Inclusive Recruitment: Sandra McEvoy
Sandra McEvoy from Treetops Hospice attended the Inclusive Recruitment course.
Inclusive Recruitment is delivered through the Reskill & Recover project, which is part funded by the European Social Fund. This course is only available to employees of small and medium businesses that are based in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is pleased to offer free (fully funded) places on this course.
Sandra McEvoy
The history of blind recruitment and unconscious/implicit bias was fascinating and incredibly useful. It gave me the tools to identify implicit bias and to be mindful of the language we use when advertising vacancies.
Sandra McEvoy, HR Assistant
Below is the written question and answer session with Sandra McEvoy. Sandra was part of a cohort on the Inclusive Recruitment course.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I started working for Treetops Hospice six years ago on a temporary contract to cover a period of maternity leave. As I’m still here, I guess they saw the potential in me and my passion for working for such a remarkable charity. I hadn’t worked in Human Resources since I was eighteen (fast forward three decades), but Treetops Hospice welcomes all applicants that fit the role criteria, irrespective of age, race, gender, faith etc. I am eternally grateful to them for giving me the opportunity. Treetops Hospice provides end of life nursing care and emotional support for adults with life-limiting conditions, those who’ve been bereaved, and their families.
What first attracted you to the Inclusive Recruitment course? What were you hoping to learn?
My colleague had completed the course a few months earlier and recommended it to me. I had been newly promoted to HR Assistant and knew very little about ED&I from a HR perspective. I read the course content and objectives and every module appealed to me. I was excited about learning again and about a subject that is close to my heart and so very important, not only from a professional point of view, but in everyday life. I knew I would gain so much by participating and wanted to bring my newfound knowledge in to my role, benefitting Treetops Hospice.
What did you learn in the courses that you found particularly useful?
The history of blind recruitment and unconscious/implicit bias was fascinating and incredibly useful. It gave me the tools to identify implicit bias and to be mindful of the language we use when advertising vacancies. This module made me reflect about our recruitment process and the measures we can implement to reduce unconscious bias within our selection process. Without attending this course, I wouldn’t have been able to identify all the different types of unconscious bias and their subtle differences.
How much time did you need to invest in each course to complete it?
In total, I would say seven hours over the five weeks as I was eager to complete the homework. The latter is optional really, but I believe you only get out what you put in!
How did taking Inclusive Recruitment benefit you?
I learnt so much from completing this course. On both a personal and professional level I’m more aware of ED&I, I appreciate the challenges all groups of people face when applying for vacancies, even after they’ve secured a position. It gave me insight and made me reflect as a person and on a professional level on what we could do better.
How can we be more inclusive and promote opportunities to under-represented groups of people? My training will benefit Treetops Hospice in many ways. As a member of the HR team and the ED&I Working Group, I now feel confident to ensure that ED&I is being implemented in all aspects of recruitment, training and development, and retention of staff and that we are taking all the necessary measures to reach out to all. Completing the course gave me that knowledge and confidence.
Would you recommend doing both courses to other people? And if so, why?
Absolutely! It’s insightful, fascinating, well presented, engaging, you meet people from all types of businesses and hear interesting views, you learn so much and it’s actually fun!
How to access the support available
If you are interested in our Inclusive Recruitment course and would like to find out more, please email talent@ntu.ac.uk.