Hiring People Fairly
Fair recruitment is based on the principle that candidates are judged on their ability to do the job rather than influenced by factors such as an applicant’s gender, religion, ethnicity, or any other quality unrelated to their skills and expertise. As the Founder of Rock Learning and the Co-Founder of the ‘Count me In’ DEIB Conference, I have developed a deep understanding of the topic and how small businesses can implement inclusive hiring practices.
Candidates are Protected from Discrimination
In Gibraltar, it is essential for businesses to ensure that their hiring process is free from bias and inclusive of all applicants. Local candidates are protected from discrimination specifically through the Equal Opportunities Act (2006) which lists a range of “protected characteristics” including those previously mentioned as well as pregnancy/maternity, gender reassignment, age and disability.
It is worth noting that job applicants are protected against discrimination throughout the employment lifecycle, including from the time vacancies are advertised all the way through the recruitment process to employment, termination and beyond to include references.
In addition to fair recruitment being a legal obligation, there are many benefits to having a diverse workforce. Recently, Forbes Magazine noted, “Embracing diversity fosters innovation and creativity within an organisation. For smaller businesses with fewer employees, adding diversity makes a more significant short-term impact than it often can at larger organisations that already have large, non-diverse populations. Diversity and inclusion work also has proven business results, with strong correlations to higher employee satisfaction, retention and productivity. Small businesses have the ability to build and sustain inclusive cultures more swiftly and feel these benefits more quickly.”
How To Minimise Bias
We all have unconscious biases, the most common of which is affinity (or “like me”) bias. This means we are more likely to offer a job or promotion to someone who we can relate to because we share something in common. Maybe we went to school together, or we’re from the same religious group or we’re both members of the LGBTQ+ community. If we are consistently hiring people “like us” then we will lack diversity of thought amongst our teams which will eventually impact business performance, creativity and employee satisfaction. We can’t rid ourselves of these biases but we can learn to manage them better and ensure a fairer recruitment process by taking the following steps:
1. Job Advertisements:
When advertising a job, you cannot ask for or exclude anyone with a certain protected characteristic otherwise it could be discriminatory.
Examples of words and phrases in a job advert that could be discriminatory include:
‘recent graduate’ or ‘highly experienced’ – these can discriminate against age and you must be able to prove you have a good reason for any job requirement in your advert
‘barmaid’ or ‘handyman’ – because they include gender-specific words that can discriminate against people’s sex and gender reassignment. You should make clear that people of any gender can apply, and use gender-neutral language like ‘bar staff’.*
clothing requirements, for example wearing a hairnet in a kitchen could discriminate against someone who for religious reasons covers their head in other ways. The employer could agree for the employee to use their usual hair covering
You could also specifically use more inclusive language. For example, you might say that applications from qualified candidates with disabilities are welcome.
It’s also a good idea to advertise a job vacancy in at least 2 different places (as well as at the ETB) to reach a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
2. Blind Recruitment:
It is increasingly common practice for recruiters to remove personal information (e.g. name, age, gender) from CVs during the initial selection stages to focus on skills and qualifications and avoid bias. During this stage, you should select candidates for an interview that best match the person specification and job description. One way of doing this is by having a scoring system whereby the candidate gets one point for each attribute they match on the job description. You could then decide to only interview candidates matching 10+ of the 15 requirements.
TOP TIP: Avoid using information from someone’s personal social media profile to decide whether you interview or hire them.
3. Structured Interviews:
To ensure fair interviews for all applicants, it is best to use the same set of interview questions for everyone and ensure the questions themselves do not discriminate. I have sat in interviews in Gibraltar, often in smaller businesses, where questions around marital status, children and childcare arrangements are still asked. These are the types of questions that could lead you into an unwanted Employment Tribunal case and should be avoided at all costs.
4. Diverse Hiring Panels:
To reduce the risk of discriminating it is recommended to have at least 2 people conducting the interviews. For small businesses this may not always be possible, but you could consider bringing in a consultant to support this process. Diverse hiring panels ensure different perspectives during the recruitment process.
When inviting candidates for an interview you should check whether they have any accessibility requirements. For example, a sign language interpreter, or extra time if they are required to complete a written test.
TOP TIP: Keep records of your hiring decisions and why you felt certain candidates were unsuitable.
5. Training for Unconscious Bias:
Finally, business owners and hiring managers can undergo training to understand and mitigate their own biases. Local courses are available such as Rock Learning’s Managing Diversity in the Workplace course or the Hiring Manager course.
Gibraltar is a unique place and presents a prime opportunity for local businesses to benefit from the multinational workforce, leveraging the diverse local talent pool to drive greater productivity and creativity.
Fair recruitment can start you on your journey to long-term inclusion. By fostering an inclusive workplace culture which includes initiatives such as mentorship programmes, employee resource groups, or regular diversity reviews your small business will be well prepared to embrace the wealth of opportunity created by diverse teams.
*There are certain circumstances under the Law where you might be able to ask for a specific protected characteristic, such as advertising for a female care worker at a women’s refuge where personal care is required.
SHARE THIS
OTHER
Stepping into a leadership role can be exciting. It’s a chance to shape the future and lead a team to success. But with a leadership role comes a new level of responsibility. You’re suddenly the person others look to for direction and answers, and it’s your role to create a workplace where they can thrive - while also being accountable for their work. And that isn’t always an easy balancing act. Leadership is a learning curve - an eternal one at that. By focusing on a few key behaviours and techniques, you can set yourself on the right path to lead well, build a great high performing team and help your business grow.
Did you know that what you eat directly affects your energy levels, brain function, and stress resilience? Poor dietary habits—such as skipping meals, consuming too much caffeine, or relying on processed foods—can lead to energy crashes, brain fog, and reduced efficiency. On the other hand, a well-balanced diet stabilises blood sugar, enhances cognitive function, and keeps stress levels in check.
There’s something slightly uncomfortable about sending a contract to a client when you run a small business. Especially in Gibraltar, where relationships matter and business often begins with a conversation over un cafelito rather than a legal document. When you know someone personally, or you’ve been introduced by a mutual contact, it can feel unnecessary to formalise everything. You tell yourself that an email thread is enough. Or that you’ll sort the paperwork later. I used to think like that. Over time, and through a few situations that were more stressful than they needed to be, I’ve realised that putting things in writing isn’t about distrust. It’s about creating guardrails for growth. The clearer the boundaries, the freer you are to focus on doing good work.
Over the past 18 years, I've had the privilege of working with a diverse range of businesses and industries, gaining insights into the challenges they face in implementing effective diversity and inclusion strategies. Often, DEI&B is viewed as a 'nice to have' rather than an essential component of business success. With this in mind, I'm excited to share valuable insights and practical steps to help you create environments where everyone can thrive. You've probably heard of DEI&B, but what do these letters really mean, and why do they matter for you and your organisation? Diversity includes differences like race, gender, age, neurodiversity, disability, LGBTQ+, culture, and more; Equity ensures equal opportunities for all; Inclusion values everyone's contributions; and Belonging means individuals feel accepted and integral to the organisation.
Thrive catches up with Nick Pitaluga TEP, Managing Director of Gibraltar Trust & Corporate Services Limited - “GTCS”. From starting out as a messenger to leading his firm through a major merger, Nick talks about the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone and offers inspiration for anyone carving their own niche.
Eran Shay's journey is emblematic of the modern entrepreneur. A self-confessed ‘out-of-the-box’ thinker, he swapped a successful corporate career and a senior role at Deloitte to pursue his own projects and business opportunities.
Artificial Intelligence promises unprecedented opportunities for small business owners in Gibraltar. As the digital landscape faces constant evolution, understanding AI becomes not just beneficial but essential for businesses aiming to thrive in 2024. In this article, we aim to demystify the complexities surrounding AI, offering an approachable guide to its fundamentals, history, and practical applications for businesses, providing you with the knowledge to embrace this technology confidently.
With its largely service-based economy, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Gibraltar didn't have to deal with the problem of toxic waste, perhaps more commonly seen in countries reliant on manufacturing, mining and even agriculture. However, every gaming company, insurance firm, fintech organisation, retailer, restaurant, and literally every other business on the Rock is potentially responsible for producing a particularly nasty waste byproduct - e-waste.
The Treaty between the EU and the UK over Gibraltar is finally giving us some clarity, and yet, it also reminds us just how much sits outside our control. The finer details will take months to surface. Political tides may shift. Promises will be tested by practicalities. Every day, we face issues beyond our reach: new legislation, competitor actions, market trends, customer behaviour, staff turnover, illness, family responsibilities, global events. All of it lives in what Stephen Covey calls the Circle of Concern - things we care about, but cannot directly change. The more we fixate on them, the more frustration can grow.
Thrive Editor's Letter |
Editor’s Welcome
Welcome to the fifth edition of Thrive magazine. Too often the narrative around business focuses on success and, in my view, we forget to talk about failure. That’s why we lead this edition with EPIC FAILS by Katie Buller—because understanding what doesn’t work is just as important as what does.
Corporate Social Responsibility is no longer just for big companies. Small and medium-sized businesses are making a real impact through practical, authentic actions that reflect who they are. From supporting sport, culture and charities to rolling up sleeves for environmental projects, consistent CSR builds trust, loyalty and pride. When businesses show up for their community in meaningful ways, those efforts are noticed and often returned.
Introducing the Thrive Catalog - A curated collection of goodies selected by our editorial team each quarter. Everything featured is available right here, right now at prices that are better than or compete with the internet.
Forget everything you know about online shopping—eCommerce is evolving fast. While giants like Amazon and eBay once ruled, a new wave of platforms such as TikTok Shop, Shein, and Temu are reshaping the industry. But beneath the flashy deals and viral trends lies a growing conversation about sustainability, waste, and the hidden costs of convenience.
When stakeholder conversations become difficult, most organisations focus on communication. Kerstin Andlaw argues the real issue runs deeper. It is not what we say, but how we stay in the relationship when pressure rises. In complex environments, the ability to work with tension, not avoid it, is what separates transactional engagement from true collaboration.
In business, we often concentrate on the what and how of an enterprise.
We all have bad days, right? In business, that can mean we don’t bring our A-game to work and perhaps our service slips. Maybe a dish takes too long to reach a table or a staff member sounds distracted at the till. This could lead to negative Google Reviews or on ‘that’ Facebook group that […]
AI is poised to reshape the legal profession, with 31% of law firm leaders predicting major disruption by 2025. Scott Simmons explores how AI could improve client outcomes, streamline workflows, and drive value. Whether you’re cautious or curious, it’s time to explore AI’s potential.
When you’re a small business, staying one step ahead of the competition is essential. Yet, many small business owners grapple with the decision to invest in employee training and development. With limited resources and immediate financial pressures, it can unintentionally get pushed to the bottom of the priority list. However, investing in your team’s learning and development is a strategic move that can yield significant returns.
In the latest edition of Thrive, regular contributor John Hayes reflects on the uncertainty facing small and medium-sized businesses in Gibraltar. From Brexit fallout to ever-changing frontier delays, he unpacks why the border remains a top concern—and how local firms are adapting. While resolving post-Brexit cross-border issues is beyond the scope of this correspondent, there are practical steps business owners can take to mitigate and manage the challenges of this uncertainty.
Who doesn’t love a good office gossip? Hushed conversations by the coffee machine, knowing glances across the office, colleagues who "just thought you should know" – it’s all just harmless banter, right? Not quite. While gossip might seem like an inevitable part of office life, the reality is much less entertaining. Workplace backbiting can destroy trust, drain morale, and impact team productivity. Few people understand this better than Norwegian psychotherapist Glenn Rolfsen. With over two decades of experience in psychotherapy, Glenn has dedicated his career to helping businesses tackle workplace negativity head-on. His innovative "Gozzip" method has been transforming office cultures worldwide, earning him recognition at TEDx talks and WHO conferences.