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Legal · Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity & non-discrimination

NextForce is an equal opportunity firm. We run searches and represent candidates without regard to any protected characteristic — and we expect the same standard from the client organisations we work with.

Effective 1 January 2026

1. Our commitment

NextForce is committed to providing equal opportunity in recruitment, assessment, shortlisting, and placement. No candidate will be treated less favourably — and no shortlist will be filtered — on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, religion or belief, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in the jurisdictions we operate in.

2. Jurisdictions we work to

NextForce delivers into the United Kingdom, the European Union and EEA, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India, and South-East Asia. Our equal opportunity commitment is shaped by — and we comply with, at minimum — the following frameworks:

  • United Kingdom: the Equality Act 2010, including its provisions on direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation, reasonable adjustments, and the nine protected characteristics.
  • European Union / EEA: the EU Employment Equality Framework Directive (2000/78/EC), the Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC), and the Gender Equality Directive (2006/54/EC), as transposed into national law in each member state.
  • United States: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Equal Pay Act, and equivalent state and city-level anti-discrimination laws.
  • India: Article 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution of India, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 (POSH Act), and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019.
  • United Arab Emirates: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations and Federal Decree-Law No. 2 of 2015 on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, alongside DIFC and ADGM employment regimes where applicable.
  • Saudi Arabia: the Saudi Labour Law and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Human Resources Strategy under Vision 2030.
  • Kuwait: Law No. 6 of 2010 concerning Labour in the Private Sector, including its provisions on equal treatment.

3. What this means in our process

Equal opportunity is not a poster on a wall. It is a set of operating practices we hold ourselves to on every engagement.

  • Structured briefs. Every retained brief is written against job-relevant criteria. We challenge and remove requirements that have the effect of excluding qualified candidates without a defensible, job-related justification.
  • Structured longlists. Market mapping is run against skills, experience, and track record — not against demographic proxies. Longlists are reviewed for representativeness before they become shortlists.
  • Anonymised shortlists on request. Where a client prefers to receive shortlists with identifying information redacted at the first review stage, we will run the search that way. We can provide CVs with name, photograph, date of birth, nationality, and pre-graduate education removed on request.
  • Structured interviews. We encourage clients to use structured, role-relevant interview frameworks with agreed scoring rubrics. We will work with a hiring manager to design one where needed.
  • Reasonable adjustments. We will work with candidates to arrange reasonable adjustments to the interview and assessment process, and will advocate for the same from the client side. This is free of charge and free of judgment.
  • Compensation calibration. We will flag — and decline to participate in — comp offers that appear to rest on protected-characteristic proxies rather than role, market, or experience.

4. What we will not do

  • We will not accept a brief that explicitly or implicitly filters against a protected characteristic, except where a genuine occupational requirement applies under the law of the relevant jurisdiction.
  • We will not withhold a candidate from consideration based on any protected characteristic.
  • We will not request salary history from candidates in any jurisdiction where such a request is restricted or prohibited, and we will not use salary history as the basis for a new offer where the practice disadvantages underrepresented candidates.
  • We will not process a placement for which we believe the working conditions materially breach equal-opportunity or worker-welfare standards in the relevant jurisdiction.

5. Reasonable adjustments for candidates

If you are a candidate and you need an adjustment to any stage of our process — for example, a different interview format, captions on a video call, extra time for an assessment, a physically accessible meeting location, or a written alternative to a telephone conversation — please tell us. You do not have to disclose a diagnosis or medical condition. We will arrange adjustments in confidence and at no cost to you, and we will advocate for the same with the hiring organisation.

Adjustment requests can be sent to hello@nextforce.works with the subject line “Adjustment request”.

6. Complaints and reporting

If you believe you have been treated unfairly by NextForce — or by a client organisation in a process we have run — we want to hear about it. We take complaints seriously and investigate them in confidence.

Complaints can be sent to hello@nextforce.works with the subject line “Equal opportunity complaint”, or raised by telephone on the number listed on our contact page. We will acknowledge receipt within two working days and complete our investigation within thirty calendar days, unless the complexity of the matter requires more time.

You also have the right to raise a complaint with the relevant external authority in your jurisdiction, including (but not limited to) the Equality and Human Rights Commission (UK), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (US), or the equivalent labour or human-rights authority in other markets.

7. Monitoring and accountability

NextForce reviews its hiring processes and outcomes on a regular cadence to identify patterns of under-representation or unfair treatment, and to adjust practices accordingly. This is an operational commitment, not a performative one: any finding that requires a change will result in a change.

8. Governance

Responsibility for this policy sits with the NextForce partnership, which reviews it at least annually. Material changes will be reflected in the effective date above and communicated to the NextForce team and active candidates where appropriate.

9. Contact

For any question about this policy, a specific engagement, or to raise a concern, email hello@nextforce.works. You may also write to our head office address listed on the contact page.