Designing for Diversity at the Axiom Book Awards 2026

We are delighted to share that Designing for Diversity: Developing Inclusive and Equitable Talent Management Processes, written by our co-founder and senior Partner Professor Binna Kandola OBE, has won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Axiom Book Awards!

Designing for Diversity was awarded the Gold Medal in the Human Resources/Training category at the 2026 Axiom Book Awards, which follows on from the book’s win in the leadership category at the Goody Business Book Awards earlier in the year.

About the Axiom Business Book Awards

Since 2007, the Axiom Business Book Awards have honoured the best business titles in more than 25 categories, shining a light on books that provide actionable insights, strategic guidance, and innovative perspectives for professionals at all levels.

From leadership and management to entrepreneurship and personal finance, these awards recognise books that make a meaningful impact on the business world.

A panel of esteemed judges—including business executives, educators, and publishing professionals—carefully evaluates each entry for content, design, and creativity. By selecting 3–6 medalists per category, the awards ensure that influential voices in business publishing receive the recognition they deserve.

About Designing for Diversity

What measures do you use to spot talent and assess employee performance? How do you decide who gets promoted? Are these methods fair and inclusive?

Talent management is a cornerstone of modern organisational strategy but it has consistently fallen short in achieving meaningful diversity.

Designing for Diversity challenges the deeply rooted assumptions that have shaped traditional talent management systems and critiques the philosophies that often reinforce the status quo. This book then offers actionable strategies to create systems and processes that genuinely identify and nurture individuals with leadership potential.

While many DEI efforts aim to signal progress, they can inadvertently sustain inertia. This book empowers organisations to move beyond surface-level solutions and implement practices that drive real, measurable change.

It explores each element of talent management from performance management systems and talent identification methods, through to talent development and promotion processes.

This book also examines the limitations of target setting and the benefits of both formal and informal mentoring. The results is a new paradigm for identifying leaders, fostering diversity, and enhancing competition for senior roles.

Whether you’re a business leader, HR professional or advocate for equity in the workplace, Designing for Diversity is your essential guide to creating a future where talent management and diversity thrive together.