TA team and seeing whether or not we can bring in our professional services that way.”
— Jo Major [00:22:44 → 00:23:01]

Viral Topic: AI Transforming Recruitment
“Could help to transform the recruitment process and free people up to do the important stuff, which is the human.”
— Jo Major [00:26:56 → 00:27:03]

Starting a Business After 50: “For every month that you spend waiting to get a job for somebody else to employ you, you could be doing your own thing. And you could be.”
— Jo Major [00:40:03 → 00:40:11]

Unlocking Potential at Any Age: “We should be taking this approach of seeing the potential of people over the age of 50 and, you know, and really looking at, like, how can we, how can we take people from the world of work and from different industries and how can we help them to realise their potential by investing for all that time.”
— Jo Major [00:41:39 → 00:41:59]

Age Diversity in the Workplace: “I think it’s got the power to, to, to solve a lot of organisational problems, staffing problems and social challenges as well.”
— Jo Major [00:50:34 → 00:50:42]

Supporting Mature Jobseekers: “What are you actively doing to create communities within that more mature, more vintage workforce?”
— Jo Major [00:56:59 → 00:57:07]

Definition of Terms Used

What is Inclusive Recruitment?

• Definition: Inclusive recruitment refers to designing and implementing hiring processes that intentionally remove barriers and actively accommodate and attract diverse talent, ensuring fair access, equity, and a sense of belonging for all candidates.
• Relevance: Central to this episode, inclusive recruitment is positioned as the bedrock for building more equitable workplaces; it is especially pertinent for agency and in-house recruiters seeking to move beyond performative diversity practices.
• Examples: Adapting interview formats for neurodiverse candidates, anonymising CVs to minimise bias, or consulting clients on adjusting job specifications to appeal to broader demographics.
• Related Terms: Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), Unconscious Bias, Talent Acquisition
• Common Misconceptions: Some organisations believe inclusive recruitment is simply a compliance or box-ticking activity, or limited to diverse candidate sourcing, when it actually encompasses a holistic, end-to-end process redesign.

What is a Retained Model in Recruitment?

• Definition: A retained model is a recruitment arrangement in which clients pay an agency an upfront fee to conduct a comprehensive, often exclusive search for candidates, usually for senior or specialist roles.
• Relevance: The episode contrasts the retained model with contingent recruitment, arguing that the retained approach often creates more capacity, time, and thoroughness to embed meaningful inclusion and accessibility interventions in hiring.
• Examples: An employer contracts a recruitment agency to fill a senior leadership role, paying an initial retainer, with additional payments as candidates progress through the process.
• Related Terms: Contingent Recruitment, Executive Search, Preferred Supplier, Talent Consulting
• Common Misconceptions: Retained recruitment is sometimes misunderstood as being suitable only for C-suite roles; in reality, it can apply wherever an organisation seeks rigor and expertise beyond basic CV-sifting.

What is EVP (Employee Value Proposition)?

• Definition: An Employee Value Proposition (EVP) constitutes the unique set of benefits, values, culture, and career experiences an employer offers to attract, engage, and retain talent, differentiating itself in the competitive marketplace.
• Relevance: Joanne and Jo discuss EVP as a core element of recruitment marketing and candidate attraction, urging recruiters to consult on EVP development to better align hiring with diverse talent expectations and employer branding.
• Examples: Flexible working schemes, mental health support, learning and development pathways, or publicly stated commitments to diversity and inclusion.
• Related Terms: Employer Brand, Talent Attraction, Candidate Experience, Organisational Culture
• Common Misconceptions: Many organisations conflate EVP with superficial perks or one-off statements, rather than an integrated strategic approach shaping the whole employment lifecycle.

What does Sourcing mean in Recruitment?

• Definition: Sourcing is the specialised discipline within recruitment focused on proactively identifying, researching, and engaging potential job candidates, often leveraging digital tools, Boolean search methods, social recruiting, and market mapping.
• Relevance: The hosts highlight sourcing as a distinct, technical element of modern talent acquisition, requiring advanced skills in research and candidate engagement—especially vital when seeking underrepresented or passive talent.
• Examples: Building diverse candidate pipelines using LinkedIn, X-ray searches, or niche job boards; initiating outreach campaigns to passive or hard-to-find talent pools.
• Related Terms: Talent Mapping, Talent Pooling, Passive Candidates, Executive Search
• Common Misconceptions: Sourcing is sometimes seen as synonymous with basic CV database mining, yet it actually involves sophisticated research, digital know-how, and candidate relationship management.

What is a Talent Academy?

• Definition: A Talent Academy is a structured development programme, often in partnership with employers or community networks, that aims to upskill, retrain, and prepare pools of jobseekers—including mature or underrepresented talent—for new career opportunities.
• Relevance: Discussed as an innovative approach for fostering inclusion, resilience, and adaptability in the workforce, Talent Academies help close skills gaps, address economic inactivity, and create pipelines for candidates such as those over 50 or on career breaks.
• Examples: A local authority or consortium of employers running programmes for the retraining of mid-life career changers, or an employer paying new recruits a living wage during an intensive skills bootcamp before integrating them into the workplace.
• Related Terms: Apprenticeship, Workforce Reskilling, Community Engagement, Talent Pipeline
• Common Misconceptions: Talent Academies are sometimes dismissed as only suiting young apprentices or entry-level talent, whereas they can be transformative for workers at any career stage, especially those pivoting into new roles later in life.

FAQ: Specialist Terms from the Episode

• What is Inclusive Recruitment?
  Inclusive recruitment is the intentional design of hiring processes to remove barriers and actively attract, engage, and select talent from all backgrounds in a way that ensures equity and belonging.
• What is a Retained Model in Recruitment?
  A retained model is where an employer pays a recruitment agency upfront to conduct an exclusive, often more thorough, candidate search—contrasted with contingent, success-based models.
• What is EVP (Employee Value Proposition)?
  The EVP is an organisation’s unique offer of rewards, benefits, and cultural values, shaping its employer brand and candidate experience.
• What does Sourcing mean in Recruitment?
  Sourcing is the specialised activity in recruitment involving advanced research, proactive candidate identification, and engagement strategies to build diverse talent pipelines.
• What is a Talent Academy?
  A Talent Academy is a structured training and development pathway designed to upskill, reskill, or re-engage jobseekers, particularly those from underrepresented or mature talent pools.

Please connect with our hosts and guests, why not make contact..?

Brought to you by your host

Joanne Lockwood SEE Change Happen

A huge thank you to our wonderful guest

Jo Major Diversity in Recruitment

The post Inclusion Starts with Recruiters appeared first on SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts.