Has EDI been deprioritised – or is it evolving?
From Talking Recruitment by Recruitment & Employment Confederation
May 20, 2026 · 33 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the evolution of equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment and the workplace.
In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Olga Frańczak is joined by Beth Foley and Helen Tomlinson to discuss how approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion are changing across recruitment and the wider workplace. The conversation explores how EDI has shifted from awareness campaigns and performative activity towards something more measurable, operational and commercially focused. The guests discuss why inclusion is increasingly being embedded into systems, processes and decision making, and how organisations are being challenged to demonstrate real impact rather than intention. The episode also looks at the role of middle management in shaping workplace culture, the importance of retention and progression, and why psychological safety and inclusive leadership are becoming more important to business performance. Alongside this, the discussion examines how AI and technology are reshaping hiring practices. The guests explore the risks of bias in automated systems, why human judgment still matters, and how recruitment businesses can balance speed and efficiency with fair and inclusive outcomes. The discussion offers a practical discussion on what meaningful inclusion looks like…
People in this episode
Host: Olga Frańczak
Guests: Beth Foley, Helen Tomlinson
Topics covered
- equality
- diversity
- inclusion
- recruitment
- workplace culture
- AI in hiring
- middle management
Keywords
- EDI
- inclusion
- recruitment practices
- psychological safety
- AI bias
- workforce experience
- business performance
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Liquid Friday, The Adecco, Recruitment & Employment Confederation
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