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This International Women's Day, we interviewed some of our team asking them to share their thoughts on how we can #EmbraceEquity.
Equity can be defined as giving everyone what they need to be successful. The IWD 2023 campaign theme seeks to forge worldwide understanding about why equal opportunities aren’t enough, and a focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.
International Women’s Day belongs to everyone, everywhere. Collectively, we can all help create a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.
#EmbraceEquity with Lauren Seal, partner and director at Eames Consulting in the UK.
1. How can companies strive for more equitable talent attraction?
It’s about understanding the barriers to talent attraction so we can ensure our approach and working environment provides everyone with the platform they need to be successful. For some people, this may be flexible working patterns, hybrid working, return-to-work training programmes or mentoring schemes. It’s about understanding how you can support individuals to perform to the best of their ability and then acting on it.
2. What is one action companies can take to further balance their talent attraction strategies?
Sharing success stories of females within the business and being transparent about the possibility of flexible and hybrid working opportunities can be used to further balance talent attraction strategies.
3. What is your top advice for making job descriptions more inclusive?
Whilst there is a lot of research around ensuring job descriptions use gender-neutral/balanced wording, highlighting information about the company and their supportive working environment and talent acquisition process is key.
4. Do you think that more companies adopting a hybrid working pattern has helped to shift pre-conceived conceptions about flexible working for women, and why?
Absolutely. Previously this could have been seen as a real barrier to working mums seeking new opportunities. By making flexible working patterns the norm, not only makes people feel more confident having those discussions throughout the interview process, but it also helps attract more women back to the workplace.
5. What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
Self-confidence and a belief that it isn’t possible to work in a leadership role whilst having an effective work-life balance. There is often guilt when returning to work that you aren’t able to commit fully to either work or home responsibilities, and many women go through a period of imposter syndrome. That absolutely isn’t the case, as a supportive business will always work with its employees to understand their needs and ensure that they provide the right environment for them to succeed, both personally and professionally.