People Like Us

The UK Government has officially launched the consultation on the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for employers with 250 or more employees. This long-awaited legislation will provide transparency, offering businesses the data needed to close these gaps and move toward a fairer society. This comes at a timely moment as yet more sobering stats emerge, this time from Marketing Week’s 2025 Career & Salary Survey showing the pay gap issue is not improving, but getting worse in our industry. The marketing profession has an ethnicity pay gap for full-time workers of 13.3%, up sharply from 8.5% in 2024. As our co-founder, Darain Faraz, says: “Pay disparity isn’t an abstract issue – it’s about people’s livelihoods, their financial security, and their ability to progress. If businesses truly value talent, they need to ensure that value is reflected in pay, not just rhetoric.” The government’s commitment to tackling these inequalities is crucial. With mandatory reporting, businesses will finally be held accountable, driving the much-needed change for a more inclusive workforce. Thanks, Charlotte Rogers for allowing our founders Darain, Sheeraz, as well as the brilliant Lianre Robinson (CEO, The Marketing Academy Foundation) to comment on this important issue at this critical time. 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ecaRbJf4 #Equality #Diversity #EthnicityPayGap #DisabilityPayGap

Relive the highlights from People Like Us x Financial Times last week! Thank you to everyone for joining us and to our inspiring speakers for telling their stories beautifully. Full talks will be published next month. If you'd like to host an upcoming People Like Us event, we'd love to hear from you! Looking forward to being back in action this summer. 📹 Soul Club Media Ltd.

What a wonderful night at People Like Us x Financial Times! An incredible collection of stories from talented individuals who did themselves proud. You can connect with our amazing speakers here, they’d love to hear from you: Sal Naseem FRSA, Chloe Davies, Guerin Luther Nimi, Chantel King, Ginnia Cheng (鄭梓欣), Che Wheatley, Mildred Talabi, MCIPR, Leah M., Virgilia Lee Facey, Rishi Dastidar and Alyssa Jaffer. Thank you to the team for their brilliant support Mikael Buck, Adam Nicholas, Sharon Aneja, George Burkett. And the amazing team at FT for their generous hosting Rachel Sheldon, Nadia Elkheir and Rukasana Bhaijee. And to our creative partners at Worth Your While. Thank you for your incredible support over the past 5 or so years. Excitingly, we’re soon going to open partnerships for the first time ever for organisations and agencies that are up for collaborating with us and open to supporting our mission. Watch this space. We’ll be back in action over the summer and can't wait to see you all again!

A study from UCL has found that Black and Asian graduates from low socioeconomic backgrounds are half as likely to receive job offers as their white peers. Too often, hiring processes favour those with traditional career pathways, connections and resources, overlooking those who may have taken a different route but have just as much – if not more – to offer. Our co-founder, Darain Faraz, contributed to the piece: “Diversity isn’t just about ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic background in isolation - these factors intersect, creating unique barriers. Too often, hiring processes favour those with traditional pathways, connections and resources, overlooking incredible talent.” At a time when DEI initiatives are being rolled back, this research once again demonstrates that we can’t afford to go backwards. Businesses that fail to act risk losing out on the diverse talent that drives innovation and growth. Thank you to HR magazine & Lara Bryant for the opportunity to highlight this urgent issue. 📖 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dMVus274 #PeopleLikeUs #DiversityInHiring #DEI #EqualOpportunities #HR

We can't wait to see you all on Thursday for the first People Like Us event of the year, in partnership with the Financial Times. It's an opportunity to hear from truly inspiring people like Janita Lakhanpal, who shared her journey on advocating for greater support and understanding of neurodiversity, both in the workplace and in education. Janita commented: "Being a parent of neurodivergent children means constantly advocating, adapting and pushing for change. It’s standing firm when the world tells you ‘no’ and forging alternative paths to ‘yes.’” Janita has written a brilliant piece on PRWeek UK on how workplaces can lead better on inclusion that supports neurodiversity (link in comments).

The PRWeek UK Power Book is the definitive list of the most influential and respected comms professionals in the country. Being featured is a recognition of not just industry expertise but also the impact and leadership an individual brings to the world of PR and communications. For People Like Us, this is more than just a name on a list - it’s a testament to the bold, inclusive, and innovative work we strive for every day. Huge congrats to Sheeraz Gulsher for continuing to shape the industry and push boundaries!

Pleased to announce the host for our first event of 2025 in partnership with the Financial Times on 13 March, it's the hilarious Ken Cheng. Ken is a stand-up comedian, writer and professional poker player. He burst onto the comedy scene after reaching the final of the 2015 BBC New Comedy Award and since then he has written and starred in two of his own BBC Radio 4 shows. Recently, he has become one the world's first LinkedIn comedians, where he shares 'life lessons' from the perspective of a very successful CEO. EVENT WAITLIST HERE: https://lnkd.in/eEH3ET_T

There's a wonderful opportunity to join the Alumni Advisory Board with our friends at the Taylor Bennett Foundation. It's an opportunity to amplify marginalised voices and drive real industry impact. Also a great chance to build on leadership skills, network with excellent people and help shape the organisation's award winning programmes. A huge shoutout to Koray Camgöz and the team at TBF for making this happen! We know how vital it is to build strong, lasting networks for diverse talent - and this is exactly the kind of initiative that will make a difference. APPLY TODAY - applications close midnight on 14 March: https://lnkd.in/ekAbX6GQ #DiversityInComms #RepresentationMatters 

We are proud to be shortlisted for Not for Profit Campaign of the Year with the good folks at PRmoment for our latest work, proudly launched in Parliament last month. Name The Bias calls on the government to set a timeline for implementing the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill to combat pay disparities. It also challenges society to confront bias and the impact on identity and economic opportunity, urging businesses to adopt objective frameworks amidst rising far-right influences in today’s political landscape. Thank you to our friends and partners for their immense support, we couldn't have done this without you: Worth Your While, new—land, Brotherhood Media, Planes Studio, Censuswide, Mikael Buck, Ron Timehin, Naghmeh Pour, Tom Heys and Y.A Poet (Yasmin Ali). Massive congratulations to all the finalists!

🚀 Exciting News! We're thrilled to announce that tickets are now available for People Like Us x Financial Times—our first event of 2025! 🗓️ Save the date: 13th March! Join us for an inspiring evening, where incredible talent from journalism, PR, marketing, and EDI sectors will take the stage. With 10 speakers—each sharing their powerful story in a three-minute spotlight. Expect delicious food & drinks, professional headshots (thanks to Mikael Buck!) 🧘♀️ Burnout-busting sessions with the amazing Sharon Aneja, a dose of stand-up comedy and networking with inspiring change makers from a breadth of backgrounds. Everyone is welcome—no matter your level or background—so don't be shy! 🌟 If you're worried about attending solo, let us know, and we’ll happily connect you with a friendly face before the event to help you feel more at ease. Tickets are limited, so if you miss out, make sure to join the waitlist! 📩 Keep an eye on your inbox (and check that spam folder!) for notifications from Eventbrite—you’ll have 24 hours to claim your ticket when one becomes available. Special thanks to the brilliant George Burkett for our event branding and a huge shoutout to the amazing FT team for their incredible support Rachel Sheldon, Nadia Elkheir and Rukasana Bhaijee. We can't wait to see you there! #PeopleLikeUs #FTEvent #Inspiration #Networking #DiversityAndInclusion #Storytelling