Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy

1. Our commitment

We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not only moral imperatives, but the foundation of effective leadership and strong organisations. The cyber security profession faces a well-documented skills shortage, and we are convinced that broadening the talent pool through inclusive practices is essential to building resilient critical infrastructure.

As a specialist recruitment firm, we recognise our unique responsibility and opportunity to influence hiring practices across the sectors we serve. We aim to champion best practice, promote equity, and actively support the advancement of underrepresented groups in cyber security and technology leadership.

1.1 Document control

2. Inclusive recruiting practices

We are committed to recruiting candidates from diverse backgrounds, with a range of perspectives, experiences, and abilities. Our approach includes:

• We do not discriminate against any candidate based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
• We actively encourage and support candidates from underrepresented groups in cyber security and CNI leadership, including women, people of colour, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and candidates from non-traditional career paths.
• We use inclusive language in all job postings, search briefs, and marketing materials to encourage a diverse applicant pool.
• We present balanced and diverse shortlists to our clients, and discuss diversity considerations.
• We challenge role specifications that may inadvertently exclude qualified candidates through unnecessarily narrow requirements.

3. Training and education

We invest in ongoing DEI training and education for our entire team:

• All staff receive annual DEI training covering unconscious bias, inclusive hiring practices, and cultural competence.
• We stay current with research and best practice on diversity in cyber security and critical infrastructure sectors.
• We share DEI insights and resources with our clients and candidates through our Insights hub and direct engagement.

4. Client consultancy

We work with our clients to help them build more inclusive hiring practices and diverse leadership teams:

• Advising on best practices for recruiting diverse candidates, including sourcing strategies, bias-free interview processes, and inclusive candidate experiences.
• Helping clients create job descriptions free from biased language and unnecessarily restrictive requirements.
• Providing market intelligence on diversity benchmarks and trends within specific CNI sectors.
• Supporting clients in developing inclusive workplace cultures that retain diverse talent.

5. Championing women in cyber security

We recognise the significant underrepresentation of women in cyber security, where women currently comprise approximately 25% of the global workforce. Our commitments include:

• Actively seeking out qualified female candidates for leadership and specialist roles across all sectors.
• Partnering with organisations and networks that promote gender diversity in cyber security and technology.
• Supporting mentorship and professional development opportunities for women in cyber security.
• Publishing insights and thought leadership on gender diversity in CNI sectors through our content programme.
• Tracking and reporting on the gender diversity of our candidate pools and placements.

6. Inclusive workplace culture

We are committed to creating an inclusive culture within Foundations Search that models the practices we advocate:

• We provide a safe and welcoming environment for all employees, candidates, and clients, regardless of background or identity.
• We foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and open communication where everyone feels heard and valued.
• We regularly seek feedback from our team to identify areas for improvement in our own workplace culture.
• We accommodate flexible working arrangements and support work-life balance.

7. Accountability and measurement

We hold ourselves accountable for making meaningful progress on DEI:

• We track diversity metrics across our candidate pools, shortlists, and placements.
• We review these metrics quarterly to identify trends and areas requiring action.
• We set annual DEI objectives and report progress to our leadership team.
• We regularly review and update this policy to ensure it reflects current best practice and our evolving understanding of inclusion.