We love storytelling, and we think it’s a neat way of getting ideas to stick. There’s dozens of blogs out there who will give dry definitions within the ethical hiring world, but we feel teaching through stories is far more memorable – and enjoyable.
To that end, you’ll see some recurring characters appearing, all working for a fictional company – Verdivo. They’re a diverse group, and they’ll often come together to brainstorm plans, and bring different perspectives to the table.
Stories help us see what conversations could look like in a hiring team, and allows us to share different perspectives on the same topic.
Meet the team
Robin (They/Them)
Robin’s the hero of our story. They’re a mid-level hiring manager, with 5 years of experience under their belt. They’re moderately experienced in HR practices, however Robin’s fairly new to the world of ethical hiring frameworks and DE&I perspectives.
Robin’s curious, open minded and committed to doing better. They’re the kind of person who reads blogs (just like this one) to find practical tools and develop better insights. Robin is eager to learn, but sometimes has a hard time applying these theories and practices in real life.
Maria (She/Her)
Maria is a HR professional with specialised training in DE&I. She often mentors Robin and provides expert insight into best practices. Maria grew up in Spain and speaks multiple languages. She’s also worked in International organisations, and has firsthand experience in advocating for under-represented groups.
Maria is supportive, resourceful and empathetic. She’s patient with those who are new to DE&I and skilled at breaking down complex concepts.
Luca (He/Him)
Luca works on the data analytics team, and provides the team with valuable insights into efficiency, metrics about candidates and outcomes of new hiring experiments.
Luca is on the autistic spectrum, and he is excellent at pattern recognition, attention to detail and analytical thinking. He’s experienced both supportive and unsupportive work environments in the past, giving him a clear perspective on what true inclusion looks like.
Elena (She/Her)
Elena is responsible for overseeing the day to day operations of the company, and sometimes sits in on interviews to assess organisational fit.
She uses a wheelchair, and brings firsthand knowledge of accessibility issues – both physical and digital. She’s tenacious, honest and warm – and educates the team on boht visible and invisible barriers.
Jamal (He/Him)
Jamal is a technical team lead who participates in the interview process. He’s not a HR expert, but is essential to evaluating skills in the hiring process.
Born and raised in the UK, Jamal has worked in engineering roles in multiple startups. He’s aware that engineering teams often lack diversity, and is open to learning, however he’s often skeptical of the new “rules” he doesn’t fully understand.
Sofia (She/Her)
Sofia is a compliance officer, and works closely with both the internal HR team and external organisations such as B-Lab Europe. Her job is to ensure the company meets its social and environmental performance standards, and remains compliant with EU hiring regulations.
Originally from Belgium, Sofia has a background in organisational ethics, EU labour law, and impact assessment. She has experience consulting with multiple European B-Corps, helping them navigate legal compliance, social responsibility, and diversity initiatives.
Verdivo – their employer
Verdivo is a European specialist company. They hire high-skilled individuals, and their hiring process requires them to rigorously evaluate candidates.
They’ve recently achieved their B-Corp certification, but they’re looking to improve how they manage their governance – especially working towards their social goal of being a more inclusive company, and having more representation in their leadership.
To that end, they’ve tasked their hiring team with putting together a strategy to improve the inclusivity of their hiring process.
Robin volunteered to take ownership of this strategy, and the company also hired Maria to support this transformation.
Through our articles at ethical hirer, you’ll see the team navigate different challenges when it comes to establishing a great hiring process.
