Fair Isn’t Always Equal, and Equal Isn’t Always Enough

We talk a lot about fairness. About giving people the same opportunities and treating everyone equally. And on the surface, it all sounds great. Equal treatment. Equal access. Equal outcomes. Job done, right? Well… not exactly.

Because while equality is often the word we reach for, it’s not the only one we need, and it’s not always enough. That’s where equity comes in. To be clear, they’re both important and both essential. But equality and equity? They’re not the same. Think of them like eyebrows—sisters, not twins.

Equality means giving everyone the same thing.
Equity means giving people what they actually need.

It sounds subtle, doesn’t it? But in practice, this subtle difference changes everything. And in our world of attraction, communications, and employer branding, confusing the two can mean the difference between connecting, and quietly excluding.

This isn’t just a theoretical difference. It shows up in all our work. Because, when we blur the line between equality and equity, we don’t just get the language wrong. We risk getting the outcome wrong too.

So, What Does Equity Actually Look Like?

Let me give you a real example. Something we do with our clients all the time.

Before applications even open, we often run tailored upskilling sessions for underrepresented candidates such as women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ candidates, candidates with disabilities, and others who’ve historically faced systemic barriers.

But these aren’t just workshops. They’re confidence-building, myth-busting, barrier-breaking spaces. We teach people to overcome imposter syndrome. We tackle code-switching. We help candidates navigate a system that, for many, was never built with them in mind.

Equality here would mean opening the application process to everyone in exactly the same way. Same job ad, same structure, same support. And that is important. It creates consistency and it sets a standard. But equity asks another question: Is that enough for everyone to feel like they belong here?

Equity recognises that people don’t all start from the same place. That confidence, access, and representation aren’t evenly distributed. So, equity builds on equality. It adds support where it’s needed, and it bridges gaps. It’s not about advantage, it’s about acknowledgement.

Not everyone needs those sessions, of course. But for those who do, they can be the difference between hesitating and stepping forward. And that’s equity in action. It’s not about giving more; it’s about removing what’s in the way.

And the same thinking applies beyond candidate support, into the creative work we put out into the world. Because representation on its own isn’t the goal. Representation done right is. And that means not just counting faces or ticking boxes. It means asking better questions. Who’s being centred, and who’s always on the sidelines? Whose voice is leading, and whose story are we softening to make it more palatable? It means designing with people, not just about them.

What Does Creative Equity Look Like When It’s Done Well?

Channel 4’s Altogether Different campaign is a great example. Launched as a bold rebrand of the broadcaster’s identity, the campaign set out to reflect modern Britain by spotlighting the very people often left out of the spotlight—queer creatives, talent with disabilities, neurodivergent voices, and people from communities historically underrepresented on screen. If they’d taken an equality-first approach, they might have simply lined up a neat spread of identities—a visual tick-box exercise of “diversity”. Equal airtime. Same format. The kind of safe inclusion we’ve all seen before. But Channel 4 didn’t stop there.

Instead, they chose equity. They built a campaign that challenged expectations, not just met them. They didn’t just show underrepresented people, they centred them. The creative flipped the traditional film rating system on its head, reframing difference as something bold, brilliant, and unapologetically visible. And the stories? They weren’t sanitised. They were complex, honest, and proudly unpolished. Told by the people living them, not for them.

That’s creative equity in action. It’s not about giving everyone the same platform. It’s about building the right platform and making sure the people who’ve historically been pushed aside are finally standing at the centre of it.

Because when we do that? We don’t just get better representation. We build work that connects. Because fair isn’t always equal, and equal isn’t always enough.

To find out how LHH can help you develop and implement EDI-friendly hiring practices that evolve with your organisation's needs, contact us today.