National Inclusion Week creates an important opportunity for businesses to talk about belonging, representation and opportunity, but perhaps the more useful question comes afterwards: what does inclusion look like once the awareness week itself is over?
For HSS: The Hire Service Company, inclusion is intended to be part of how the business operates every day. It sits naturally alongside the company's wider philosophy of “people dealing with people”: recognising that different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds strengthen the teams behind the service.
As the business continues to redefine itself as an independent company, that also means reflecting on the kind of workplace it wants to build for the future.
An inclusive culture is rarely created by one campaign, policy or awareness week. More often, it is shaped by the everyday experiences people have at work: whether they feel comfortable speaking up, whether a new starter receives the support they need, and whether different perspectives are genuinely listened to.
That matters more in an industry like ours than people might think. Hire is full of teams where someone who's been doing the job for 30 years works right next to someone who started six months ago.
Making the most of that mix requires mutual respect. Newer colleagues need space to contribute fresh ideas, while long-serving employees bring practical knowledge and experience that cannot be replaced overnight. Inclusion means recognising the value in both.
Across HSS: The Hire Service Company, no two people got here the same way. Some have been in hire their whole working life. Others have entered through apprenticeships, moved across from different industries or discovered a career in hire through an opportunity they had never originally planned for.
Jon Overman's own story is a good example. He started as a Saturday assistant and has worked his way through the business over 27 years to become CEO. His progression demonstrates how careers can develop when people are given the opportunity to learn, take on responsibility and grow within the business.
That balance matters. Newer colleagues should feel their ideas are worth hearing, while long-serving employees should know that their experience continues to carry value. An inclusive workplace is one where those perspectives complement one another rather than compete.
Inclusion also extends beyond career background, age or representation. It includes whether people feel safe enough to be honest when they need support.
That's part of why we're proud to be the principal sponsor of the Lift Industry Mental Health Charter. The partnership supports a wider industry effort to encourage more open conversations around mental health and reduce the stigma that can prevent people from asking for help.
That matters because belonging is not simply about being welcomed into a workplace. It is also about feeling able to speak honestly, knowing that concerns will be taken seriously and that support is available when it is needed.
Part of doing this properly is making sure the next generation gets meaningful opportunities to develop too.
Our Rising Stars programme is there to support colleagues who have demonstrated potential and want to progress, regardless of their age or how long they have been with the business. That distinction is important. Development should not be reserved only for the newest employees or those who already hold senior positions. People can show potential at different points in their careers, and support should reflect that.
Outside the business, we're also involved with the HAE Young Hirers Committee, helping bring more young people into the hire industry while making sure the knowledge from people who've been doing this for decades doesn't just disappear as experienced professionals begin to retire.
The principle is straightforward: opportunity should not depend solely on how long someone has been in the industry or where they started. People who want to learn, contribute, and progress should be given the support to do so.
National Inclusion Week provides a useful moment to reflect on progress, but the real measure of inclusion is what happens during the rest of the year.
It can be seen in how a new starter is welcomed into a team, whether someone feels confident enough to put forward a different idea, how colleagues support one another through change, and whether people are given genuine opportunities to develop.
For HSS: The Hire Service Company, that reflection is particularly relevant as the business continues to establish its identity independently. Building a more people-focused organisation is not only about how customers are served; it is also about the experience of the people delivering that service.
In that sense, inclusion is not separate from “people dealing with people”. It is one of the clearest examples of what that philosophy should look like in practice: listening to people, recognising what they bring, giving them opportunities to contribute and creating an environment where they feel they belong.
National Inclusion Week may provide the reason to stop and reflect, but the responsibility to keep building that culture continues long after the week itself has ended.
To find out more about life at HSS: The Hire Service Company, contact us.