Futura Talent’s Post

How do we address gender inequality in the workplace without positive discrimination? 30% of C-level positions in the UK are occupied by women. 21% of Senior Leadership positions in tech in the UK are occupied by women. 78% of students can't name a famous woman working in technology. The UK has some work to do to improve, but UK tech even moreso. Tech is often viewed as a bit of a "boys club", and not having female leaders visible in the sector has been shown to have a major part to play in this. But how do we address this without positive discrimination? Clearly the right person to hire is the best person for the job, regardless of their gender or any other characteristic, and the suggestion that women get into senior positions based on them being a "diversity" hire is a mysogynistic trope. So what to do? Look at your benefits. Look at your culture. Look at what others businesses are doing. Ask your people. Especially the women. Map the above out and distill: "What does this say to women we want to hire?" and crucially: "What does this say to women we want to retain?" 👉 Do you offer flexibility and support for school runs and childcare etc? 👉 Is there any reason a role couldn't be offered on a part time basis? 👉 What does your maternity / paternity policy say? 👉 Do you have policies around fertility assistance? 👉 Have you considered implementing menopause / menstruation policies?? 👉 Are your managers (male and female) trained / equipped / comfortable to discuss issues around women's health? 👉 Have you fostered a culture where women feel comfortable to discuss such issues? 👉 Do you consistently call out and address inappropriate language or behaviour when it occurs? (In the office and at after work drinks too) 👉 What does your advert / job spec / interview process / questions look like? 👉 Do you publicly advertise your salaries on adverts? 👉 How equal is your pay between people at similar levels and roles? There are so many things to be done that can help. But the first step is to understand that this is something that needs to be addressed. The second step is to investigate it. The third step is to actually act on what you've found. What other ways can businesses address gender inequality issues? #recruitment #techrecruitment #genderpaygap #womenintech #genderequality