Our Values

We fear no one and nothing in our purpose driven approach to inclusion. We don’t need permission and we won’t wait for fear of failure.
We all have ideas and sometimes our ideas are better than others, we share those ideas loudly, wildly and proudly to support inclusion and business growth.
If you keep doing things the same way, things will never change. We are ready to challenge you to do better.
Our team are honest, genuine, approachable, friendly and fun, and free to be themselves.

Meet the Team

Here to partner with you.

Finding the best talent and helping you build diversity and embed true inclusion and belonging.

Alex Allan

Head of Finance

Alex:

My role is Head of Finance. As well as the company bookkeeping, I generally have the keys to the safe!

I am a self confessed perfectionist, which some think can be annoying, and my friends will confirm that I am very organised and never late. All qualities that are perfect for my job! 

As a disabled person myself, I love that I work for a company that practices what they preach. I am treated as a valued member of the team and have had the freedom to be able to carve out a career that sadly, even in 2021, would have been made difficult in a lot of other companies. 

We are working hard every day to make it possible for everyone else in my situation to have a successful career themselves, and for it to become the norm that there is not just equality, but equity in the workplace for all.

Haleema Latif

Candidate Network Manager

Haleema:

My experience is in Human Resources and Recruitment. My key strengths include the ability to build relationships with all levels of seniority and with people from diverse backgrounds. I have a keen eye for talent and I'm passionate about helping candidates with their job search.

I'm told my superpowers are my approachability and my ability to empathise from both the candidate and client perspective.

Nikki Panesar

Head of Finance

Nikki:

I am Head of Finance at Inclusive Recruiting and A little bit of HR.

With over 10 years of experience spanning the private and not-for-profit sectors, I cherish the opportunity to find solutions to complex problems across all things finance and office admin.

I’m passionate about utilising my skills and knowledge for positive social change, with a firm commitment to improving equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Upbeat and highly motivated, my superpower is my meticulous eye for detail and exceptional organisational skills.

samantha

Samantha Blake

EDI Projects Lead

Samantha:

Hi! I’m EDI Projects Lead at Inclusive Recruiting.

I do this role because I feel empowered to be part of the change I want to see and from personal experience I believe change is needed.

My superpower is finding and delivering the right solution, challenging the status quo for positive progress with a smile 🙂

Serena Matthews

Senior HR Advisor

(A little bit of HR)

Serena:

I am the Senior HR Advisor at A little bit of HR and have a real passion for all things people and HR!

I enjoy working with all people from different backgrounds and walks of life. My friends would describe me as funny, passionate, friendly and a hard worker, all attributes that help me fulfil my daily duties of building relationships with clients and advising on best practice and having fun whilst doing so.

I absolutely love that within our organisation we strive to improve diversity and inclusion with the workplace, one person at a time.

Vanessa Johnson-Burgess

CEO and Founder

Inclusive Recruiting & A little bit of HR

Vanessa:

Proudly leading a disruptive recruitment agency, driving inclusion change in organisations. 

Vanessa Johnson-Burgess is a EDI, HR and employment law expert and a Fellow of the CIPD. She is a founder and the CEO of Inclusive Recruiting.

She is also the founder and Director of A little bit of HR, delivering HR services and employment advice to SMEs, helping them navigate HR, support employees, and deliver best practice and inclusive employment experiences.

Daniel Chery

Head of EDI Workshops

Daniel:

I am Head of EDI Workshops at Inclusive Recruiting. As well as being the lead facilitator for our EDI workshops, I also support our other facilitators with their delivery and with workshop planning.

Why do I do this? Because I have a passion for diversity and inclusion. I want to see all people given the right level of access into the workforce.

My superpower is being an empath.

kayla

Kayla Burgess

Project Officer

Kayla:

As Project Officer for Inclusive Recruiting, I'm responsible for supporting the management of our EDI Projects, from start to finish. I enjoy providing the EDI Projects team with this necessary support.

My superpower is Growth - The older you get, the more you learn and experience... growth has no limits or restrictions and it’s something I can encourage others to do. What organisation or person doesn’t need growth? There are so many directions to grow in and so many ways to grow.

Priscilla Ross

Recruitment Consultant

Priscilla:

Being a Recruitment Consultant for Inclusive Recruiting allows me to have a unique blend of innovative processes, consistently high levels of service and a real passion for my work.

What makes me special is the way I build ongoing relationships with our clients and candidates. I believe that ethics  and culture are the key. I highly promote good old fashioned hard work and am constantly striving for a greater understanding of our clients and candidates’ needs.

My Superpowers are endurance, strength and resilience. An ordinary superhero might run round the world six times; whereas I have shown my strength by being a black belt in karate and completing challenges in spite of adverse circumstances i.e. Covid-19. I always adapt to the circumstances and find opportunities to “smash” it like hulk.

Sana Shah

Recruitment Assistant

Sana:

I am a Recruitment Assistant for Inclusive Recruiting. I am responsible for assisting the Recruitment Team with general administrative work. 

I love working with people who are full of life and want to help you succeed. I believe in the importance of the company's values because I know what it is like to want someone to give me an opportunity to make something of myself, I want to be able to help others have the same opportunity. 
 
My superpower is showering people with my smile, laughter and passion. I love to help and support people - it makes me happy seeing them happy!

Sophia Dutton

Marketing & Communications Manager

Sophia:

I'm the Marketing & Comms Manager for Inclusive Recruiting and A little bit of HR. My focus is on communicating our opportunities and services to clients and candidates, managing the social media accounts for both brands, designing marketing materials and supporting the team to get our messaging out to an as wide and diverse audience as possible!

My friends tell me I’m a good cook and working in marketing and communications can be like making a big family meal – lots to prepare, many elements needing to be checked on and monitored, but such great satisfaction when it's finally served and I get to share and shout about the amazing work our team is doing every day!

Most of all I love the work we do to create a sense of belonging in the workplace. If at the end of a training workshop or after a successful placement we have given someone the confidence to feel comfortable being truly themselves, then we are achieving what we set out to do.

dom

Dom Szczecinski

Recruitment Consultant

Dom:

I am a Recruitment Consultant and I help candidates to find their dream roles with our clients. I enjoy helping both, the candidates and the clients, on their journeys. Doing so with the values of our company has a huge meaning to me.

My biggest drive and the reason why I do this, is because there is no better feeling than helping someone to achieve their goal in their career, whether it is at the start or during the beautiful journey.

My superpower is caring and helping others and seeing them succeed through my help and support.

Jason Burgess

Head of Business Development

Jason:

As Head of Business Development for Inclusive Recruiting and A little bit of HR, I enjoy relationship building, creating genuine partnerships with new customers and supporting all our clients with their recruitment, HR, training or consultancy needs.
 
It's exciting for me to work with organisations looking for a truly diverse and inclusive approach to recruitment, for the genuine reason to make a change and become more diverse as an organisation.
 
My superpower is the ability to have a laugh with anyone, here's a taster "What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese." I have a habit of bad jokes and I am always happy to assist in sharing them, but mostly I am here to help 🙂

Priya Cinar

Director of Operations & Recruitment

Priya:

I love and enjoy the varied nature of the work at Inclusive Recruiting, the diversity in our organisation, clients and candidates. I like to challenge the status quo and explore different ways of working collaboratively with clients and colleagues to bring out their skills and ideas. I know my strengths as a leader and people manager and can really utilise these in my role whilst moving the people and business forward.

There is a saying - "if you stand still, you will never move forward". I'm always moving forward, never stand still and never wait for the next step - I take it!

Sarah Greaves

EDI Workshops Facilitator

Sarah:

I am an EDI Workshops Facilitator for Inclusive Recruiting. I'm passionate about supporting and aiding people to transition to the next step and supporting positive change.

Being surrounded by people within a company who want the same thing, only makes me thrive in this environment and therefore, want to work to my best ability. Helping people to see the importance and the impact of EDI in the workplace is a mission I am happy to be a part of.

My superpower is the ability to be the light in a dark room. Whether it is by my encouraging words, helping or supporting wherever I can or my bubbly personality. Having good interpersonal skills enables me to be comfortable with speaking to anybody. I love to talk and I am a great listener too.
temini

Temini Oladiran

HR Advisor

(A little bit of HR)

Temini:

As an HR Advisor at A little bit of HR, I enjoy supporting our clients through all stages of HR and meeting them at their point of need.

The relationships we build are a big reason as to why I love my role. I'm a sucker for meaningful relationships and work so I guess I am incredibly lucky to be at A little bit of HR!

Those closest to me would say my superpower is my empathy and sensitivity to everything and everyone around me. If there is a change in atmosphere or emotions, I WILL pick up on it.

Meet our Associates

Marshah Dixon-Terry

Associate Consultant

Marshah is a Career Coach and Organisational Development Consultant specialising in change and transformation. Her work spans across multiple sectors, working for a range of organisations which have included City of London Police, Homes England, NSPCC and Versus Arthritis.
 
With twenty years of experience in HR strategy, project consultancy and leadership, she brings a wealth of expertise on career and leadership coaching and culture change, through diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging lenses.
 
Marshah partners with both individuals and organisations to facilitate and enable change – real change – that is purposeful, meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable.
Emma Brown

Emma Brown

Associate Consultant

Emma has nearly 20 years of experience working in Organisational Development and Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging over a broad range of sectors. She has worked with all sorts of people and jobs, from Civil Servants to Zoo Keepers to Housebuilders. Emma is a qualified coach and a trainee Person-Centred Counsellor. She works with her clients to establish the ingredients of an inclusive culture, from listening to what matters to colleagues, developing the strategy to facilitating learning programmes.
 
The value of equity sits at the very core of Emma's being. She cares passionately about removing barriers and creating workplaces where people are valued for who they are, as they are.
IR logo