Inclusivity is at the heart of Haymarket’s culture, and in 2025 they reached a significant milestone: achieving Level 2 Disability Confident accreditation, boosting their ability to attract diverse talent, drive innovation, improve accessibility and reinforce their mission to be representative of the communities and audiences they serve.

Haymarket have been passionate about disability inclusion for some time, earning ‘Committed’ status in 2021. Ever since, they have only become more ambitious and the next step - with the support of Haymarket’s Body & Mind DEI Network – was obtaining Disability Confident Level 2 accreditation.

Reaching this milestone was no small task, and Haymarket had to demonstrate an inclusive recruitment process that:

• Actively attracts and supports disabled candidates
• Guarantees interviews for those who meet their role criteria
• And ensures no barriers hinder development and progression within the company.

The implementation of their new inclusive ICIMS recruitment platform, along with a revamped DEI-focused careers site, played a key role in their success. Its manager dashboard increased visibility of their Disability Confident candidates, enabling managers to prioritise and fairly consider them.

Haymarket have worked hard to revise all job adverts and descriptions to include clear minimum criteria and to provide clear guidance to all applicants. In addition to this, they have delivered tailored training and guidance for hiring managers to ensure a respectful and accommodating interview experience for candidates with various disabilities, including those with hearing or sight impairment and people who are wheelchair users. They also undertook an accessibility audit of their headquarters.

These efforts to break down barriers and support individuals with disabilities continues to influence their culture for the better. More existing employees have requested workplace adjustments without fear of judgement since becoming Disability Confident Level 2 Status, which has been welcomed by their other DEI Networks, alongside Body & Mind, including Neurodiversity and Balance.

By aligning recruitment and workplace practices with their DEI commitments and Impact strategy of shaping a better future, Haymarket are driving real cultural change, promoting equal opportunities, and ensuring that the publisher is a place where everyone can thrive, unlocking potential, and driving competitive advantage.

Since January 2024, Haymarket have received 99 applications from candidates applying under the Disability Confident scheme, an impressive 100% increase from the year before they became Level 2 accredited. This growth demonstrates their commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and values diverse talent, especially individuals with disabilities.

They have successfully placed 8 candidates who applied under this scheme into roles across the business. These placements account for 11% of total hires during this period and reflects their proactive approach to embedding real change within their workforce and offering equal career opportunities to candidates of all backgrounds.

Return to Case Studies