“How do we put the focus back on a person’s professional skills and expertise?”
This question – posed by Rabia Ceylan of Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) – framed a thought-provoking education session recently hosted by Sustainable Trading, as she challenged the industry to rethink who we consider talent, and where we look for it.
Attended by our member firms, the session introduced a new lens on recruitment: one that sees displaced people not just as recipients of aid, but as professionals with skills, experience and untapped potential.
“We’ve built systems that focus on vulnerability,” Rabia said, “but rarely ask what someone can offer. What skills they bring. That’s the shift we’re trying to make.”
The organisation behind the mission
Talent Beyond Boundaries is an international NGO that partners with employers to match skilled refugees with meaningful employment opportunities.
Founded in 2016 in Australia, TBB emerged from the belief that traditional humanitarian pathways weren’t enough, and that a person’s career shouldn’t end because they were forced to flee their home.
Since then, TBB has supported nearly 1,000 relocations globally, working with over 335 employers across industries including financial services, technology and healthcare. Their Talent Catalogue, a searchable database of over 134,000 displaced professionals, includes candidates with expertise in finance, software engineering, analytics, healthcare, infrastructure and more.
Participating firms include names like Goldman Sachs, Citi, Iress, Accenture and Equinix, all of whom have worked with TBB to explore new, practical routes for sourcing diverse and high-calibre talent.
A smarter way to hire
As Rabia outlined, TBB’s approach is rooted in business needs, not charity.
“We’re not asking you to create a new hiring process,” she explained. “We’re saying: add 134,000 more professionals to your existing one.”
During the session, Rabia laid out how the model works:
- Sourcing: Employers share a job description; TBB searches its talent pool for qualified candidates.
- Recruitment: Candidates join a firm’s usual hiring process and TBB facilitates early-stage coordination.
- Visas & Relocation: TBB helps navigate skilled worker visa processes and relocation logistics.
- Integration: The organisation supports onboarding and check-ins for up to 12 months after arrival.
The model is designed to work with existing HR practices, with the added benefit of unlocking global talent that many firms would never otherwise encounter. In the UK alone, TBB has facilitated over 570 hires, with a 96% retention rate and 94% of employers saying they would do it again.
Stories that stay with you
Rabia also shared real-life examples that brought the model to life including the story of Khalaf, a Syrian software engineer who fled to Lebanon with his young family. Through TBB, he was placed with Iress in the UK. He passed the firm’s rigorous coding assessments, relocated to Cheltenham, and has now secured his Indefinite Leave to Remain.
“He wasn’t just a great hire,” Rabia said. “He was their first hire through the programme, and they’ve since brought on five more.”
Learn more about the partnership between Iress and TBB in our case study, a strong example of how social impact and commercial hiring priorities can go hand-in-hand.
What it means for trading and financial services
Financial services firms are facing growing pressure to expand the talent pool, meet DEI goals and deliver a deeper level of social impact. TBB offers a practical, scalable way to do all three.
“You’re not just filling a role. You’re helping someone move from displacement to stability,” Rabia said. “And that brings an incredible sense of loyalty and purpose to the workplace.”
For those in trading, technology, operations or data functions, the message is clear: expand your recruitment lens and you might just find the expertise you’re missing, and transform lives in the process.
Ready to take the next step?
Follow-up materials have been shared with Sustainable Trading member firms following the session. Whether you’re in HR, DEI or a business function, you can help start the conversation within your organisation.
To learn more, visit www.talentbeyondboundaries.org or contact Sustainable Trading.