Sova's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I)

Sova’s mission is to help you uncover talent over and above what traditional unstructured interviews and CVs can do. As part of our mission to enable organisations to hire for skills, rather than credentials, we strive to embed fairness and inclusivity into every stage of our assessment design and delivery.

DE&I isn’t just an HR initiative, it’s a business imperative that drives real success. That’s why we’re committed to continuously refining our processes and delivering fair assessments that empower our clients to hire more inclusively and build stronger, more diverse teams.

Darren Jaffrey

CEO, Sova

How We Support DE&I

Inclusive assessment design

The competency models reflect DE&I values, with diverse job analyses conducted to ensure assessments are built with fairness in mind.

Accessibility features

The platform includes an accessibility toolbar that allows candidates to adjust text size, colors, fonts, and background settings to suit their preferences. Candidates can activate the toolbar with a simple click, allowing them to be self-sufficient and removing the need for disclosure.

Continuous improvement

To address and mitigate bias, assessments are piloted, performance data is analysed, and content is regularly refined, ensuring the assessments remain fair and inclusive. Sova employs automated and manual testing, including usability testing with individuals with disabilities, to ensure the platform remains accessible and user-friendly.

Reasonable adjustments

Sova provides a wide range of adjustments to meet diverse candidate needs, including:

Great assessment design starts with equity and inclusivity at its core. At Sova, we adopt rigorous, science-based methods to create hiring tools that give every candidate the chance to demonstrate their abilities fairly, without barriers or bias. This is an ongoing process: we continuously review and evolve our practices, incorporating the latest research and feedback from clients and candidates to drive meaningful improvements.

Nicola Tatham

Chief IO Psychologist, Sova

What's in the Works

Feedback-driven research

Long-term research, guided by clients’ and candidates’ feedback, to continuously improve our assessments through validation studies and fairness reviews.

WCAG 2.2 AA compliant

Regular updates to meet evolving accessibility standards and ensure our platform remains user-friendly for all candidates.

Training for administrators

Equipping hiring teams with the skills to manage adjustments effectively and inclusively.

How You Can Improve DE&I and Fairness in Your Assessment Programme

Proactive communication

Ensure candidates are well-informed about the assessment process and given ample opportunity to request reasonable adjustments.

Early identification

Include clear statements about adjustments throughout recruitment materials and provide straightforward ways for candidates to disclose their requirements early in the process.

Tailored support

Determine adjustments based on individual requirements, ensuring tailored support that reflects the specific impact of a candidate's disability or neurodiversity.

Legal compliance

Refer to local legal standards, such as the UK’s Equality Act 2010.

Continuous feedback

Address concerns promptly and empathetically, offering retests with adjustments when needed and refining future assessments based on feedback.