Charity People are delighted to share the release of Beyond Representation, our new research project delivered in partnership with Oxford HR. This work provides one of the clearest pictures to date of who makes up the UK and European non profit workforce and offers valuable learning for any organisation looking to strengthen inclusion, recruitment practice and long-term talent planning.
The research highlights not only current representation across the sector but also the conditions that help organisations progress. For hiring managers, this creates an opportunity to look closely at how our own systems support or limit access for different groups. The findings show that 76.6 percent of survey respondents identified as White European and that people from Black, South Asian and mixed backgrounds remain significantly underrepresented, particularly in leadership roles. The data also points to uneven experiences of belonging, inconsistent career progression routes and continued barriers for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues. These insights give organisations a chance to review how job design, outreach, progression pathways and internal culture can be improved.
What stands out most is that some organisations are already moving ahead. Those with more developed practice tend to show visible leadership accountability, build co production into decision making, integrate inclusion into recruitment and appraisal processes and ensure they collect and use demographic data well. These are practical learnings that any hiring manager can apply, regardless of organisational size or starting point.
Beyond Representation is designed to support reflection, create sector wide awareness and offer clear direction on what works. I hope it proves useful as you consider your own approaches to building diverse, equitable and resilient teams. Our sincere thanks to: Amnesty International, Animals Asia, Care International, Migrant Help, OnSide, Practical Action, ShelterBox and Trussell for contributing to the research. Our People and Operations Director (Liv Carr) and one of our EDI Advisors (Kieron Blake) will be participating in a panel discussion on LinkedIn  – live on February 5th at 12pm. Please do come along if you can.
