Vanishing act 12-13 Thursday ApriI 19 2012

Focus Report
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bitcdiversity.org.uk/top502012
2 !GX 2 2!0 Thursday April !9 20!2
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|ne eoua|||y (a|nl|noers
4
ake a look around your
ollice and you may see a
diverse worklorce, a mix-
ture ol men and women
who are ol dillerent nat-
ionalities. You may think
that this rellects the times we live in, a
2Ist century where everyone is equal.
But would that rellection be true il
you looked higher up the ladder? Il
you think about those who run your
organisation, the top dogs who make
the decisions, that diversity may have
disappeared.
This is why Tnc Timcs Top 50
Lmployers lor Women awards are
still so important. Yes, times may
have changed, but not enough. We
need the example ol these impressive
organisations to show us how we can
all do more and in particular how we
can maximise the potential ol our
entire worklorce.
Gender equality is a mainstream
issue now and I see that as a positive,
but we should not kid ourselves that
everything is line," says Alison Flatt,
who is divisional managing director,
Lurope and North America, lor Bupa,
the healthcare company. Some ol
the statistics are desperately depress-
ing. There is a huge amount more to
be done."
Flatt is chairman ol Opportunity
Now, which has been championing
the business benelits ol diversity lor
more than 20 years. She is convinced
that there is an extremely strong
business case lor companies to locus
on equality and diversity, and to allow
all individuals to achieve.
She is particularly concerned by the
gender pay gap, which she terms a
disgrace. The gap 2I.I per cent
between men and women in the UK
and I/.4 per cent across the LU is
due largely to more men working in
senior roles, an overall imbalance in
pay, dillerent promotion or bonus
levels in equivalent roles, and greater
part-time working lor women. Hall
the women who work part-time do so
at a level below their capabilities.
I worry that the economic crisis
and recovery is going to be used as an
excuse not to tackle pay gaps. that's
immoral," Flatt says.
She is keen to emphasise that it is
not |ust women who benelit lrom
diversity in business. This is a whole
organisation issue. Diversity is good
lor risk management, creativity and
growth. There are delinite benelits lor
shareholders."
Eesearch carried out by Oppor-
tunity Now suggests that inclusive
leaders enhance loyalty, increase
motivation and boost productivity
and perlormance. A study by McKin-
sey, the consultancy lirm, shows that
gender-diverse companies exceeded
the operating results lrom companies
with no women on their senior man-
agement teams by 56 per cent.
Many women seem to disappear as
they move upwards in an organisa-
tion. This may be because they do not
want to be in senior management, or
because they start lamilies and are
not ollered suitable opportunities to
return. Flatt wants this to change.
You need to make it attractive
enough to get the women back," she
says. There is so much money
invested in human capital and that is
lost when they leave. When talent
votes with its leet, the whole industry
loses out."
Some companies shy away lrom
llexible working or trying to
retain lemale stall. Tnc Timcs Top 50
Lmployers lor Women and Oppor-
tunity Now locus on organisations
which are open to these and other
initiatives. Through them, it is hoped
to encourage other companies to do
the same.
In this supplement we hear how
some organisations have set targets
lor more women to |oin, while others
have increased the number ol women
on their boards, run inclusive leader-
ship schemes or introduced pro|ects
whereby senior women act as ambas-
sadors and mentors lor others.
Flatt hopes that more innovation is
on its way. Il we are going to dig our
way out ol the recessionary mess, this
cannot be about going back to how it
used to be. We need to come out ol
this as an economy which is more
competitive, more creative and more
inclusive. That means enabling every-
one to make a contribution, to be as
productive and creative as possible."
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
Tlc gcndcr gap
ls lmprovlng but
so mucl stlll las
to bc donc, says
Sarah Lbner
#2. -+#-0
Act|ng d|tor.
1ony Dawe
020 7782 5520
Cover |mage. Corbis
AIison PIatt:
When taIent
votes with
its feet, the
whoIe industry
Ioses out"
It may cost morc
to llrc vomcn
but tlcy vlll pay
dlvldcnds, vrltcs
Carly Chynoweth
<
hat on earth would Sir
Humphrey have made ol it?
The traditional image ol the
Civil Service as an unyielding up-
holder ol male superiority, depicted
so comically in the TV series Ycs Min-
istcr (We always employ the best
man lor the |ob, regardless ol sex")
has |ust been shot down.
Two government departments, the
Home Ollice and HM Eevenue &
Customs (HMEC), are listed in this
year's Top 50 Lmployers lor Women,
and both have women in the top |obs.
Lin Homer, who took over as chiel
executive ol HMEC in January, and
Dame Helen Ghosh, permanent secre-
tary at the Home Ollice, exemplily a
new breed ol lemale civil servant.
Dame Helen was the service's only
lemale permanent secretary when
she was appointed head ol the
Department lor Lnvironment, Iood
and Eural Allairs in 2005. Now live ol
the Government's I6 permanent
secretaries are lemale. Homer leads
HMEC, a non-ministerial govern-
ment department, while Jil Matheson
is the national statistician with
responsibility lor the Ollice lor
National Statistics and the UK Statis-
tics Authority.
Theresa May, the Home Secretary
and Minister lor Women and Lqual-
ity, says. We are leading by example,
by helping women achieve their
potential to give us a better and more
balanced worklorce. Women have a
valuable role to play in every business
and the Government wants to
remove any barriers to their success."
More than hall (58 per cent) ol stall
at HMEC are women. Lileen
Iinnigan, lrom the sustainability and
diversity team at HMEC, believes
that having a lemale chiel executive
has been helplul. It delinitely shows
what is possible."
The Civil Service is able to
attract women because ol llexible
working practices that can help them
to lit their career around lamily lile.
Options include early or late starting
times, part-time and compressed
working weeks, and |ob share
schemes.
Dame Janet Gaymer, an employ-
ment lawyer and a lormer commis-
sioner lor public appointments, says
the acceptance ol llexible working is
much more advanced in the public
sector than in private companies.
The real challenge is in encourag-
ing and training women so that they
move up through the ranks. At
present, J6 per cent ol HMEC's
senior civil servants are women,
about the same as the Civil Service
generally but a much lower propor-
tion than those working in revenue
and customs overall.
At the Home Ollice, women make
up J2 per cent ol senior civil servants.
The department says it is on track"
to reach the overall Civil Service
targets on lemale employment by
20IJ but the proportion ol women
working there lell back in the year
to March 20II, compared with the
year belore. The service as a whole
lailed to meet its target to put women
in J/ per cent ol senior roles and
J0 per cent ol top management posts
by April 2008. The 20IJ target is lor
J9 per cent ol senior civil servants to
be women and J4 per cent to lill top
management posts.
The Home Ollice closely analyses
recruitment, bonuses, perlormance
and even sickness by gender. Its
voluntary gender equality reporting
scheme sets a model that it wants
private companies to adopt under its
Think, Act, Eeport initiative.
One tactic used by both the Home
Ollice and HMEC is a senior
women's network. At HMEC, 600
women act as role models. They help
and encourage |unior stall to plan
their own development through
events and workshops on topics such
as CV writing or leadership skills.
It is about conlidence," Iinnigan
says. Women have more ol a tend-
ency to look at a |ob ad and think
they need to be able to tick oll every
aspect belore applying."
The senior women's network has
encouraged women to consider trad-
itionally male-dominated areas ol the
service, such as investigative roles.
They have done a lot ol work
to demystily that role and help
women to understand that it is not
|ust long hours with no llexibility,"
Iinnigan says.
There are women's networks in
other government departments and
diversity managers are currently
looking at linking them to improve
mentoring programmes.
~(rol||a||e |nves|nen|
|nere |s a var ou|
|nere |o e|
|na| lena|e |a|en|
!
aking an extra ellort
to hire and hang on
to lemale employees
costs companies
money, high-quality
development pro-
grammes, maternity coaching and
mentoring schemes do not run on pro-
mises and lairy dust, alter all. But lind-
ing the time and resources to do this
makes clear business sense in a world
where companies stand or lall on the
talent ol the people that they employ.
The cost ol ollering llexible work-
ing, generous maternity leave and
other benelits to encourage women
to stay on is easily covered by the
savings made by not having to
recruit and train new stall who leave,
says Christine Hodgson, executive
chairman ol Capgemini UK, the con-
sultancy lirm.
Hopelully it means that we have
less turnover ol stall and lower
knock-on recruitment costs. Il some-
one comes back lrom maternity
leave, lor example, we save the recruit-
ment lee and all that knowledge that
she has built up stays with us."
Justine Delroy, a tax partner at
Addleshaw Goddard, made a similar
case when seeking lunding lor the
gender working group that she leads
at the commercial law lirm. We have
had to make a business case lor what
we have wanted to introduce as a
working group," she says. It was not
a matter ol box-ticking, it was the
same process that anyone in the
business has to go through il they
want to say. 'This is worth investing
time and money in.'
Law lirms spend an enormous
amount ol money recruiting and train-
ing people. Just over hall ol those we
take on are women. Historically, we
lose some ol them as they progress
lrom |unior to senior associate and
more as they move to partner. That is
a loss ol return on investment."
Delroy acknowledges that the way
lirms are structured means that not
all trainees will make it to partner
level, so it is inevitable that some
people will be lost along the way. But
there is a massive dillerence between
losing people because ol perlormance
or because they are not cut out lor
law, lor example, and losing people
because it is too dillicult lor them to
make partner as a woman." Irom
next month, 2I per cent ol partners at
Addleshaw Goddard will be women.
Ior many companies, the lirst hur-
dle to overcome is the recruitment ol
women.
Morgan Stanley, the investment
bank, is eager to snap up
talented graduates, as about 58 per
cent ol them are women, it needs
to lind a way to interest them in
investment banking.
This can be challenging, says Anna-
bel Smith, head ol diversity lor
Lurope, the Middle Last and Alrica at
the bank, which runs a scheme to
demystily the sector lor girls doing
their A levels. We proactively reach
out to women to dispel some ol the
myths and misconceptions that they
may have about our business," she
says. We are not alone in doing that.
There is a war out there to get that
lemale talent."
In recent years, both Capgemini
and Addleshaw have seen an increase
in the number ol potential clients
interested in their commitment
to diversity.
Customers ask about it as part ol
the procurement process," Hodgson
says. We are asked a ralt ol ques-
tions and diversity is one ol them.
That is not |ust gender, it is culture
and age as well."
Fotential clients want to know
because they are keen to get a sense
ol Capgemini's culture. They also
want to know how we are going to lit
with their organisation and serve
their customers."
At Addleshaw Goddard, many ol
its corporate clients' legal teams
employ a lot ol women, olten women
who lelt law lirms alter discovering
that in-house roles were more condu-
cive to lamily lile, Delroy says. So it
is not acceptable, nor does it leel
right, to present a very male team to
serve that client."
Smith believes that diverse teams
are more creative, more productive
and better at problem-solving but
only il they are inclusive.
Just having diverse people in the
team won't lead to creativity,"
she says.
What will do is having an environ-
ment where people can give their
best, where their views, their opinions
and their talents are all respected.
That is where people can make their
maximum contribution and come up
with their best ideas."
Tlc Clvll Scrvlcc
ls no longcr tlat
proud bastlon ol
malc domlnancc,
says Sarah Butler
`es ||n|s|er, vonen are na||n s|r|oes
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
The recruitment
of women is
the first hurdIe
to overcome
for many
companies
lK0u lHlCES / C0RlS
MouId-breaker: Dame HeIen Ghosh
Companlcs vltl
good lncluslon
tracl rccords arc
pusllng on, says
1C]p /p
|ne (roranne nas
|ven our |eaoers an
|ns|n| |n|o |ne|r ||as
4
he shocking lack ol gen-
der diversity in UKboard-
rooms was highlighted
|ust over a year ago,
when Lord Davies ol
Abersoch published his
independent review into women on
boards. Lven those who suspected
that there was still a long way to go to
reach equality may have been sur-
prised to learn that almost hall ol the
ITSL 250 companies had no lemale
board members.
The Davies review rocketed the
issue ol women in senior manage-
ment back up the corporate agenda.
It suggested that businesses should
set short-term targets to ensure that
greater numbers ol talented women
could reach the top |obs, with leading
lirms urged to aim lor at least 25 per
cent lemale board member represen-
tation by 20I5.
Ior many, the chances ol reaching
this target remain slim. Getting
women into senior leadership posi-
tions remains a key challenge lor all
lirms, including those in the 1k
1k Top 50 awards. However, some
businesses with a track record as
good employers lor women are opt-
ing to set the bar higher.
Lversheds, the international law
lirm, wants women to make up 25 per
cent ol partners and J0 per cent ol
board members by 20I6. Last year, it
commissioned an external study look-
ing at gender diversity. Among the
actions now being taken is providing
stall with more inlormation on the
women who already hold senior
positions. Claudia Clark, head ol
reward and perlormance, says that
publicising role models can help
other women to leel that the top |obs
are attainable.
Lversheds also has plans to expand
its mentorship programme to help
women to develop the skills and com-
petencies essential to success, such as
sell-conlidence and assertiveness.
Clark says. The study revealed that a
number ol our senior women had not
put themselves lorward lor promo-
tion as early as they might have. They
were more reluctant than men tend
to be."
In the prolessional services sector,
Deloitte has recognised that women
are more likely to navigate their way
on to a board il they are lamiliar with
how it works. Women currently make
up 2J per cent ol Deloitte's UK board
and the target is 25 per cent by the
end ol this year. Deloitte also runs a
programme lor women lrom other
companies that is designed to lam-
iliarise them with the world ol the
boardroom.
Carol Arrowsmith, a vice-chairman
and senior partner at Deloitte, says.
There is a wealth ol research which
demonstrates that companies with
women in senior positions perlorm
better. Our programme encourages
women who are able to succeed at
this level to have the conlidence to
take on a boardroom role."
Alan Bellield is diversity champion
at Arup, the engineering consultancy.
He says that behavioural change
needs board-level commitment as a
priority. Arup has invested in an inclu-
sive leadership programme designed
to develop senior stall, both male and
lemale, as ellective role models ready
to challenge the status quo.
This has given our leaders insight
into their own bias, along with an
appreciation ol their responsibility
to create an inclusive culture. It is
already having a really positive
impact throughout our organisation,"
Bellield says.
In the banking sector, Sheena Wil-
son, global head ol talent strategy at
BNY Mellon, agrees that support
lrom the top is essential. We are lor-
tunate that our board and senior exec-
utive teams are driving this agenda
and measuring progress. Ior us it is
about the business case. howdoes gen-
der diversity support our business
strategy? We are a global company
operating in a competitive landscape
so we need the best people."
Lvery BNY Mellon employee has a
diversity and inclusion goal in their
annual perlormance plan, Wilson
says. My view is that it is part ol
every executive's role to ensure that
no woman ever leels that becoming a
senior executive is out ol reach
because ol her gender."
Shell also deserves a mention lor its
ellorts to recruit women into senior
roles, and has a global target ol 20 per
cent. In the UK, I6 per cent ol these
roles are already held by women.
Eapid progress has been made since a
2005 study into retention and career
progression ol women in Shell's UK
business. Since then, the number ol
women in senior roles has increased
by almost a third.
T Even thouQh Enterprise Rent-A-Car
has a woman president and chief
operatinQ officer in Pam NichoIson, its
manaQers have noticed that women
are often more reticent than men
about QraspinQ opportunities for
proQression.
Last year, therefore, the QIobaI
company, which has 3,345 empIoyees in
the UK, introduced a "top to future top"
mentorinQ proQramme for taIented
women. As a resuIt, 9 per cent have
aIready achieved promotion.
The company aims to hire a diverse
workforce, mirrorinQ the demoQraphics
of the communities in which it does
business. DeveIopinQ the femaIe taIent
pipeIine needs to start at the
recruitment phase, and over the past
year, Enterprise has increased the
percentaQe of women recruits by
aImost 1D per cent, from 3D to 39 per
cent.
Another aspect of heIpinQ women to
Qrasp opportunities is to ensure that
they understand how career
proQression works. !n a recent staff
survey, 83 per cent of women said they
knew what they needed to do to
advance within Enterprise (compared
with 8D per cent of aII UK empIoyees).
T A ranQe of initiatives, incIudinQ an
equaI pay audit, fIexibIe workinQ and
ensurinQ that women have senior roIes
has earned Berwin LeiQhton Paisner a
pIace in the Top 5D. The City Iaw firm,
with a number of internationaI offices,
sets bands and medians for staff at each
IeveI and determines pay increases in
Iine with these benchmarks. Payments
to aII staff are then audited as part of
the annuaI saIary review.
The fIexibIe workinQ poIicy is open to
aII staff and taken up by one in seven,
incIudinQ some partners and associates.
The firm pubIishes the Qender spIit of
key Qroups of staff, incIudinQ partners,
associates and trainees, and seeks to
incIude women partners on aII key
committees, such as the partner vettinQ
and remuneration committees.
T DHL, the QIobaI distribution and
IoQistics company, is keen to broaden
its workforce to refIect the diversity of
its market. !n this traditionaIIy
maIe-dominated sector, |ust over a fifth
of its 35,DDD empIoyees in the UK
are femaIe.
EmpIoyees of DHL drive about haIf of
aII the retaiI distribution vehicIes in the
UK, incIudinQ those of most of the
ma|or retaiIers and supermarkets.
Sue CowIey, vice-president for taIent
manaQement and diversity in Europe,
the MiddIe East and Africa, says: "A Iot
of thinQs we are doinQ is redressinQ the
baIance of history. We are buiIdinQ a
IonQ-term femaIe pipeIine. Many of our
cIients are retaiIers whose biQQest
customers are women, who in turn
make up a siQnificant deQree of
decision-makinQ on the hiQh street."
DHL has a women's network, is aiminQ
to increase the femaIe Qraduate intake
to 5D per cent and wants to increase
the number of women in senior
manaQement roIes by 2 per cent.
|o|e nooe|s ra|se |ne |ar
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EUfSChE P0Sf w0RL uEf
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
||vers||y |are| lue|s (rono||on or|ve a| car ren|a| con(any
HeIena Morrissey is on a mission
to tackIe the issue of Qender
diversity in UK boardrooms.
The investment fund manaQer
reaIised that businesses across aII
sectors had become stuck at the
point where 1D to 15 per cent of
senior manaQers were women. !n
2DD9, and with the backinQ of
other women in business, she
Iaunched the 3D% CIub, a Qroup
of chairmen and orQanisations
committed to brinQinQ more
women into boardrooms.
Morrissey, 45, is chief executive
of Newton !nvestment
ManaQement, a subsidiary of BNY
MeIIon. She aIso happens to be a
mother of nine and feeIs a
responsibiIity to heIp to create a
fairer future. "!t hasn't aIways
been pIain saiIinQ for me in terms
of how !'ve been treated as a
woman," she says. "! want to use
my infIuence to heIp improve
thinQs for the next Qeneration."
The cIub is run by a committee
of women from IeadinQ
businesses who voIunteer their
time and skiIIs. The 3D per cent
represents the "criticaI mass",
where women move from beinQ a
minority to a reaI force for
chanQe, Morrissey says. So far, 43
chairmen have siQned up to the
cIub and its vaIues. The next QoaI
is to have 5D members by June.
"!t is interestinQ that no one can
reaIIy put their finQer on exactIy
what, apart from the chiIdcare
issue, is the cause of this Iack of
diversity," Morrissey says. "! do
think that the cuIture of the
business worId is one factor, it is
desiQned around what works for
men. We need to think much
more IateraIIy about how to
attract and retain the best taIent."
She is confident that her QoaI of
3D per cent femaIe representation
on boards by 2D15 can be
reached. "Twenty per cent by the
end of this year, at Ieast in FTSE
1DD companies, is possibIe. We
have Qained a Iot of momentum."
RACHEL POTTER
Morrissey's target is 30 per cent femaIe representation on boards by 2015
SfEPhEu YluC/L00HERC/CEffY lHlCES
DHL is keen to deIiver on its targets for femaIe staff
6 !GX 2 2!0 Thursday April !9 20!2
~ones|zeo ,o|
no |oner l||s a||
T
he rise ol llexible work-
ing has boosted career
opportunities lor women
who aspire to top |obs
while also wanting to
en|oy their lamily lile.
The routine working habits ol 20
years ago, when stall had to be in the
ollice lrom 9 to 5, have given way to
extraordinary adaptability.
There is a huge variety ol working
patterns, to help stall to cope with
lamily responsibilities and also to give
them time to study, take career
breaks or to pursue hobbies. Mike
Kelly, head ol corporate social respon-
sibility at KFMG, says. The luture ol
work is changing and we need to be
llexible to accommodate lilestyles.
Otherwise you run the risk ol losing
your most talented people."
Stall at KFMG can work glide
time" changing their arrival and
departure times |ob-share, or work
a three or lour-day week or lrom
home. The company supported the
rugby career ol Sue Day, an Lngland
international, by agreeing to part-
time working lor eight years, a sabbat-
ical lor the 2002 World Cup and paid
leave lor the 2006 one.
KFMG is about to launch an
I8-month pilot scheme to see il |ob-
sharing can be managed at the most
senior levels ol the company. In the
past, opting to work part-time olten
destroyed prospects ol promotion,
but not any more.
BT has more than /5,000 employ-
ees in the UK, ol whom about 9,400
work lrom home. There are 4,J00
part-time employees and 2J0 people
sharing |obs. Thanks largely to this
llexibility, nearly 99 per cent ol new
mothers return to work alter mater-
nity leave. The company has also
lound that llexible working has res-
ulted in increased productivity and
reduced sick leave.
Helen Mullings, director ol proles-
sional development at McKinsey &
Company, says. Frimary carers who
are looking alter children or elderly
parents can elect to go on a part-week
programme. The minimum is 60 per
cent, with /5 per cent more usual.
Our consultants work on pro|ects, so
some people elect to take blocks ol
time oll at the end ol a pro|ect.
We are about to introduce lour-
week blocks ol unpaid leave on top ol
the lour weeks' paid leave, to allow
people to pursue sporting passions or
to go travelling. We have amazingly
talented women and want to retain
and advance them. Our leaving rate
lor women is now one quarter ol the
male leaving rate, showing that, il you
get it right lor women, they are a lot
more loyal."
At Mars, llexible working has
helped women to rise to the top
there is now a 50-50 gender split on
the board. Senior management strat-
egy meetings start at I0am to allow
parents to drop children at school,
and ma|or meetings are not sched-
uled during hall-term holidays. Two
lemale members ol the senior man-
agement team were promoted while
on maternity leave.
A spokesman says. Farity ol pay
lor male and lemale associates, and
llexible working hours, are ol
paramount importance to ensuring
gender diversity at Mars. We approve
96 per cent ol llexible working
requests."
Santander and Lrnst & Young also
report benelits lrom llexible working.
Accenture lound that llexibility
helped to boost the proportion ol
women staying lor more than a year
alter returning lrom maternity leave
lrom /5 to 90 per cent over live years.
Sue Richardson, 32, |oined KPMG
as a new Qraduate and trained for
her accountancy quaIifications
with the company. She now has a
son, Ben, who is nearIy 2, and is
preQnant with her second chiId.
She says: "! work an annuaI
averaQe of a three-day week: !
miQht work two days one week
and four the next. ! went on
maternity Ieave with an open
mind about returninQ. ! found !
wanted to continue, but not
fuII-time. ! have to be at cIients'
beck and caII. They pay for a
service and don't want to hear
that ! don't work Tuesdays, so it is
not aIways easy."
Ben Qoes to nursery schooI
three days a week and
Richardson can arranQe
emerQency chiIdcare with her
parents or parents-in-Iaw.
"My firm has been huQeIy
supportive in heIpinQ me move
to part-time. ! am fIexibIe too, !
take caIIs on non-workinQ days.
Sometimes ! start my workinQ day
when my husband comes home in
the eveninQ."
JENNY KNIGHT
Parttime soIution
|o( oC
|n(|oyers
Ilcxlblc vorllng
las translormcd
vomcn's carccr
prospccts, vrltcs
Jenny Knight
6ue Richardson's empIoyers have taken a fIexibIe approach to her career
L0RuE ClHPELL / CUZELllu
'Cenoer |a|ance |s a (ar| ol our ||~
H
ow do you make man-
agers accountable lor
increasing the propor-
tion ol women in
senior roles in British
companies? This is one
ol the key challenges lacing industry
and commerce.
FepsiCo, the global lood and drinks
company, which has more than 5,000
employees in the UK, is at the lore-
lront ol tackling the problem. Iilty-
three per cent ol its middle managers
and senior executives are lemale and
80 per cent ol its lemale executives
are mothers.
All the company's directors and
managers have gender diversity plans
and every prolessional employee has
an inclusion ob|ective.
Jane Burkitt, supply chain director
lor the UK and Ireland, says. When
you work at FepsiCo you have |ust as
good a chance ol progressing whether
you are male, lemale, white or lrom
an ethnic minority, it does not matter.
What matters is that you are deliver-
ing in the right way."
It's a culture where people are
very much encouraged to bring their
real selves to work, be authentic and
be themselves."
Burkitt is a mother ol two children,
aged J and 5. She |uggles lamily
commitments with her role, which
includes visiting distribution centres
throughout the country.
Diversity and inclusion generally
and specilically gender balance have
become a part ol the DNA ol the busi-
ness," she says.
GL, the advanced technology, ser-
vices and linance company, has
90,000 employees in Lurope
I8,000 ol them in the UK ol whom
about 40 per cent are lemale. Women
make up a quarter ol its main board
in the US.
At GL Capital, its linancial business
in the UK, 45 per cent ol its senior
leadership team are lemale and more
than a third ol its board are women.
Diversity ob|ectives are integral to
GL. Its leadership teams are brieled
monthly on the development and
employment ol lemale talent. At exec-
utive level, recruiters are required to
include qualilied women on shortlists.
Mark Llborne, president and chiel
executive lor the UK and Ireland,
says. We pride ourselves in attract-
ing, developing and retaining the very
best diverse talent and understand
that it's the combination ol dillerent
backgrounds, experiences, skills and
opinions that will keep our business
competing successlully."
Gender and ethnic diversity is
taken seriously at Dell, the multi-
national computer company. Its
global diversity council, which is
chaired by Michael Dell, the chiel
executive, ensures accountability
throughout the I09,000 worklorce
worldwide. The executive leadership
team is responsible lor ensuring that
global business units have appropri-
ate diversity and inclusivity goals,
which are integrated into talent and
perlormance management.
The company runs internal
women's networking groups, called
Women in Search ol Lxcellence. Stall
go into schools to talk to pupils about
careers in IT. Other initiatives
include Connected Workplace, which
allows stall to work lrom home, when
appropriate, and there are also train-
ing programmes designed to help
women employees to become leaders.
Citi, a leading global linancial ser-
vices company, is committed to gen-
der and ethnic diversity. Xanic Jones,
a senior diversity specialist at Citi,
says that in its Luropean, Middle Last
and Alrica (LMLA) region, 49 per
cent ol its employees are lemale,
although the proportion ol women
diminishes at senior executive level.
The company does not set specilic
gender balance targets, Jones says,
but lemales are represented at all
levels. Citi's goal is to increase
the representation ol women and
ethnic minorities in senior positions
worldwide.
The LMLA region has a senior
diversity committee consisting ol
regional business leaders, each ol
whom sponsors an employee network
and acts as a diversity advocate.
The company also has a clutch
ol coaching and development
programmes lor senior women
executives and a women's network,
Citi Women, one ol several initiatives
lor employees
|n(|oyer ec|or
Accenture ProfessionaI Services
AddIeshaw Goddard LeQaI
American Express FinanciaI & TraveI Services
Arup EnQineerinQ
BAE 6ystems Defence
Bank of America MerriII Lynch FinanciaI Services
BarcIays Bank PIc FinanciaI Services
Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP LeQaI
BNY MeIIon FinanciaI Services
BT TeIecoms
Capgemini UK ProfessionaI Services
Citi FinanciaI Services
Credit 6uisse FinanciaI Services
Danone Ltd Consumer Goods
DeII Corporation Ltd TechnoIoQy
DeIoitte LLP ProfessionaI Services
Deutsche Bank FinanciaI Services
DHL 6uppIy Chain LoQistics
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Automotive
Ernst & Young ProfessionaI Services
Eversheds LLP LeQaI
GE !nfrastructure & Finance
Genesis Housing Association HousinQ
GoIdman 6achs FinanciaI Services
GoogIe TechnoIoQy
|n(|oyer ec|or
HM Revenue and Customs |u|||c ec|or
Hogan LoveIIs |ea|
Home Office |u|||c ec|or
IBM United Kingdom Ltd |C|/Consu||ancy
KPMG LLP |roless|ona| erv|ces
LIoyds Banking Group ||nanc|a| erv|ces
Marks & 6pencer pIc |e|a||
Mars Consuner Cooos
McDonaId's Restaurants Ltd |e|a||/|e|sure
McKinsey & Company Consu|||n
MetropoIitan |ous|n
MITIE u|sourc|n
Morgan 6tanIey ||nanc|a| erv|ces
NationaI Grid pIc |||||||es
Northern Trust ||nanc|a| erv|ces
PepsiCo Consuner Cooos
Procter & GambIe Consuner Cooos
PwC |roless|ona| erv|ces
RoIIs-Royce pIc |anulac|ur|n/|n|neer|n
RoyaI Air Force |||||ary
6antander UK pIc ||nanc|a| erv|ces
6heII || & Cas
6taffs Fire & Rescue 6ervice |u|||c ec|or
The RoyaI Bank of 6cotIand ||nanc|a| erv|ces
Zibrant |ven| |anaenen|
|o( oC
|n(|oyers
Sinon Midgley
lcars lov somc
global blg guns
arc mcctlng a
clallcngc lcad on
Jane Burkitt of
PepsiCo, with
chiIdren Tom
and Ava, says
that being a
mother does
not stop
empIoyees
rising through
the ranks
Top 50EmpIoyers for Women
PlUL R0CERS / fhE flHES
8 2 2!0 Thursday !GX
A
s a child, Hannah
Lathamwanted to be a
doctor, but things did
not work out as
planned. I did a medi-
cal work placement
when I was a teenager and I hated it,
she says. Medicine's loss was engineer-
ing's gain and, alter studying engineer-
ing at the University ol Cambridge,
Latham |oined Eolls-Eoyce's gradu-
ate scheme in 200D. In 20II she was
hired as a design engineer.
Looking lor a career that matched
scientilic rigour with creativity,
Latham says she was struck by the
potential to make a real dillerence
by working in engineering. Lngineer-
ing helps the world to move lorward,
she says, citing advances in medicine,
communication and construction.
While on the graduate scheme,
Latham went to Holland to help to
test a reduced-luel aircralt engine
and was part ol a team that imple-
mented a new process used during
the manulacturing ol blisks bladed
discs used in engines. It was very
rewarding, she says, noting that the
innovation will save Eolls-Eoyce
I million over three years.
In her current role at the com-
pany's research centre in Derby, she
concentrates on marine, energy and
nuclear research pro|ects. Her scope
extends lrom initial research to mod-
elling, laboratory test work and strat-
egy and marketing. She hopes to
become a chiel engineer. Iemale
chiel engineers are in a distinct minor-
ity at the moment. she says.
Latham believes that, as a woman,
she brings a lresh perspective to her
work. When starting a pro|ect, she
begins by making a list ol people to
talk to. But a male engineer, she says,
will make a list ol tasks. A dillerent
approach encourages diversity. I've
always lound that to be a good thing,
it helps you to have ideas.
Donna Halkyard, the head ol diver-
sity and inclusion at BAL Systems,
agrees. Making stall aware that diver-
sity is good lor business is vital, she
says. Diversity and inclusion is strate-
gic it can improve perlormance
and lill luture skill requirements.
Diane Dunlevey, the equality and
diversity manager at Stallordshire
Iire and Eescue Service, says diverse
skills improve the perlormance ol an
entire team. A good lirelighter is not
all about physical strength and stam-
ina. Iirelighters need to have the
skills to work as part ol a team. Much
ol the |ob involves working together,
which means being considerate,
resourcelul, innovative and decisive.
Hard work is being done to shilt
public perception that lirelighters are
big, strong, 6lt men. Dunlevey says
that most work is community-based,
locusing on salety and education.
The |ob is extraordinarily diverse, so
the worklorce needs to rellect that.
The service has worked with girls
aged lrom I4 to I6 at a youth group in
Cannock. At the beginning, no one
wanted to be a lirelighter, by the end
they all said they wanted to |oin the
service, she says.
Women make up almost 6 per cent
ol the service, which Dunlevey says is
higher than average. Turnover is low,
so the service rarely recruits. But we
continue to strive to make the |ob
appealing to women, she says.
When it comes to engineering,
Miriam Oliver, a development engi-
neer at the National Grid, says that
the |ob has an image problem, with
engineers seen as bollins. Feople
cannot relate to engineering as a
career lor women, she says. But she
believes that will change as more
women enter the prolession.
Lngineering is not |ust about tink-
ering. It's about planning something
lrom cradle to grave.
Oliver, based in Chorley, Lanca-
shire, works with high-voltage electri-
city systems, assessing and managing
all the company's asset management
pro|ects. Alter deciding the action
required lor example, replacing
conductors she manages the pro-
cess, looking at every aspect lrom cost
to practical details, such as how to
gain access to the circuit. Last Novem-
ber, the National Grid launched the
Construction Lngineer Training Fro-
gramme, which has looked at recruit-
ment methods and placed targeted
|ob adverts that emphasise inclusivity.
This, it says, is a real attempt at di-
versity at the point ol entry and is
aimed at both women and ethnic
minorities.
The Eoyal Air Iorce is engaged in a
live-year gender recruitment strategy
to attract more women into technical
|obs. Currently only 8 per cent ol grad-
uate engineers are women and only
5 per cent ol technicians.
MITIL, the outsourcing company,
has also launched an initiative aimed
at attracting women into engineering
apprenticeships and under-represent-
W
ith the reputation ol banks
at an all-time low, three ol
our leading linancial groups
are regaining public respect with
ground-breaking initiatives to
increase the number ol their lemale
and ethnic-minority employees.
I think we get our reputation back
by demonstrating that we are a valu-
able, contributing part ol the commu-
nity again in the way that the old
bank manager used to be, says Chris
Sullivan, chiel executive ol the Eoyal
Bank ol Scotland's corporate banking
division, who champions lairer repre-
sentation ol women and ethnic minor-
ities in the company.
We are constantly looking to
recover our reputation, he says.
We need to inlluence society by
taking a lead on issues such as gender
diversity.
Sullivan believes that a more
balanced representation is not simply
an issue ol lairness but is a vital com-
mercial issue. The more diverse the
worklorce, the better their decision-
making will be.
Il you want to be a successlul busi-
ness, you should be looking to get a
signilicantly diverse set ol relevantly
skilled individuals making decisions
in every part ol your organisation,
he says.
The issue is not about getting a
bunch ol women oll the streets and
putting them on an all-male board.
That will not make a dillerence.
It is about having relevantly trained
individuals moving into senior
positions throughout the organisa-
tion in much greater numbers than
they currently do. It is about getting
decision-making at every level much
more gender-diverse.
The really important issue here is
that it is about businesses becoming
more successlul and better. This actu-
ally builds our economy and creates a
bigger pie lor everybody to share in.
Quotas ol lemale and ethnic
minority representatives on boards is
not the answer. Il the roles are not
lilled by the right people, it's a waste
ol time.
EBS's clutch ol initiatives include a
burgeoning internal women's net-
work, diversity and inclusion lorums,
and a Women in Business Ambassa-
dors programme. At least one lemale
must be included on all internal
recruitment shortlists. Women make
up a quarter ol the board.
The bank's enhanced recruitment
programme has increased the propor-
tion ol lemale executive managers
lrom I0 to I8 per cent and that ol
lemale senior managers lrom 20 to
26 per cent over the past six years.
At Lloyds Banking Group whose
brands include Lloyds TSB, Halilax
and the Bank ol Scotland 60 per
cent ol its I20,000 employees are
women but this split is not rellected at
senior level. Obstacles to lemale
| na|e ||s|s ol (eo(|e
|o |a|| |o. |en
na|e ||s|s ol |as|s
Campalgns to
lmprovc balancc
arc vlnnlng ncv
admlrcrs, rcports
Sinon Midgley
||en|y ol roon
|n a nans vor|o
|n|||a||ves aoo (o||sn |o
As a younQ company, GooQIe has
a certain advantaQe when it
comes to diversity. That is the
view of Mark PaImer-EdQecumbe,
the company's head of diversity
and incIusion for Europe, the
MiddIe East and Africa.
"As an orQanisation, from top to
bottom, we understand that
havinQ more women enQineers is
Qreat for our business. ! haven't
had to convince peopIe that it's a
Qood idea to come up with new,
innovative ways of QettinQ more
women in the company," he says.
!n November, GooQIe Iaunched
CodeF, a recruitment pro|ect to
identify femaIe computer
scientists who have the potentiaI
to work at GooQIe. Fifty students
from 14 UK universities were
invited to meet enQineers, hear
taIks, network and, as part of a
team, create a new Android app.
The top participants were then
invited to appIy for a course,
durinQ which a GooQIe enQineer
deIivered virtuaI mentorinQ usinQ
GooQIe technoIoQy. This aIIows
fIexibiIity, PaImer-EdQecumbe
says, with participants spendinQ
more time on the pro|ect than if
meetinQ face-to-face.
Each week was themed, with
topics ranQinQ from interview
skiIIs and CV-writinQ to technicaI
skiIIs such as writinQ aIQorithms.
"They are Qiven aII the skiIIs to
succeed in our interview process
or indeed in any |ob in the
technoIoQy sector," says
PaImer-EdQecumbe, who
nonetheIess hopes that many
wiII appIy for |obs at GooQIe.
A number of CodeF attendees
have been hired by GooQIe for
internships this summer. "We are
findinQ candidates who wouId not
have considered workinQ at
GooQIe before," he says.
Zibrant, the event company has
far more women staff than men
but not in !T, predominantIy a
maIe area. So the company has
impIemented an internaI
deveIopment proQramme to
encouraQe women with hiQh
potentiaI into the sector.
FAY 6CHOPEN
Cracking CodeP
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
Irom engineer
to lirelighter,
women bring
lresh ideas, says
lay Schopen
Increased diversity can heIp financiaI institutions to regain their reputation
HlChlEL wlLfER / fR0lKl
April !9 20!2 9
ed trade apprenticeships such as
plumbing, electrical and construction.
Oliver adds that promoting llexible
working is key to attracting and
retaining women. The National Grid
ollers llexible working, yet she says
that there is a shortage ol role models
with responsibilities outside the work-
lorce. Working as an engineer and
being a mother are not mutually
exclusive. As lor getting ahead in
engineering, Latham advises people
to be themselves. She says. It is line
to be an engineer and have hobbies
I en|oy dancing. Women olten try to
hide these things or leign an interest
in lootball. There are a lot ol
opportunities in engineering go lor
them, grab them. It's olten hard and
challenging, but you'll reap rewards.
progression include home/work
balance issues and a lack ol visible
lemale role models.
Initiatives introduced include the
Iootprints in the Snow programme,
in which the bank's top 40 lemale
executives hold coaching sessions
with up to 25 women below them to
talk about career paths, give top tips
and relate how they achieved success.
The coached women then hold their
own sessions with a similar number ol
women in lower management grades.
There are talent development pro-
grammes lor the group's middle to
senior lemale managers, and the
bank's top 40 women come together
in a leaders' lorum lor lemale leader-
ship development.
Another scheme supports women
in becoming non-executive directors
and there is also the Mentoring Ioun-
dation, which allows senior lemale
executives to be mentored by the
chairmen ol other companies and
organisations. Lloyds has also
recently relaunched its internal
women's network.
Sir Win Bischoll, the bank's chair-
man, is a lounder member ol the J0%
Club, which encourages chairmen ol
ITSL I00 companies to increase the
number ol women on their boards.
Iiona Cannon, Lloyds' diversity
and inclusion director, says. The big
issue lor us is making sure we have a
genuine lemale talent pipeline that
starts quite lar back in the organisa-
tion a ten-year programme.
There has to be a woman on exter-
nal shortlists and on internal short-
lists lor senior roles. We are doing
a lot to help women entrepreneur
customers and are looking at how we
can help our lemale customers.
Barclays Bank, which has more
than I40,000 employees worldwide,
|ust over hall ol whom are lemale,
aspires to being the employer and
bank ol choice lor women.
Mark McLane, its head ol global
diversity and inclusion, says. In
general, we look lor continuous
improvement ol lemale representa-
tion at multiple levels across the
organisation.
While 52 per cent ol employees are
women, they are less well represented
in decision-making roles. Globally,
however, the number ol lemale senior
managers has increased lrom 20.6 per
cent in 200/ to 2J./ per cent in 20I0.
The target lor lemale representation
on its board is 20 per cent by 20IJ and
25 per cent by 20I5.
Barclays' key strategies include.
Women's Initiative Networks, led by
senior lemale members ol stall, which
encourage women to achieve their
potential, its Women ol the Year
Awards, women-locused presenta-
tions at careers lairs and university
milk rounds to demonstrate career
opportunities to lemale graduates,
plus a comprehensive global pro-
gramme ol events to support Inter-
national Women's Day.
|ne |ssue |s na||n
sure ve nave a
lena|e |a|en| (|(e||ne
S
ince becoming UK chiel execu-
tive ol Deutsche Bank three
years ago, Colin Grassie has put
a lot ol time and energy into bringing
more diversity to its worklorce. His
actions are motivated by a lirm beliel
in the business case. the aim is not to
even up the numbers lor the sake ol
it, he says, but to improve business
perlormance.
Teams that are genuinely diverse,
not only in terms ol gender but in
nationalities, languages and view-
points, are more innovative, more
creative and produce better results lor
our clients.
Grassie has previously worked in
the US and Asia. In Asia, he was
struck by the number ol women in
senior roles. He has also noticed,
during his travels around the world,
that most decisions that relate to the
movement ol money are either made
or inlluenced by women. This only
adds to the business case lor diversity
that any bank would be loolish to
ignore, he says.
Since |oining Deutsche Bank in the
UK, Grassie has taken the lead on
several diversity initiatives. He set up
and chairs the Feople Committee,
which works to embed a commitment
to diversity across the business. He
has also hosted brielings lor hundreds
ol recruitment prolessionals, in which
he shares the bank's commitment to
recruiting greater numbers ol women
to senior roles.
He mentors several women in the
senior management team and pro-
actively seeks opportunities lor
women to |oin the boards.
Grassie says that the banking sec-
tor still needs to improve its image,
particularly when it comes to recruit-
ing the most talented women early in
their careers. Since he |oined the UK
bank, more women have been
appointed to promotion panels and
progress has been made on recruit-
ment, with the proportion ol women
|oining the top three management
tiers increasing signilicantly.
On a global level, Deutsche Bank is
committed to 25 per cent ol women at
managing director and director level
by 20I8. Grassie says that gender
diversity is a mission critical topic
that the boards ol all leading UK busi-
nesses need to address as a priority.
The mission is clear and we need
everyone to buy into it.
RACHEL POTTER
|oyens ol |ne
o|verse cause
P
earless Behaviour is not the title
ol an action movie, but an
innovative pro|ect that IBM is
using to bring out the best in its
consultants.
Graham Wright, consulting
services leader, says that IBM tries to
embed diversity and inclusion in all
activities, rather than relying on
special pro|ects. As soon as some-
thing becomes a diversity pro|ect, it
risks being marginalised. We try to
build diversity ob|ectives and princi-
ples into things that we already do.
The learless behaviour initiative
encourages employees to think crea-
tively about how to tackle challeng-
ing tasks, abandoning their precon-
ceptions ol corporate behaviour.
Feople can put on a sort ol strait-
|acket when they are at work, instead
ol using all the skills and talents that
they deploy at home, Wright says.
We are encouraging them to be a
little bolder, to throw themselves into
things. We're giving them permission
to be themselves.
His aim is to highlight IBM as a
more attractive employer lor every-
one. He conducted research with
women who had applied unsuccess-
lully to the company or declined an
approach lrom it. Irom this he
created a new oller lor all potential
employees that includes more llexible
working arrangements. The company
has also introduced a career sponsor-
ship programme lor women.
We have subtly dillerent ambi-
tions and attitudes to risk, Wright
says. At the risk ol generalisation,
these lactors do correlate with gen-
der. Il you allow that to continue with-
out intervention, men will typically
put themselves lorward lor promo-
tion more olten and be more likely to
succeed. We are not changing the
criteria lor promotion but we are
trying to level the playing lield.
He says his approach is straight-
lorward business logic driven by three
key lactors. Iirstly, competing lor the
very best talent. Secondly, IBM needs
to mirror its diverse client base. And
thirdly, in a sector that is all about
innovation and creativity, there is
a commercial benelit in having
employees with diverse perspectives.
Diversity contributes to improved
creativity, design and challenge, and
it means that we come up with better
solutions.
RACHEL POTTER
|an|s |arn|sneo |nae
Man on a mission: CoIin Grassie
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
An aII-femaIe
Iine-up of
engineering
officers at Joint
HeIicopter
Command,
Afghanistan
Eastern premise
BoId approach
lufERulfl0ulL SECURlfY lSSlSfluCE F0RCE
Better behaviour: Graham Wright
!0 !GX 2 2!0 Thursday April !9 20!2
Subtlc clangcs
ln bclavlour can
rcsult ln ma|or
bcncllts, rcports
lay Schopen
|n|n| sna|| |o
acn|eve |ne
||er (|c|ure
2
ometimes, when you
want to change the big
things, it's the small
things that count. Biases
are olten subtle things,
like the way language is
used. But we know that by getting
people to do things dillerently we can
change behaviours."
This is the credo ol Sarah Church-
man, head ol diversity at Fricewater-
houseCoopers (FwC). Most organisa-
tions looking at diversity realise they
must do something about uncon-
scious bias," she says.
The company launched a mand-
atory Open Mind survey last year.
Using online videos and quizzes, it
tested employees on their llexibility.
Those deemed to be habit-led rather
than llexible were urged to do some-
thing dillerent, such as sitting some-
where else in the ollice or asking a
|unior colleague lor help with a prob-
lem. Six months later, 8J per cent ol
those who had changed their behav-
iour said they lelt more open-minded.
I think people now understand
that Open Mind is not |ust a training
programme and that it is the small
things that count," Churchman says.
Faying attention to detail is also
championed at American Lxpress.
Latraviette Smith, vice-president ol
global diversity and inclusion, says
the company's Gender Intelligence
scheme is one way to drive change.
Leaders are taught to be aware ol
the dillerences in how men and
women think, process inlormation,
communicate and interact. This,
Smith says, means more ellective
team-building and decision-making.
While stall are assessed in annual per-
lormance reviews, leaders are specilic-
ally scored on their ellorts to build a
diverse worklorce.
Sponsorship has emerged as a key
area at Goldman Sachs, the invest-
ment bank and securities company.
A stall survey last year revealed
that women did not leel that an
in-house sponsorship scheme was
working ellectively.
Sally Boyle, head ol the human capi-
tal management division lor Lurope,
Middle Last and Alrica, says. We
lound there was a lack ol natural allin-
ity with the sponsors." As a result, the
company relaunched the programme
in Lurope. Women will be given
coaching to ensure they get the most
out ol the relationship.
Sponsorship involves active advoc-
acy, as opposed to mentoring, Boyle
says. The sponsor will see how these
women operate and will be able to
help to endorse them when it comes
to promotion, lor example. Hopelully
this will drive cultural change."
Lmployee leedback also kick-
started change at Genesis Housing
Association, when a stall survey in
20I0 lound that only 45 per cent
ol employees lelt senior managers
showed leadership on diversity.
And although 60 per cent ol the asso-
ciation's worklorce was lemale, only
I/ per cent were senior managers.
Lmployees were asked about their
experiences ol inclusion. Iindings
were translated into actions aimed at
getting women into senior roles. Ior
example, although the company
ollers llexible working, not all employ-
ees were aware ol it and managers
olten did not understand how it
worked.
Kulbir Shergill, deputy director ol
diversity and inclusiveness at Gene-
sis, says that support lrom senior
male colleagues was key to changing
attitudes. Ilexible working is not |ust
a policy issue lor women. Leaders
send such a strong message, you have
to start there."
The company's ellorts are paying
oll. About J/ per cent ol the senior
management team are lemale, as are
hall ol middle management.
Ilexible working has helped to
drive change at Northern Trust, the
investment management company.
We had llexible working in place
long belore it came into vogue," says
Gill Fembleton, an executive vice-
president. It is important to us to
attract and retain lemale talent. Iorty
per cent ol our executive vice-
presidents in the Lurope, Middle Last
and Alrica region are women and we
are very proud ol that."
|a||||eo en(|oyees
vere ureo |y |ne
con(any |o s||
sonevnere e|se
|n |ne oll|ce
|o( oC
|n(|oyers
%12

Jun|or nen|ors a|
|&C |ve leeo|ac|
on |eaoersn|( s|y|es
Mcntorlng ln
rcvcrsc lcads to
bcttcr vorlplacc
rclatlons, says
Jenny Knight
||ne lor you |o |a|e
o|c|a||on, |r Cna|rnan
!
entoring helps talent-
ed employees to lullil
their potential but
at Frocter & Gamble
the idea has been
turned on its head to
achieve even better results.
Geraldine Huse, general manager,
customer business development at
F&G UK and Ireland, came up with
the idea ol reverse mentoring to give
senior managers leedback lrom those
lower down the rankings.
She says. An anonymous survey
showed that people down the organ-
isation lelt some senior management
didn't really interact. The managers
were surprised, because they lelt that
they were approachable and access-
ible. So I suggested the managers
could have a mentoring relationship
with someone |unior."
The idea was tried out. Male manag-
ers were given a |unior, lemale men-
tor and senior women were given a
|unior male mentor to provide honest
leedback on leadership styles.
Huse has now been mentored by a
senior and a |unior and has also pro-
vided mentoring to one ol the com-
pany's high-ups. She says. My |unior
male mentor suggested that I should
use a microphone when addressing
large meetings because my voice
didn't carry to the back ol a room and
he also criticised my consensual style
ol managing. He pointed out that il it
was a minor issue I should |ust say.
'Do it this way,' rather than discuss-
ing it and listening to opinions."
When it was her turn to mentor a
senior colleague, Huse discovered the
reason he did not mix much with
|unior stall was because he lelt he did
not know them well enough and was
shy about starting conversations.
She suggested that, instead ol reply-
ing to inlormation by e-mail, he
should lind the person who had good
news and congratulate them. This
would give him the opportunity to
ask how everything else was going
and would give stall the chance to
start a conversation. Other people in
the room would hear his congratula-
tions and come to the conclusion that
he was easy to approach.
Other companies also lind mentor-
ing is a valuable way ol getting the
best out ol people and encouraging
women to aim high.
At Credit Suisse, a pilot scheme is
linking mentoring with critical
problem-solving. Iive teams ol six
potentially high-achieving women
are tackling a pro|ect. Lach team
member has a choice ol one ol two ex-
ecutive board members to seek guid-
ance lrom as the task progresses.
Laura Barrowman, a managing
director in the company's IT division,
based in London, is one ol the team
investigating how to penetrate the
German market more successlully.
Working on a real business problem
makes it exceptionally uselul. It is a
structured I8-month programme with
high-calibre lectures as well as men-
toring. Our group is made up ol
people across the spectrum, not those
with any expertise in Germany.
Fart ol the hugely benelicial pro-
cess lor the protges is learning
about another part ol the business
and building up contacts and relation-
ships with other lemale MDs."
At Shell, the Women's Network
helps to drive the company's strategy
to attract, retain and advance tal-
ented women, using mentorship as
one ol the tools. The network runs
mentoring circles, both lace-to-lace
and virtually, to encourage women to
explore their potential by giving them
access to more experienced senior
leaders. On one occasion 90 women
|oined a mentoring session online.
Alongside traditional mentoring,
the network encourages senior
leaders to act as sponsors ol women,
to increase the numbers ol luture
lemale leaders with high potential.
At Lrnst & Young, a maternity
coaching scheme was launched to
help to retain women and to advance
their career development. Already
240 people across UK and Ireland
have |oined the scheme. They are
given lour tailored coaching sessions
that take place belore, during and
alter maternity leave, and that deal
with issues such as managing
relationships with clients and
colleagues, exploring alternative
work patterns and reintegrating into
the worklorce.
Line managers also attend a coach-
ing session on how to provide support
to team members returning lrom
maternity leave.
|o( oC
|n(|oyers
GeraIdine Huse has been mentored by both senior and junior empIoyees
!2 !GX 2 2!0 Thursday April !9 20!2
|ne |oaroroon
van|sn|n ac|
S
hopping is one part ol the
UK economy where it
seems women should be
in charge. More than
80 per cent ol purchases
are made by women
and women comprise more than hall
ol most retailers' shoplloor stall.
Sadly, that dominance does not
stretch to the boardroom. Although
60 per cent ol employees in retail are
women, |ust 2J per cent work in mana-
gerial roles and only 8 per cent make
purchasing decisions within these
organisations, according to a report
by Skillsmart, the retail skills council,
in 20I0.
It is true that there is a growing
number ol women in top |obs, includ-
ing chiel executives Kate Swann, ol
WH Smith, Angela Arhendts at Burb-
erry, Melissa Fotter at Clarks and Jill
McDonald at McDonald's UK.
However, Susan Vinnicombe, pro-
lessor ol organisational behaviour
and diversity management at
Cranlield School ol Management,
says. Eetail does stand out. So many
women come up through the ranks
but at the top they seem to
disappear."
Supermarkets provide a good illus-
tration. Lucy Neville-Eolle, the direc-
tor ol corporate and legal allairs at
Tesco, the UK's largest retailer, was
the only lemale executive director out
ol a team ol seven until a recent spate
ol departures. Its executive commit-
tee, responsible lor the day-to-day
running ol the business, includes two
women out ol a total ol IJ.
J Sainsbury has three women on its
II-strong operating board. At Morri-
sons, all executive and management
board members are male. there are
two lemale non-executive directors
on its main board.
Judith McKenna, chiel operating
ollicer at Asda, is blazing the trail
lor women at the top ol the super-
market world. She agrees that being
aware ol a tendency among women
to hang back is key to helping
colleagues to realise their potential
within a business.
As |obs become more senior and
the hours more dillicult, we have to
look at how we can become more
llexible as an employer," she says.
Such cultural change requires real
commitment lrom top management
but can drive progress quite quickly.
Given that most shopping is done by
women, making the extra ellort is
good news lor the employees and the
business, McKenna says.
We should have a colleague
base and management that is rellec-
tive ol our customers. It is |ust
common sense."
Cranlield's most recent study ol
women in the boardroom ol compa-
nies listed on the London stock
market lound that ma|or retailers,
including Kinglisher, the owner ol
B&Q, J Sainsbury and Tesco, are all
aiming lor |ust 25 per cent ol
their boards to be made up ol women
by 20I5.
Some retailers stand out lrom the
crowd. Marks & Spencer and
McDonald's, the last-lood chain, are
among a small group that appears
determined to bring about change.
M&S has two lemale executive
directors out ol a total ol six. Kate
Bostock, director ol general merchan-
dise, and Laura Wade-Gery, director
ol multi-channel e-commerce.
There are three other women on its
board. non-executives Miranda
Curtis and Martha Lane Iox, and
Amanda Mellor, group secretary and
Sarah Butler asls
vly vomcn ln
rctall cllmb so lar,
only to dlsappcar
ncar tlc summlt
CuIture change
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
Women are stiII massiveIy
under-represented on the boards
of ma|or UK companies. But at
Danone, exactIy haIf of their UK
board members are women.
Danone says that this statistic
shapes the way the orQanisation
is run. Women Iead saIes and
marketinQ, the two biQQest
departments. The women
directors serve as visibIe roIe
modeIs and aIso act as mentors
for other women in the company.
Best known for yoQhurts and
bottIed waters, Danone boasts a
stronQ fIexibIe workinQ
proQramme and does not Iet
women's desire for famiIy Iife
impede their prospects.
Corinne Chant went on
maternity Ieave Iast year as brand
marketinQ manaQer and returned
to become marketinQ director.
CommerciaI director Emma
TayIor is currentIy on maternity
Ieave and wiII be returninQ to her
roIe in June. MeanwhiIe, DeIphine
Bert is coverinQ her roIe.
MurieI Pnicaud, executive
vice-president, human resources,
says: "Diversity brinQs us out of
our comfort zone and is worth it.
The ob|ective is to boost business
by beinQ a refIection of society
and creatinQ the conditions of
company transformation.
"Gender equaIity is embedded
in our orQanisation's cuIture and
provides a stronQ opportunity to
Qrow our taIent. We beIieve this
focus heIps to make Danone a
Qreat pIace to work for
everyone."
JENNY KNIGHT
|n an era vnere
crea||v||y |s |ey,
o|vers||y |s cr|||ca|
head ol corporate governance. Debo-
rah Warman, head ol employee rela-
tions and reward, says that having
women at all levels ol the business
helps to ensure that the company has
an insight into its mainly lemale cus-
tomers' needs.
Diverse teams also tend to produce
more innovative work, which helps
the company to stay ahead ol the com-
petition. In an era when creativity is
key to competitiveness, diversity is
critical to success," Warman says.
Marks & Spencer ollered all
employees the right to request llex-
ible working in 200J. But Warman
says. It is not |ust about having llex-
ible working policies in place. Lmploy-
ers need to create a culture where
people don't leel |udged lor asking lor
llexibility."
She believes that that environment
helps to support more women into
senior managerial and executive posi-
tions through natural succession.
Both M&S and McDonald's say
that llexible working opportunities
make their businesses attractive to
women who want to lit work around
lamily lile.
At McDonald's, Jill McDonald (her
surname is a coincidence), leads a
team in which J4 per cent ol senior
managers are women. The ability to
choose shilts to suit the school run
means that more than hall its restau-
rant stall are women.
Jez Langhorn, vice-president,
people, says that the company discov-
ered that women lound it hard to
take the step lrom restaurant to
middle-management positions. As a
result, the company gives extra help
at that level.
It is not lavouritism, it is to give
women the opportunity to be the best
they can," he says.
Help includes a mentoring
programme and training on how to
increase personal impact" by improv-
ing communication techniques.
Olten women can lack sell-beliel
and conlidence," Langhorn says.
To combat that problem, the com-
pany tries to identily women who it
believes have the skills and abilities to
move up.
With two teenaQe dauQhters, Jez
LanQhorn is no doubt weII aware
of woman power.
As vice-president, peopIe, at
McDonaId's UK, LanQhorn, riQht,
has been instrumentaI in ensurinQ
the fast-food chain harnesses
women's skiIIs and abiIities.
He sees his roIe as: "HeIpinQ our
peopIe be the best they can be,
whoever they are and wherever
they come from."
LanQhorn took on the |ob in
2D1D after more than six years in
McDonaId's HR team. !t identified
a particuIar obstacIe for the
deveIopment of femaIe taIent.
Women make up more than haIf
the staff on the shop fIoor, but
that proportion drops to 3D per
cent at middIe-manaQement IeveI.
LanQhorn found that the probIem
was not onIy the additionaI time
and traveI invoIved in movinQ to
reQionaI manaQement: many
women did not beIieve they had
the abiIity to move up.
After identifyinQ the probIem,
LanQhorn heIped McDonaId's to
introduce a women's Ieadership
proQramme for middIe manaQers,
teachinQ seIf-confidence and
communication skiIIs. "!t is
important to anaIyse thinQs
riQorousIy so that you find out
what issues peopIe have and
what you can do to support
them," he says.
The company aIso has a
women's Ieadership network.
Groups around the country meet
reQuIarIy to support women
throuQhout the business.
LanQhorn was aIso responsibIe
for the innovative FamiIy and
Friends Contract, which Iaunched
in 2DD7. !t aIIows empIoyees from
the same famiIy or who are
friends workinQ in the same
restaurant to share and cover
each other's shifts, with no prior
notice.
LanQhorn says there are pros
and cons to beinQ a man
promotinQ proQrammes to
support women. "One of the pros
is that there is no uIterior motive.
!t is about the business makinQ
the best decisions and continuinQ
to be successfuI, and havinQ Qood
Qender diversity is a biQ part of it.
"Women are cIever and have
somethinQ to offer to the
debate. On our board, havinQ the
riQht mix of men and women
means we make more robust,
better decisions. ! am convinced
of it and we can see it from
the resuIts."
6ARAH BUTLER
The dominance
of women on
the shopfIoor
does not
extend to the
top of the tree
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
Chain reaction
SfEVE hlCKS / CEffY lHlCES
!4 !GX 2 2!0 Thursday April !9 20!2
P
rom aiding ex-ollenders
to sponsoring lootball
teams, the Top 50 Lm-
ployers lor women help
to promote women's
equality in the communi-
ty as well as in the workplace.
MITIL, the strategic outsourcing
and energy services company, works
with women ex-ollenders by building
relationships with Working Chance, a
charity that helps women in the dilli-
cult transition lrom incarceration to
the outside world.
Karen Govier, group diversity and
inclusion manager, says. Working
Chance helps with writing CVs, inter-
view techniques and raising sell-
esteem. It runs working lunches and
talks about what kind ol employment
might be possible. Our |ob is to give
these women hope and we want to
work with ma|or clients who are open
to the recruitment ol ex-ollenders.
We plan to hold an event where MI-
TIL stall can donate items suitable
lor women to wear lor interviews or
at work."
MITIL arranges practical demon-
strations in skills such as bricklaying,
carpentry, painting and decorating to
encourage more schoolgirls to work
in the construction and engineering
sectors. To back up this drive the com-
pany has launched a targeted recruit-
ment campaign to encourage women
into engineering apprenticeships.
Another company reaching out to
young women is IBM, which puts on
Women in Technology workshops
lor 200 girls aged lrom I2 to IJ each
year, along with technology camps to
loster interest in Year 8 pupils.
Metropolitan Housing Trust sup-
ports a lootball club lor women living
on the Chalkhill estate in Brent,
which gives young Muslim women an
opportunity to take part in sports and
to engage with the local community.
The |oint pro|ect between Metro-
politan and the al-Bahd|a Commun-
ity Group has proved very popular
and Metropolitan has gone on to gen-
erate external lunding lor 4I other
sporting activities.
Hogan Lovells has so lar given 500
hours ol lree legal advice to social
entrepreneurs through its charity part-
ners, which include Ashoka, an asso-
ciation ol the world's leading social
entrepreneurs, and UnLtd, a charity
that helps social entrepreneurs with
lunding and support.
The company has also given pro
bono legal support to some ol the
winners ol the Big Venture Challenge
run by UnLtd to lind 25 ol the
UK's most dynamic social entre-
preneurs. Hogan Lovells also teaches
debating and public speaking skills to
primary and secondary school child-
ren and this year sponsored pupils
lrom Llizabeth Garrett Anderson
School in North London to take part
in a lemale leadership programme in
Washington DC.
The international law lirm also
works with charities to help women
and children who have been
trallicked into the UK and, through
the National Centre lor Domestic
Violence, gives women legal help.
BoAML locuses on working with
teenagers by lorming partnerships
with local schools and running events
lor lemale school-leavers aimed at
encouraging them to consider a
career in banking. The company also
ollers nine-week internships and
strives to ensure a good represent-
ation ol women, while promoting a
commitment to gender equality.
Lx-ollcndcrs arc
among tlosc
bclng lclpcd by
companlcs, says
Jenny Knight
|e|eas|n (o|en||a|
Up to the mark
MITIE heIps women to make the transition from jaiI to the outside worId
|o( SC
|n(|oyers
The companies IeadinQ the way in
promotinQ equaIity at work that
you have read about in this 4p
Focus Report were seIected after
riQorous investiQation.
Last year 4p 4p entered a
new partnership with Opportunity
Now, the Qender campaiQn of
Business in the Community, to
ensure that the Top 5D Iist is
open to the widest ranQe of
orQanisations possibIe.
Business in the Community is
one of The Prince's Charities, a
Qroup of not-for-profit
orQanisations, and has a
membership of more than 85D
companies.
EmpIoyers are asked to provide
detaiIed information on what
their orQanisation does internaIIy
as a top empIoyer for women as
weII as what it does externaIIy to
promote Qender equaIity,
diversity and incIusion and to
create opportunities for women in
a wider context. AII the entry
forms were strinQentIy marked
aQainst a framework of best
practice and assessed by a team
of diversity experts.
HeIen WeIIs, Opportunity Now
director, says: "The hiQh number
of entries and incredibIy hiQh
standard of work beinQ done
towards Qender equaIity and
incIusion meant the |udQinQ
process was very competitive.
But what stood out as a common
attribute for aII 2D12 Top 5D
EmpIoyers was a cIear focus on
inteQration, innovation and
impact."
TONY DAWE
1Ulu H. ClSlLLlS / CEffY lHlCES