Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) Policy

Last Updated: 12th of May, 2026

1. Our Statement of Commitment

At Decruz Search LTD, we believe that building exceptional teams requires a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Operating as a global search firm across the UK, Europe, and the United States, we recognize our unique responsibility to champion inclusive hiring practices. We are dedicated to ensuring that our internal culture, our candidate experience, and the talent pipelines we build for our clients are entirely free from discrimination and bias.

2. Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to all aspects of Decruz Search LTD's operations, including:

  • Our Internal Practices: How we hire, train, promote, and treat our own employees.
  • Our Recruitment Services: How we source, screen, interview, and submit candidates to our clients.
  • Our Partnerships: The expectations we hold for our clients, vendors, and suppliers.

3. Protected Characteristics & Global Compliance

We strictly prohibit direct or indirect discrimination, harassment, or victimization. In compliance with the UK Equality Act 2010, EU Anti-Discrimination Directives, and US federal EEO laws (such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the ADA), we ensure equal opportunity regardless of:

  • Race, ethnicity, color, or national origin
  • Age
  • Disability (physical or mental) or neurodivergence
  • Sex, gender identity, or gender expression
  • Sexual orientation
  • Religion, faith, or belief (or lack thereof)
  • Marital or civil partnership status
  • Pregnancy, maternity, or paternity
  • Veteran or military status (US)
  • Socio-economic background

4. Our Inclusive Recruitment Practices

To actively mitigate bias and promote equity in the recruitment lifecycle, Decruz Search LTD commits to the following practices:

  • Inclusive Advertising: We write job descriptions and advertisements using gender-neutral language. We focus strictly on the core competencies, skills, and experiences required for the role, avoiding unnecessary criteria that could inadvertently exclude qualified talent.
  • Unbiased Screening & Shortlisting: Candidates are assessed solely on their merits, qualifications, and suitability for the role. We actively challenge our own assumptions and, where requested by clients, can facilitate anonymized ("blind") CV submissions to remove identifying demographic data during the initial review stage.
  • Reasonable Adjustments & Accommodations: We are committed to making the recruitment process accessible to everyone. We proactively ask candidates if they require any reasonable adjustments (UK/EU) or accommodations (US) during the interview process, whether interviewing with us or our clients.
  • Diverse Talent Pools: We continuously expand our sourcing networks beyond traditional channels to ensure we are engaging with underrepresented groups across the UK, Europe, and the US.

5. Client Partnerships & Mutual Expectations

Decruz Search LTD acts as an advisor to our clients. We will:

  • Advocate for inclusive hiring processes and share DE&I best practices with our clients.
  • Refuse to accept instructions from clients that are discriminatory or that mandate the exclusion of specific demographic groups.
  • If a client initiates a discriminatory request, we will politely educate them on the legal frameworks (UK, EU, or US) and, if they persist, we will decline the mandate and terminate the engagement.

6. Diversity Data Collection & Privacy

To monitor the effectiveness of our DE&I initiatives, we may invite candidates to complete voluntary Equal Opportunities Monitoring surveys.

  • Providing this information is entirely optional and will never impact a candidate's application.
  • In strict adherence to the UK/EU GDPR and US data privacy regulations, this "special category data" is kept strictly confidential, anonymized, and stored entirely separately from the candidate's core application profile.

7. Reporting & Accountability

Any Decruz Search LTD employee, candidate, or client who believes they have witnessed or experienced a breach of this policy should report it immediately to our Co-Founder, Gary Laverty. All complaints will be treated confidentially, investigated promptly, and addressed with appropriate corrective action.

8. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually to ensure it remains compliant with evolving international employment laws and reflects the latest best practices in global inclusive recruitment.