Is your organisation missing out on a powerful and overlooked talent pool?
In this episode of the Inclusive Growth Show, Toby Mildon speaks with Dr Andrew Jenkins, an expert in employment and age discrimination, to explore why older workers could be the key to solving the UK’s persistent hospitality staffing crisis.

With insights from Andrew's extensive research and real-world examples - including B&Q’s game-changing recruitment strategy the episode dismantles common myths about older employees and reveals the untapped potential of a multi-generational workforce.

Key takeaways include:

• The damaging impact of age-based stereotypes in hiring
• Why older workers are a viable solution to post-Brexit staffing gaps
• How flexible recruitment strategies can attract talent over 50
• The business case for a multi-generational workforce
• Practical steps for building age-inclusive workplaces

Guest Highlights:
Guest: Dr Andrew Jenkins
Title: Lecturer in Management
Institution: University of Cumbria / University of Huddersfield

Resources mentioned:

• CIPD 2022 report: Understanding Older Workers
• Centre for Aging Better: Employer Guide
• Personnel Today article by Mary Bright
• Age UK: Ageism at Work

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If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

Menopause and mental health: why silence in the workplace is no longer an option.

In this compelling episode of the Inclusive Growth Show, Toby Mildon is joined by Haley from Menospace and Victoria from Minds That Work to explore the powerful intersection of menopause and mental health in the workplace.

Haley shares her personal and professional journey into menopause advocacy, while Victoria reflects on her mental health work and how their collaboration emerged from a shared passion. Together, they highlight the often-overlooked impacts of perimenopause on psychological wellbeing and the urgent need for inclusive organisational support.

Key takeaways include:

• Why perimenopause symptoms are often mistaken or ignored.
• How menopause intersects with mental health and performance.
• The business case for supporting midlife employees.
• Practical steps for HR leaders to create psychologically safe workplaces.
• How awareness, training, and policy can drive cultural change.

Guest Highlights:

• Haley, Founder of Menospace: Website | LinkedIn
• Victoria, Founder of Minds That Work: Website | LinkedIn

Don't miss their specialist course Breaking the Silence, an accredited training on menopause and mental health.

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If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

What if flexible working wasn’t just a perk, but a pathway to inclusive growth and business success?

Toby Mildon is joined by Molly Johnson-Jones, co-founder and CEO of Flexa, to unpack the real story—and real research—behind flexible careers. From being unfairly dismissed due to a disability to launching a platform that empowers over 3 million professionals, Molly shares her inspiring journey and vision for the future of work.

We dive into the benefits of flexible working for individuals and businesses alike, including improved productivity, better hiring outcomes, and economic gains beyond major cities. But we also tackle the tough stuff—like common misconceptions, cultural barriers, and why binary thinking (remote vs. office) holds organisations back.

Key takeaways:

• Flexible working boosts engagement, retention, and access to diverse talent.
• Inclusivity isn’t just remote work—it’s creative policies that meet employee needs.
• Hybrid working requires intentional culture design and leadership trust.
• Flexibility can—and should—be tailored even in frontline or shift-based roles.

Guest Highlight: Molly Johnson-Jones, CEO of Flexa—driving transparency and inclusivity in flexible careers.

Send us a message

If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

Are we doing EDI right – or just going through the motions?

In this powerful follow-up episode, Toby Mildon is joined by Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School and thought leader on inclusive leadership. They explore the growing backlash against Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), especially in light of shifting US policies, and what it means for leaders navigating this complex terrain.

Poornima shares insights from her upcoming book “Can I Say That?”, outlining the five key fears that stall EDI progress: fear of change, fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of being marginalised, discomfort with difficult conversations, and the fear of making no progress.

Key takeaways include:

• The importance of stealth inclusion when public support wanes
• How to make EDI work systemic, not symbolic
• Strategies for handling resistance from senior leaders
• Tips for emotional resilience when doing EDI work

Guest highlight:
Poornima brings both academic rigour and lived experience to the conversation, making her one of the most compelling voices in EDI today.

Send us a message

If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

Are your inclusion efforts grounded in a meaningful 'why'?

In this engaging episode, Toby Mildon speaks with Sarah Bettman—an executive coach and DEI strategist—about the importance of aligning equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) with organisational values, leadership integrity, and cultural dynamics.

Sarah’s journey from paramedic to DEI expert brings a unique lens to privilege, systemic bias, and leadership responsibility. She shares stories and insights about how leaders can build inclusion into the DNA of their organisation by slowing down, listening deeply, and understanding power dynamics within systems.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Why identifying your organisation’s “why bother” for EDI is vital
• How privilege shows up systemically and how leaders can responsibly address it
• The role of emotional intelligence in inclusive leadership
• Creating safe, slow-thinking environments for deeper DEI conversations
• Practical steps for building DEI strategies that reflect real organisational needs

🎤 Guest Highlight:

Sarah Bettman is a leadership coach and DEI consultant who works globally to help organisations, especially majority groups, shift mindsets and align inclusion with their strategic and cultural goals.

Send us a message

If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

“You can’t transform without diversity.”

In this episode of the Inclusive Growth Show, Toby Mildon speaks with Aaron Barnes, former Managing Director of Parcelforce and now a consultant in operational excellence and leadership development.

Aaron shares his powerful journey of confronting and transforming a lack of gender diversity at senior levels in Parcelforce. When faced with the challenge of doubling business revenue, he realised that a homogeneous leadership team posed a significant risk to change. His data-driven and deeply personal approach led to the creation of employee resource groups, allyship campaigns, mentoring schemes, and recruitment reform.

Key takeaways:

• Why Aaron saw a lack of diversity as a strategic risk
• The power of engagement surveys and what lies beneath the surface
• How to overcome resistance and “collateral damage” when championing inclusion
• Real-life examples of second-generation gender bias in action
• How inclusive growth can lead to personal and organisational transformation

Guest highlight: Aaron Barnes, ex-Parcelforce MD, now leading his own consultancy, shares honest, actionable lessons for leaders driving change.

Send us a message

If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

How can we empower employees to address discrimination in the workplace?

In this episode of The Inclusive Growth Show, Toby Mildon sits down with Catherine Millan, founder of Be What You See Consultancy, to explore how active bystander training is helping organisations create inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces.

Catherine shares her personal experiences with ADHD, dyslexia, and workplace discrimination, which fuelled her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She explains how her training programs equip employees with practical strategies to challenge microaggressions and foster an inclusive workplace culture.

💡 Key Takeaways:
✔️ What active bystander training is and why it’s essential.
✔️ How to challenge discrimination effectively using the five Ds approach.
✔️ The impact of microaggressions and how to address them.
✔️ How organisations like the NHS are using bystander training to reduce workplace bullying and harassment.
✔️ The role of psychological safety in building inclusive teams.

🎧 Tune in now to learn how you can create a workplace where everyone thrives.

🔗 Connect with Catherine Millan:

• LinkedIn: Catherine Millan
• Website: Be What You See Ltd

Send us a message

If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.

Is your workplace truly inclusive for neurodivergent employees?

In this episode of The Inclusive Growth Podcast, Toby Mildon sits down with Lekshmi Baburajan, a learning and development consultant and neurodiversity coach. Lekshmi shares her personal journey of being diagnosed as neurodivergent later in life and how that experience has shaped her professional path.

Together, Toby and Lekshmi explore the challenges neurodivergent employees face in the workplace, the role of HR in fostering inclusion, and the impact of strengths-based coaching.

Key takeaways:

• The importance of strengths-based approaches in supporting neurodivergent employees.
• How organisations can implement low-cost, high-impact adjustments.
• The role of HR in building inclusive policies for neurodivergent staff.
• Practical tools and technologies that help neurodivergent employees thrive.
• The significance of coaching and safe spaces in empowering neurodivergent individuals.

Guest: Lekshmi Baburajan – Learning & Development Consultant and Neurodiversity Coach.

Connect with Lekshmi on LinkedIn

For more resources on inclusive workplace strategies, visit Mildon.co.uk.

Send us a message

If you're enjoying this episode and looking to boost equity, inclusion, and diversity in your organisation, my team and I are here to help. Our team specialises in crafting data-driven strategies, developing inclusive leaders, designing fair recruitment processes, and enhancing disability confidence. With a blend of professional expertise and lived experience, we're ready to support you on your journey. Reach out to us through our website.

If you want to build a more inclusive workplace that you can be proud of please visit our website to learn more.