GatenbySanderson, a firm specialising in Public Sector executive recruitment, has announced the appointment of diversity specialist Elizabeth Solaru, to improve equal opportunities and to help other organisations to reap the benefits of a diverse workforce.

In response to the ‘Fairness & Freedom’ Equality Review by the Commission of Equality and Human Rights, GatenbySanderson has appointed ex-cabinet big-hitter Solaru to improve the prospects of those with leadership skills, who are regularly discriminated against due to factors such as age, gender, race, disability or sexual orientation.

Solaru brings significant experience and expertise to her new role, gained whilst developing and establishing the major Civil Service-wide leadership scheme, Leaders UnLtd.

She has been tasked to improve the prospects of disabled workers, to counter the premature exclusion of older people from the labour market, and to reduce discrimination due to ‘invisible’ factors such as sexual orientation and specific learning difficulties.

In local government, the proportion of non-white councillors has dropped from 4 per cent to 3.5 per cent, which is greatly disproportionate to the total non-white UK population of 9.5 per cent.

Solaru commented: “There is not just a moral case for encouraging a diverse workforce but also a significant business case. It has been proven that there are numerous benefits in having management that is reflective of the society you serve, including increased productivity. “Diversity is not simply a matter of race, gender or age, many skilled candidates are disregarded by potential employers because they lack experience in a particular field, despite having the skills and potential to succeed in a position. We aim to set the standard for encouraging a diverse workforce by judging candidates on their skills base, not factors that are beyond their control.”

GatenbySanderson’s Managing Partner, Graham Goodwin, added: “We are delighted to welcome Elizabeth to GatenbySanderson. Her expertise and commitment to equality issues, working across our national scope, will enable us to encourage many organisations to remove the ‘glass ceiling’ that so many employees come up against.”

The appointment will reinforce GatenbySanderson’s already strong stance on diversity - 50 per cent of the local authority appointments it has handled at chief executive level have been women. It has also ensured a representative spread of all senior management appointments that it has made in local authorities, with 6 per cent from minority ethnic backgrounds, 30 per cent female, and 3 per cent registered disabled.

Solaru concluded: “We are not complacent - we have made a strong start, but diversity is an ever evolving issue. We may not be able to solve equality issues, but our results so far are testament to our passion for working with organisations to support and shape their approach to recruiting strong leaders, whilst ensuring equal opportunities.”