Recruitment equality plummets despite pioneering model

The first trust to establish a diverse “shadow board” to tackle poor ethnic diversity among directors has reported recruitment equality has worsened since its launch.

Hertfordshire Community Trust’s “shadow board”, set up in 2023, comprises staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, alongside those with disabilities, identify as LGBT+, and those with carer responsibilities.

Trust chief executive Elliot Howard-Jones said at the time he had “borrowed the idea from Silicon Valley” following an admission that the trust had few directors from minority backgrounds.

However, data in the trust’s October board papers show the trust recorded a substantial reduction in the proportion of non-white applicants appointed in 2025-26.

The paper said: “White candidates were therefore 3.11 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting and approximately nine times more likely to convert from application to appointment [according to the latest workforce race equality standard data].

“This is a significant deterioration from the previous two years and indicates potential bias or structural barriers at interview and selection stages.”

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Source: HSJ, 28 October 2026