Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Gender pay gapGenderRecruitment process outsourcingLatest NewsEquality, diversity and inclusion

International Women’s Day: we need better balance in the workplace

by Dominie Moss 8 Mar 2019
by Dominie Moss 8 Mar 2019 Entrepreneurs and leading business people arrive at Downing Street to an event hosted by the Prime Minister to mark International Women's Day.
Photo: PA Images
Entrepreneurs and leading business people arrive at Downing Street to an event hosted by the Prime Minister to mark International Women's Day.
Photo: PA Images

Industrialised recruitment practices in the form of AI are a threat to developing the kind of diverse, agile and skilled workforce that is required in the 21st century, writes Dominie Moss. And increasing the proportion of women in the higher echelons of business is vital for progress

In the headlines this morning and earlier this week we have seen more stark reminders of the effects of the gender pay gap in our workplaces. A new study from the TUC coined last Wednesday Women’s Pay Day – signifying the end of the two months at the beginning of the year when women effectively work “for free”.

Flexible working

Major bank tries – and fails – to ban working from home

Flexible working has plateaued

Good Practice Manual

Desire for flexible working rises as 9 to 5 declines

Restrictive tech holding back shift to flexible working environments 

It is poignant that this lands just days before International Women’s Day, particularly one heralding the theme Balance for Better. Offices and social media will be abuzz today, rightly celebrating women around the world. But there is still work to be done to achieve this year’s theme of balance in our workplaces.

We all know that creating balance is a huge challenge for HR professionals and hiring managers. Linear recruitment practices, busy schedules and tight targets means that time and cost can often trump diversity when it comes to hiring decisions.

Embracing Balance for Better this year means we need to dissect these practices, rewire how we view the workplaces that we all inhabit and take a long-term view over a short-term one. Change will not happen overnight – it will take persistence, conviction and bold leadership to keep on course. True balance will come from everyone playing their part and believing they are part of the journey.

Facing the fear of profitability

We have all heard how inclusive workplaces are proven to be more successful, both in terms of productivity and reducing risk. However, the industrialisation of recruitment practices is failing to add the diversity to our workplaces that we so desperately need.

We know that artificial intelligence (AI) services can be useful for churning through those piles of CVs, but automated recruitment systems can actually make hiring diverse candidates, or those with atypical experience, that much harder, as algorithms are designed to mirror the current workforce.

D&I opportunities currently on PT Jobs

More D&I jobs

We need to deconstruct the idea behind these algorithms that hiring diverse candidates is more risky than traditional hires. We need to align our incentives for diversity with the purpose of our hires.

Going back with laser focus on the skill sets we want from future employees could put us on track to achieving more balanced workplaces.

Being more open to those with diverse experience, or atypical CVs could also be part of this solution. Looking past the “round peg, round hole” mentality to recruitment could unlock new pools of talent that benefit businesses as a whole by tackling skills gaps, which will in turn champion diversity.

Championing change for all

Tackling the lack of women at the top of our workforces also has real benefits for corporate UK as a whole. The creation of diverse workplaces goes beyond gender to create a better balance for all.

While it does run the risk of becoming a catch-all phrase, reworking how we view flexibility is a good example of how we can re-programme our approach to HR.

We recently asked our candidates what they thought were the main barriers preventing women from returning to work and one in 10 said a lack of flexibility was a problem for them.

It is clear that flexible and agile working patterns are part of the solution. However, flexibility should not just be a perk for those with lengthy service time or seniority behind their names.

Around the country young people are joining our workplaces who are likely to be working well into their 70s, perhaps even beyond, and they will be thinking differently about flexibility. Embracing opportunities for both formal and informal flexibility is something that will affect the entire workforce. Workplace policies that take this seriously will have a beneficial trickle-down effect for everyone, irrespective of gender.

What is clear is that it is time to start considering the balance of our workplaces as a business problem, not only an issue for HR teams to grapple with. It is only then that we will start to see real change, and feel the benefits of balance in the workplace.

  • The Return Hub has helped more than 1,000 women and relaunched many careers in the City. It has also campaigned to promote the benefits to employers of hiring from the hidden talent pool of women returners via its #TimeToReturn campaign.
Avatar
Dominie Moss

Dominie Moss is founder of The Return Hub, which specialises in connecting and placing professionals who want to relaunch their careers after a break in the financial services sector

previous post
Men’s parental leave is key to women’s progression
next post
UK must act to boost skills or face ‘perfect storm’ of decline

1 comment

Avatar
David 8 Mar 2019 - 5:19 pm

“A new study from the TUC coined last Wednesday Women’s Pay Day – signifying the end of the two months at the beginning of the year when women effectively work “for free””

Alternatively, this is the first day of the year when women turn up for work, given the fact they work part time more than men do.

Of course when you drill down the pay gap it is because women tend to work less hours and in less demanding jobs that pay less.

A wee link that explains it all – https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/understandingthegenderpaygapintheuk/2018-01-17

In fact, according to the ONS, it is only after the age of 39 that women start, on average, to earn less than men who also work full time.

Also from the ONS – https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2018

“In 2018 the gender pay gap for full-time employees is close to zero between the ages of 18 and 39 years. From the age of 40 years, it widens. For all employees, the gender pay gap widens after the age of 30 years and this coincides with an increase in working part-time from this age. A negative gender pay gap among part-time employees emerges in the age group 30 to 39 years before reversing by the age of 50 years.”

Of course the reasons why women work less paid hours than men is wide and varied, from unequal parental leave in favour of women to women having the primary responsibilityas care givers in the family. Until that gets sorted out women will inevitably work less paid hours than men and the pay gap will never disappear.

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Personnel Today Awards 2023: entry deadline extended

7 Jun 2023

CBI members vote to support renewal plans

6 Jun 2023

Government responds to umbrella company call for evidence

6 Jun 2023

Gender pensions gap is more a ‘gaping chasm’

6 Jun 2023

UKG buys global payroll provider Immedis

6 Jun 2023

BBC, Boots and BA see employee data hit...

6 Jun 2023

Why embracing big data is HR’s key to...

6 Jun 2023

Portugal launches four-day week trial

6 Jun 2023

Report recommends student loan-style scheme for pilot training

5 Jun 2023

Think tank seeks investment for basic income trial

5 Jun 2023

  • The HR Bundle: Your one-stop guide to building a successful global HR Department PROMOTED | Get your hands on Deel’s free HR bundle...Read more
  • The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme PROMOTED | EAPs support employees in a range of ways...Read more
  • Intergenerational working and how to manage up and down the generations PROMOTED | The benefits and challenges of intergenerational workplaces...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+