There is so much I could write on the topic of gender inequality in the workplace. Here, I explore just a few of the actions employers could take to address the issue. Progress in many organisations, despite the annual Gender Pay Gap reporting requirement, is glacial. None more so than Higher Education. Advance HE says: ‘The under-representation of women at senior levels within institutions suggests that insufficient action is being taken to support the progression of women within HEIs.’
What can you, as an employer do, to address some of the structural inequalities that prevent women from flourishing? Here are a few suggestions.
In conversation, a colleague shared that she’d volunteered to take on the one of the roles of panel chair required for an Institutional Teaching and Learning Review. Instead she was asked to be a note taker.
Action 1: Where career development opportunities arise, ensure these are fairly apportioned.
A woman who had completed a women’s leadership development programme, applied for promotion. She was unsuccessful, even though she was advised that she had been appointable.
Action 2: Where your staff are being supported to participate in female leadership development programmes, are you supporting their ongoing progression? Ensuring staff have a sponsor as well as a mentor may signal your organisation’s commitment to professional development.
Use gender blind CV and applications to help to reduce the implicit bias of those involved in shortlisting.
Action 3: Recruitment and Selection panels should implement these changes wherever possible and monitor the impact of hiring decisions on gender equity.
When it comes to applying for jobs, men are less bothered than women about meeting most of the Person Specification requirements.
Action 4: Where you are short of female applicants, use encouraging wording in your job advert. Phasing such as ‘if you meet even some Essential criteria we would welcome your application‘ is likely to encourage more women to apply.
Who are you promoting? Will your hiring decisions perpetuate or challenge gender stereotyping?
Action 5: When hiring leaders, look for evidence of their contribution to and impact on diversity. For example, their role in sponsoring or mentoring female staff and other under-represented groups.
Organisations periodically review their values. However, as Peter Drucker famously said: ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ Values alone will neither change an organisation’s culture, nor impact the Gender Pay Gap. Organisations need to be clear about the behaviours expected of all staff. These should be made explicit in recruitment literature, conditional in offer letters and made clear to existing staff.
Action 6: You must be bold enough to address behaviours that don’t align with the organisation’s values. And yes, this takes guts, energy, resources and is difficult.
Women will feel supported where their employer create spaces to meet their needs.
Action 7: Support the creation of groups that will meet your staff’s specific needs: menopause networks, part time staff and carer groups, for example. Provide a budget for refreshments. Not having a budget indicates low status. This undermines the otherwise positive intentions of your organisation.
Is there diversity in your senior leadership team? Are you walking the talk?
Action 8: Senior leaders need to be aware of the impact on staff of a predominantly male leadership team and take steps to redress the balance by attracting a diverse field of applicants.
Ask women what’s preventing them from flourishing in your organisation.
Action 9: Survey your female staff. Listen to what they say. Take action to address the issues they raise. Then capture the impact of the initiatives that you’ve implemented and celebrate them. Not just the metrics, but the qualitative impact these have had on individuals.
There is much recommended reading on this topic from a range of experts with plenty more examples of how you can leverage organisational change. If you genuinely want to achieve gender equality, here are three of the best:
Why Men Win at Work Gill Whitty-Collins
The Authority Gap Mary Ann Sieghart
Don’t Fix Women Joy Burnford
Future posts will explore what actions leaders, and individuals can take to work towards gender equity in the workplace.
We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. Malala Yousafzai
