In her new role, Jo Atkinson (pictured) will help businesses diversify their teams and people from underrepresented groups to find their ideal career, a company statement said. The organisation’s new inclusive recruitment provision will complement its current range of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) solutions delivered by its seven companies across the UK.

The service will support neurodivergent higher education students and diversity in the workplace. It will also connect major employers with a diverse pool of talent, ensuring inclusive hiring, onboarding and development so that candidates can enjoy meaningful and sustainable careers.

Atkinson joins eQS with 23 years’ experience in recruitment and operations management across a variety of highly regulated industries including start-ups, SMEs, multinationals, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) providers and being self-employed, both in the UK and the Middle East.

Among the eQS Group of businesses, there are brands that have provided disability support services to more than 100,000 students and universities for more than 15 years, and brands that have supported 3,500 workplaces to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive across the globe for over 30 years.

eQS Group’s DEI services and products include consultancy, assistive technology, training, e-learning, mentoring, learning support and assessment of specific learning difficulties across workplaces and higher educational settings.

The organisation said its commitment to removing barriers to education, work and life for diverse individuals is at the heart of this initiative. The new service will employ a holistic approach to recruitment, focusing on matching not only skills and qualifications but also cultural fit and shared values. This aims to ensure candidates not only secure employment but also thrive within their chosen organisations.