NRG are deeply committed to creating lasting positive impacts within the communities we serve. Our social value initiatives go beyond traditional business practices, reflecting our genuine dedication to societal advancement. We actively implement and support projects that drive economic, social, and environmental benefits, prioritising inclusivity, sustainability, and community engagement. By intertwining these values with our core business operations, NRG is not just fulfilling its corporate responsibility but is also pioneering a path for other organisations to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

As we are headquartered in the North East, we’re advocates of engaging with the community in which we are based. Our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging in the NE LinkedIn group provides a safe place for the North East business community to share knowledge and learning, tackle some of the harder elements that prevent employees from flourishing, create workplace allies, and work together to shape an inclusive North East England. Find out more here.

World of Work

We are dedicated to preparing the youth for their future careers. We've pledged to invest 20 hours per month towards enhancing the employability skills of young individuals. We offer career guidance and mentoring, conduct mock interviews, and provide CV advice to equip them effectively for the professional environment.

Charity Partnership

Our commitment to social value shines through our enduring charity partnership with SmartWorks. For several years, we have dedicated our resources and efforts towards empowering women, providing them with invaluable interview coaching through volunteering and fundraising initiatives. In 2022, we reached a significant milestone by becoming the first business to establish a donation station at our Head Office, strategically located within a prominent business park in Newcastle. This station invites contributions of gently-used, interview-appropriate attire, footwear, and accessories. Bolstered by an intensive social media and outreach drive targeting local businesses, the overwhelming quality and quantity of contributions inspired the establishment of six additional donation stations across the North East of England. Through these collective efforts, we aim to uplift women, boosting their confidence and prospects in the job market.

Good Work Pledge

We are proud to receive the esteemed Good Work Pledge award from the North of Tyne Combined Authority, a distinction supported by prominent organisations in the North East, including Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland Councils, and leading institutions like Newcastle and Northumbria Universities, Sage, Bernicia, and Northumbrian Water. This accolade underlines our steadfast commitment to fostering a nurturing environment for our employees, clients, and the community.

Environmental Sustainability

Our hybrid working model means we have already low emissions. Our objective is to reduce our CO2 emissions by 50% by 2025 and work towards Net Zero by 2050. We operate from a single office hub on a modern business park with a strong environmental sustainability strategy which supports us with:

  • BREAAM “Excellent” building – incl. Air source heat pump air con, sensor-controlled lighting, treated glass.

  • Biodiversity on the business park to offset emissions– re-wilding areas, protected wildlife areas, allotments, beehives.

  • Sustainable travel – free e-bikes, shuttle bus, car share scheme, EV charge points.

  • Reward-based re-cycling programme.

    ​

Work Experience

We offer opportunities for work experience for 2 students per year from the local secondary school across all departments within our Newcastle Head Office. Most recently we had a student from Whitley Bay High School who spent a week with our In-House Recruitment Marketing team. Other placements have been within our recruitment delivery hub, IT, and Business Administration.

Supply Chain

We promote supply chain opportunities openly and make sure they are accessible to emerging businesses, which includes advertising subcontracting possibilities as and where applicable on Contracts Finder. Ensuring that accessibility is extended to business owners and employees with disabilities. We structure our supply chain selection process in a manner that guarantees fairness, prevents corruption, and encourages the active involvement of new and growing businesses.

Inclusive Recruitment Practices

NRG has a strong focus on inclusive recruitment practices. We recognise that recruitment goes beyond just pairing candidates with jobs; it's a catalyst for positive societal transformation through employment. Our dedication to social impact is foundational to our work, and we champion inclusivity, diversity, equity and belonging for all.

To truly resonate in today's candidate market, an employer brand must be recognised for its commitment to diversity and inclusivity. Candidates today seek more than career growth, flexible work arrangements, and attractive pension schemes. They desire workplaces where they feel they belong, can be their authentic selves, and know their voices are valued. It's essential for a workforce to reflect the communities they serve, emphasizing that diversity isn't just a trend but a prevalent expectation. For organisations, the advantages are clear: a diverse team introduces varied perspectives, sparks creativity, and ultimately drives a competitive edge.

To appeal to a diverse array of candidates, our recruitment processes are technologically advanced, highly engaging, and intentionally designed to eliminate unconscious biases and barriers. It incorporates inclusive language and tailored adaptations to accommodate and resonate with a broad spectrum of talent pools, including returners to work, neurodivergent individuals, BAME, LGBTQ, and other underrepresented groups.

Processes prioritise personal engagement, are candidate-focused, and have pace as candidates are less likely to tolerate lengthy and tedious application procedures in the current market conditions. While technological tools like video interviews and gamification cater effectively to the Millennial and GenZ demographics, they should be complemented with alternative methods to resonate with a broader spectrum of potential hires.

Disability Confident Employer

All colleagues have undergone thorough training in equal opportunity legislation and receive continuous updates to stay current and informed. We ensure that our application and response handling processes are consistent with our recognition as a "Disability Confident Committed" Level 1 employer. Additionally, these procedures align with both REC and APSCo industry standards.

Our colleagues are actively encouraged to join our ‘Talking Talent’ Lived Experience sessions. These sessions involve engaging with a diverse mix of both internal and external representatives from the BAME, LGBTQ, Neurodiverse, Mental Health, and Women in Business networks. In doing so, they acquire valuable insights that not only foster their development as workplace allies but also enhance their proficiency as inclusive recruiters. With this knowledge, they are better equipped to advise hiring managers and client stakeholders on best practices in inclusive recruitment and the associated employee lifecycle.

Being able to advise our clients and hiring managers on inclusive recruitment practices is foundational in attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds and marginalized groups, ensuring they receive equitable opportunities throughout the recruitment journey. In turn, this provides our clients access to the broadest talent pool in alignment with their D&I objectives in several ways:

In addition to mainstream job boards like Indeed, Totaljobs, and Reed Jobs, we also post on platforms specifically catering to underrepresented groups. These include pink-jobs.com, diversityjobsite.co.uk, workingmums.co.uk, ethnicjobsite.co.uk, among several others.

Monitoring language in job descriptions, advertisements, and attraction campaigns to eliminate biases.

Engaging on diverse channels – understanding that individuals have varied platform preferences, and some may not have access to social media. While social media remains integral to our approach, we also tap into traditional advertising mediums and specialist press, newspapers, job fayres, workplace training providers, and job centre initiatives where appropriate.

Collaborating with external partners to reach and engage underrepresented groups. For instance, we serve as ambassadors for SmartWorks, a charity dedicated to supporting women in their return to the workplace via confidence and interview coaching, and clothing. Additionally, we liaise with employability and skills advisors to assist veterans and those over 50 into work.

Work with clients to support their own D&I messaging. For example, Tesco Bank incorporated us into their Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) working groups. Additionally, CCW proactively informed us about upcoming D&I campaigns and events, such as Mental Health Awareness Week and Pride. We were then able to prominently feature and promote these initiatives as part of our attraction campaign for both clients. This emphasis on an inclusive culture was seamlessly integrated into our attraction strategy. As a result, we successfully drew diverse talent to the business, many of whom were specifically motivated to join these organisations due to their evident commitment to inclusivity.

Inclusive marketing campaigns and don't solely target specific groups, ensuring no demographic feels discouraged from applying.

Remove personal data such as name, age, education, and address from CVs that might hint at privilege or induce unconscious bias within the shortlisting process. Implement an assessment panel with well-defined scoring criteria to further ensure a fair evaluation.

We employ data-driven diversity mapping techniques. For example, when a global telecoms company retained us to recruit a Senior Manager, they emphasized the need for BAME candidates on the shortlist due to difficulties attracting such talent in their location. To address this, we compiled a comprehensive insight report using the latest ONS data, revealing the notably low BAME demographics in the specified location, shedding light on their recruitment challenges. This data-drivenapproach guided our teams to focus attraction strategies on particular UK regions and advised our client to provide a relocation package as an incentive for potential hires from these identified areas. Consequently, we presented the client with a diverse longlist of candidates for consideration.

Diversity Reporting

Diversity reporting plays a pivotal role in our client service reviews. We provide sample data, as showcased below, during regular review meetings to shape both attraction and selection strategies. Our collaboration with client’s centres on:

  • Developing new methods to attract and recruit diverse talent.

  • Identify potential inequalities.

  • Investigate the root cause of disparities.

  • Craft solutions to redress any identified inequalities or barriers.