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Proposed discrimination laws require "back to basics" approach

It's now crucial for all recruitment businesses and teams to "run a gender lens" over their processes to ensure they comply with new laws and don't inadvertently disadvantage women, a lawyer says.

Squire Patton Boggs partner Nicola Martin tells Shortlist it's "easy to assume" there aren't any underlying issues, but recommends recruitment leaders take a closer look.

The first step is to "go back to basics" and ensure policies are up to date and training is provided every 12 months.

"For agencies, you've got two components to that – your own employees and your on-hire workforce."

Martin recommends checking, for example, whether the induction for on-hire workers is similar to or "a little less" than what internal employees receive...