Just last year, we defended comments from Andy Kessler, who suggested the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) may have resulted from the team “being distracted by diversity.” 

Yet, it’s when pressure is applied that change happens. 

Take COVID-19 as a recent example. Employee demand to work from home and flexibly was growing, yet companies were painfully slow to respond. Then, a global pandemic took hold, and we saw an unprecedented acceleration in the enablement to work remotely. 

Post-pandemic, we commented on this trend, wondering what significant event could put a rocket up the stagnant progress happening in the DEI space. Enter the legal battles in the U.S., placing the whole industry under fire. 

This presents us with an opportunity and we need to make the most of it. Below are three ways organisations can safeguard and optimise the effectiveness of their DEI efforts. 

1.       Evolve from DEI initiatives to DEI integration.

DEI efforts are most impactful when embedded in the organisational strategy; they become much easier to defend when they are integral to a business’ success.

Don’t silo DEI in HR, it impacts every aspect of an organisation. Placing it solely under HR can diminish its impact, often making it the first to be overlooked. HR traditionally focuses on risk mitigation to safeguard the organisation, but DEI thrives on risk-taking for value creation. It should be treated as an essential function that is a key contributor to business performance.

To achieve this, DEI should be owned by business leaders, with key metrics embedded into business unit KPIs. Further, it needs to be woven into the way of working for all teams, with inclusive behaviours being the status quo and equity being top-of-mind across all hiring and promotion decisions.

2.       Walk the walk before talking the talk.

To date, DEI has primarily been treated as a tick-the-box exercise, with efforts focusing largely on brand image rather than lasting and impactful change. As external promotion of DEI efforts becomes increasingly scrutinised, it encourages us to move beyond surface-level initiatives that focus more on external perceptions and towards those that drive impact and progress internally.

Organisations can take the opportunity to assess the current initiatives they have in place and what their expected outcome is. Every initiative should be closely linked to a business priority, with mechanisms for measurement of effectiveness in place. Activities that are just for show should be challenged; they are taking money, effort, and resources away from actions that drive true and lasting progress.

Gone are the days of being able to bluff our way out of DEI scrutiny. In Australia, we’re on the brink of gender pay gap data being publicly released. Organisations will have the opportunity to release a statement to defend existing gaps. Still, for them to be regarded, they will need to demonstrate tangible steps that are being taken and the expected outcome of these. 

3.       Tweak positioning and messaging, not effort.

Responding to DEI backlash has been a requirement for as long as the discipline has existed due to the redistribution of power, the inevitable resistance to change, and the “perceived” threat it brings. The focus and sensitivity we should have is on how efforts are being communicated and positioned with a consistent talk track and rationale across the board. 

When launching or rolling out a new DEI initiative or project, organisations must be clear on how it has come about, how it’s intended to support the business, and the role all employees play in supporting it. Consider employees’ different perspectives, anticipate the threats they may perceive as a result of suggested initiatives, and address these proactively in your communication strategy. 

It feels like DEI as an industry is dealing with one new challenge after another. Still, we’re optimistic about the opportunity this time presents for realising what we’ve all been working towards for years: for full DEI integration to be the natural and expected way of doing business.

The post Why DEI ‘being under fire’ is a good thing appeared first on Women's Agenda.

But I have found the reality is far from what is portrayed. Behind the glossy facade lies a disturbing truth: these companies have been slashing their budgets for anything deemed “non-revenue generating”. In case you missed the memo, they put employee development, diversity and inclusion and women’s initiatives in this bucket.

So, at the same time that these organisations are parading slogans of empowerment and gender equality, their dollars aren’t matching their words and they’re conveniently turning a blind eye. The very organisations that claim to champion women’s rights and cultural diversity are undermining the progress they purport to support.

Larger organisations, with their deep pockets, vast resources and reach, have the power to make a real difference. They could invest in programs that promote women’s leadership, mentorship, and professional development. They could create safe and inclusive work environments where women can thrive and rise to leadership positions. They could honour their commitments and develop their people. Instead, many have chosen to cut corners.

The irony is not lost on us. They pour millions into flashy marketing campaigns, hoping to lure in consumers with their hollow promises of gender equality. Yet, when it comes to investing in real change, they tighten their purse strings and neglect the very initiatives they claim to hold dear.

These budget cuts disproportionately impact women in the workforce. It’s the women who suffer the most from these broken promises. They face limited opportunities for advancement, unequal pay, and a persistent gender gap in leadership positions. And all the while, big organisations pat themselves on the back for their empty gestures and photo ops featuring token women in high-ranking roles.

We need to call out this hypocrisy and demand accountability. We deserve more than just lip service and empty slogans. Women, especially those from a minority backgrounds, deserve real support, genuine investment, and tangible opportunities for growth.

Is anyone else surprised about the dodgy practices of PwC in the latest scandal impacting the Australian government? 

I, for one, am not. 

This is the same organisation that thought it was perfectly acceptable to hold an internal event where key members of staff acted out a skit mocking Chinese accents. In the height of a global pandemic when racial tensions were sky high. Adding more hypocritical fuel to the fire is that they are a major sponsor of the 40 Under 40 Asian Australian Awards.

If these companies truly want to support and develop women, they must start by allocating adequate resources and funding to D&I programs – regardless of what their share price is, if they didn’t meet their sales targets or any other variable for that matter. It must be non-negotiable and just “how the company does business”. 

I’m an award-winning entrepreneur, MBA qualified, bilingual, a TEDx speaker (with a second TEDx underway) and about to publish my first book. The number of times I’ve been asked to speak in exchange for ‘exposure’ is insulting. The number of times multi-billion-dollar companies request hefty discounts or take up to 6 months to pay an invoice – crippling. On my mental and financial health.

Bigger is certainly not better. With great power, visibility and size comes responsibility and accountability. Large organisations must be pressured to prioritise gender equality in their hiring practices, promotions, and pay scales. They must create a culture of inclusion, where women are not just seen but also heard and valued.

To those big players who continue to peddle false promises, we say ‘enough’. It’s time to stop exploiting women’s aspirations for the sake of your own image.

In the end, it’s not about the slogans or trending hashtags. It’s about creating a workplace where women have equal opportunities, where they can rise based on merit and skill, not gender. It’s about dismantling the systemic barriers that hold women back and forging a path toward true gender equality.

So, who’s ready to put their money where their mouth is? 

Stop the empty gestures and start investing in real change. 

Real change needs resources. 

Real change needs sponsorship.

Real change needs grit.

Real change needs both carrot and stick.

The women of the world are watching, and they demand more than just empty promises.

The post The glaring hypocrisy of some companies spruiking their diversity & inclusion commitments appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Now, with the global talent shortage impacting nearly all industries, it’s more important than ever for employers to get things right in order to attract and retain the best people. 

It’s known that women in key decision-making positions contribute to improved company performance, and yet, more than 1 in 5 boards have no women at all. And only 22 per cent of CEOs are women, according to WGEA’s 2021-22 Employer Census.

**** Check out The Goodwork Playbook here.

The pay gap between men and women is still a problem as well, remaining stagnant at 22.8 per cent with new national data showing men earn an average of $26,000 more.

So what can be done to improve workplaces for everyone? Policies such as equal and generous paid parental leave (PPL), flexible working opportunities and ongoing, accessible training are key. 

Other measures that could make significant impacts on the lives of many women in particular include, greater health and wellbeing offerings, fertility support and paid domestic and family violence leave.

Expanding on this, thanks to the support of Genea, Women’s Agenda is releasing “The Goodwork Playbook: 7 Policies for the Best Diverse Talent”.

We’ve spoken to a range of experts to provide a snapshot of some of the practical ways employers can stay ahead of the curve. 

Key recommendations for employers include:

• Offer 12 months of PPL at replace wage rate, and actively encourage men or non-birthing parents to use it.
• While factoring in business demands, offer flexibility around work days and times
• Offer up to 24 days a year for reproductive health issues such as menstruation, menopause miscarriage, abortion, fertility and other prenatal needs. 
• Take a personalised and humane approach when implementing domestic and family violence leave policy
• Be visible in your support for people of all identities and backgrounds
• Have an explicit policy around disability inclusion and back this up with strategic effort

Read the full report here.

The post The Goodwork Playbook for great policies that attract the best talent appeared first on Women's Agenda.

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With a commercial and digital marketing background, Banks became the company’s Managing Director in early 2018 and has already done much to expand the footprint of SEEK Jobs, SEEK Learning, SEEK Business and SEEK Volunteer.

We sat down with Kendra recently to get the lowdown on heading up one of Australia’s largest, tech businesses and her vision for the future.

How did you get here? 

 I have worked in digital marketing and e-commerce for much of my career and I really enjoyed these areas. I moved into different types of marketing roles at Tesco in the UK and Coles in Australia. After that, I wanted the experience of working for a purely digital business, hence a move to SEEK.

As for whether it was planned or accident the truth is somewhere in the middle. I had an aspiration to be a MD or CEO, but I focused on getting experiences that gave me the “building blocks” to do this job well.  For example I looked for roles over the years that would give me customer experience and commercial experience, influencing skills and leadership skills.  Then it was a case of keeping an eye out for a great business where I thought I could learn and develop – and SEEK was the one!.

What skills have you acquired that have aided your leadership style and ethos? Why do you feel this is critical to your role as MD now?

 Without a doubt the most important ‘skill’ I have is customer focus. This is always the most important thing for a business to care about, and it has been a common thread throughout my career. Having a true understanding of customer needs allows me to work with our team to set the right priorities for our business. Secondly, I am a collaborative leader. I make sure that we collect diverse points of view from around the business to ensure we make well thought out decisions. To do this well, it is important allow people to contribute and share the diversity of their expertise in a safe environment. Creating a culture that allows this is essential in achieving our business priorities.

Have you got any advice for emerging female leaders?

 The best advice I can offer is to take risks. When I think about my own career; when I have had the option of taking a safe route or taking a riskier option I have always taken the risky route. This approach has paid off for me because the returns of the riskier option are always higher. Also, there is a level of risk in having the courage and not being afraid to ask for the big opportunities, so I encourage people to back themselves.

What advice would you give your 18-year old self?

I think I would tell myself to learn how to code! It will help you so much in the future, even if you don’t want to do it as a career it will give you a better understanding of emerging technology.

Seek has  a number of competitors in Australia now (Indeed, LinkedIn, Jora etc). How does it stay current and maintain its place in market?

Since SEEK started 21 years ago we have always faced competitors, it’s just that now the types of competitors are different. Regardless of our competition, one of our beliefs at SEEK is “Always striving, challenging and remaining proactively paranoid” and I think this is instrumental in the way we tackle our approach to the competitive landscape. We are not scared to disrupt ourselves to keep improving how we connect hirers and candidates as effectively as possible.

When we combine this belief with our unique depth of data and experience in job searching, I know we will continue to meet our purpose and stay ahead of the competition.

What’s your short term and long-term vision for the company?

We have a strong view about the downfalls of focussing on short term visions and results, so we focus on long term results.  We believe taking a short term view distracts you from focussing on what you are ultimately trying to achieve for customers.

Therefore, we only work towards achieving our purpose of helping people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and helping organisations succeed, which is all about helping our customers. We believe this will deliver stronger returns for our organisation in the long term.

What is SEEK’s commitment to diversity and inclusion? 

At SEEK we recognise and respect qualities that are unique to our employees. Whether it be gender, language, ethnicity, age, religion, disability and sexual orientation, SEEK’s unique culture of diverse thought, opinion and background plays a key role in ensuring competitive advantage as a global organisation which develops products and technology that reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.

This is also important in the tech space where there is a real war for talent, so we must make sure that we are a place where all people want to come to work. Creating an environment where people genuinely feel comfortable to be themselves is so important in achieving this.  In addition, our customers are even more diverse than our workforce and so the more diverse our team is that more chance we have at understanding what our customers need.

An important element of attracting the top talent is to make sure we are a great and innovative place to work. We are proud to have been recognised by AON Hewitt as a Best Employer for eleven years and has also been listed in the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies Globally by Forbes, and Number One in Australia.

Can you share some examples of the ways in which the company aims to propel women forward, especially in tech?

Supporting more women at all levels to have careers in the technology industry and attracting them to SEEK to grow their careers has been a major priority for us for some time and will continue to be so. Central to this is our Women in Technology Steering Committee which focuses on the three key areas of growing the pool of female talent, attracting female talent to SEEK, and developing and growing the female talent we have at SEEK. We have a number of initiatives in place that support these key areas including:

1. Encouraging females to choose careers in the technology industry and ensuring we have equal gender representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) roles. We bring this to life through initiatives such as Camp SEEK – a week-long program that aims to engage and inform teenage girls about technology careers and to pursue furthers studies in STEM. We also keep in touch with our alumni of these camps with work experience and ongoing support as they explore careers in technology.
2. Creating an environment where women in technology thrive which is enabled through a supportive culture and career development. This priority is underpinned by the SEEK designed FAST (Females At SEEK Thrive) Program which encourages women in senior roles to progress their careers at SEEK. All FAST participants are partnered with one of our executives for sponsorship, endorsement and targeted education and development.
3. Reducing unconscious bias and achieving balance in gender representation throughout the recruitment process. This includes aiming for a minimum of one female candidate on each shortlist and internal female representation on each interview panel for external roles.

The post ‘Take the risky route’: Meet Kendra Banks, SEEK’s new MD appeared first on Women's Agenda.

It’s a line oft repeated and therefore implicitly believed by many; and at face value it’s plain to see why. Men are still dominant in leadership positions across the world–in business, government and everything in between. In Australia, there are now more men named ‘Andrew’ leading ASX 200 companies than there are women.

Therefore, we grow to believe that men do something superior, something innately “masculine” that enables them to be better leaders. Our internal, social monologue has become one that centres on the inadequacy of women, and the need to fix them:“Why isn’t she speaking up? Being more ballsy? More detached? More mean? More male?”  

But there’s a huge, gaping, embarrassingly obvious hole in this theory: it presupposes that the current benchmark of leadership is ideal when so clearly it’s not.

We know unequivocally that greater diversity leads to greater yields for business. Recent studies from major consulting firms like McKinsey and Cloverpop show clearly the links between good decision making and diverse teams. The same applies to inclusive and empathetic leadership which breeds better productivity, loyalty and motivation in teams.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a recent PEW Research Centre study showed female leaders typically held greater interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence than their male counterparts. Forty-three per cent of respondents believed female leaders in business were better at creating a safe and respectful workplace while just five per cent of participants said the same about men.

In terms of politics, 61% of respondents felt female leaders were more compassionate and empathetic, and nearly one-third felt women were more ethical.

Bern Dillon, co-founder at consulting firm Chalk & Cheese told Women’s Agenda that despite empathy being regularly perceived as a ‘soft skill’ or lying within the domain of “women’s work”, it is in fact a “critical capability for all leaders”.

“Empathy builds trust and understanding, which lie at the heart of human connection”, she says. “In a complex and competitive environment, a leader’s ability to genuinely connect with the people they lead, the customers they serve and the communities in which they operate is a key driver of organisational success.  It’s not surprising that the World Economic Forum deemed it an essential leadership skill for the future.”

So why are companies and government resistant to change?

If we don’t aspire to being cut-throat callous, detached and arrogant as human beings, why are we aspiring to this as leaders?

Criticising women for being overly empathetic– for saying sorry too frequently, for being collaborative with their teams, for wanting to be utterly qualified for the roles they apply for– is ridiculous. These examples aren’t evidence that women lack confidence, they’re evidence that women aren’t entitled and incompetent.

It’s time to question our perception of what  “good leadership” constitutes. Because the benchmark at the moment is gravely inadequate.

The post Women don’t need to ‘act like men at work’, but the opposite may help appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The complexity of the brain has mystified humans throughout the ages. How can such a tiny organ — just 2 percent of our total body mass — determine who we are as people? How exactly does it work, and will we ever conclusively know?

Dr Hannah Critchlow was recently nominated as one of the UK’s Top 100 scientists as well as one of Cambridge University’s ‘most inspirational and successful women in science’. An unconventional trajectory, Critchlow’s interest in neuroscience was sparked after she worked as a psychiatric nursing assistant and witnessed individuals suffering debilitating mental health conditions with insufficient relief. She felt compelled to be at the forefront of change.

And, in only a short time Critchlow’s contribution to neuroscience has been remarkable. A regular globetrotter, she has spoken at some of the most respected and recognised medical forums and presents weekly on BBC radio. Most impressively, she has successfully made her profound knowledge and passion accessible to everyone.

In a field with so few women, Critchlow’s ascending star is proof that change is afoot.

Next year, she’s set to follow up her first book Consciousness with a publication on “the science of fate” which looks at the brain as a physical organ capable of determining a person’s hardwiring.

Indeed, recent neurological research backs up Critchlow’s beliefs, showing a link between people with distinct personality attributes and certain brain anatomies. Those who have brains with larger prefrontal cortexes, with many “slots” for beta-endorphins, are “almost hardwired” to seek out a variety of friendship groups says Critchlow.

“They are like conduits which let information be exchanged from clique to clique, so that is a very important role within society. And then there are people with a much smaller prefrontal cortex and they have a much smaller group of friends, or they spend more time with each of their friends in closer relationships,” she says.

“There is a hypothesis that because these people have fewer beta endorphin spots they don’t need to go around filling them up by meeting lots of other people.”

“There is a hypothesis that because these people have fewer beta endorphin spots they don’t need to go around filling them up by meeting lots of other people.”

Unsurprisingly these two groups of people respond differently to the workplace. People with a larger prefrontal cortex, are more likely to feel comfortable working in open, noisy and collaborative offices while those with a smaller prefrontal cortex are more likely to enjoy independent work routines with smaller teams.

In part, other human tendencies, like entrepreneurialism, can be explained by neuroscience too, says Critchlow. People “who are thriving in taking risks in business have an evolutionary drive to do so and that is based around their brain biology. Much of this is intuitive, of course, and we have talked about this for decades, but neuroscience is now demonstrating how this has a basis in the brain.”

“I am interested in understanding how much of our behaviour is ingrained,” she adds. “We are seeing now that a lot of what we do is predetermined, so that opens up the question on whether we actually have any agency, or any free will at all.”

“We are seeing now that a lot of what we do is predetermined, so that opens up the question on whether we actually have any agency, or any free will at all.”

As such, employers need to be sensitive to people’s innate dispositions and also limitations. Being open to true diversity and inclusion is paramount.

“For managers and leaders there is a responsibility for acceptance, but also to use this to be the best person they can be and look after the mental health of their teams,” says Critchlow.

“Our individuality is a beautiful thing, and it’s the brain which produces that individuality.”

This article is informed by a feature interview with journalist Lachlan Colquhoun in Leadership Matters magazine.

The post Dr Hannah Critchlow: How the anatomy of our brains determine our capacity for leadership appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The company has seen some promising improvements in gender inclusion, with 57 percent of their tech grads in Australia and the US being female in 2017 and 18% percent of their technical workforce hires now female– up from 10% a couple of years ago.

The company is also surprisingly (and refreshingly) transparent about its shortcomings on diversity, with its August 2017 diversity report noting that while they have seen an uptick in female hires, they’ve fallen short on other under-represented minorities.  They’re determined to examine attitudes on diversity more closely with their latest survey, the State of Diversity 2018, doing just that.

Atlassian leads the pack of Australia’s most celebrated ‘unicorn’ tech companies, founded by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, and now based in Silicon Valley.

Over the weekend I spoke with the company’s global head of diversity, Aubrey Blanche about her hopes for a culture of ‘belonging’ and ultimately fostering greater diversity within the company.

Appointed to the role three years ago, Blanche said she took the position because she saw a real opportunity to address systemic exclusion — as well as a leadership team that was genuine about a desire for change.

“I had done some research and seen how humble they were and willing to take responsibility, to say we really care about people who work for us, at a human level,” she says.

“That mindset was something that can be rare in technology, but it’s what is actually essential for creating change.”

However, some of the messaging they were putting out to the market, particularly on recruitment, was potentially limiting its appeal to a diverse range of people.

“We did a comprehensive overhaul in our messaging. Were the photos balanced? Were we talking about the broad benefits of working here? Yes we have free food and beer, but we also pride ourselves on work life balance and collaborative work. We needed to ensure we could appeal to a different set of employees.”

They also addressed the language in job ads and created standardised interviews in order to move away from appealing to a ‘cultural fit’. “We try to address values alignment in interviews,” she said. Speaking on the ABC’s Q&A on Monday night, Blanche described ‘cultural fit’ as the  “intractable morass of unconscious bias”

And then Atlassian aimed to specifically address ways in which people could feel like they belong at the team level.

“We should be focusing on building diversity and inclusion at the team,” she says.

And that means ensuring wider buy-in on the issue, and encouraging everyone to feel they can do something to make other people feel more included.

“If you ask an average worker to empower a woman, they may not know what that really means,” she says. “But ask them to help make their team a little more welcoming, that feels like something they can actually do. If every person just tries to do that for their team, we will see change.”

Central to Atlassian’s strategy is equipping managers with a number of tactics and approaches they can utilise to make people feel included. For example, a ‘no interruptions rule’ for meetings is “something leaders of teams can implement, either formally or informally,” Blanche believes.

A no-interruptions rule could encourage more people to speak up during meetings, so diversity is not just happening in numbers, it’s also playing out in some of the ideas and solutions being developed.

Blanche believes there are three key reasons why some tech companies are stalling on diversity.

The first is ‘diversity fatigue’. “No matter where you on this issue, whether you’re an advocate or not, you’re probably tired,” she says. “If you haven’t seen much change, it’s easy to get discouraged.”

Second, Blanche believes many companies are having the wrong conversations about diversity and inclusion. “You see programs that are too often focused on increasing the representation of a narrowly defined category, instead of focusing on changing the culture. But if you address the culture, the numbers piece will follow,’

And finally, given the current political environment in the US as well as the #MeToo movement, Blanche adds that some people are waking up to just how systemic and entrenched some of these issues are. As such, they could be overwhelmed and unsure of their capacity to affect change.

Atlassian is pushing its team-level approach to diversity to now further address what it concedes are its shortcomings on diversity: “Failing to improve the overall percentage of underrepresented minorities (URM) in our U.S. offices during our continued rapid growth.”

It will also introduce intersectional data in its next diversity report, recognising unique contributing factors which pose challenges for some individuals. Next year they will be releasing ‘team belonging’ stats also.

The post End the ‘cultural fit’ mantra and consider ‘interruption free’ meetings appeared first on Women's Agenda.

“Identity politics has been a fraught subject these past few years,” DCA chief executive Lisa Annese said. “From those who believe a focus on identity is critical to creating a genuinely equitable society to others who believe the public discourse has been subverted by lefty do-gooders with their politically correct agenda.” 

Tony Jones from @ABCnews #qanda will be moderating tonight’s #DCADebate Join the conversation. pic.twitter.com/rXxCPHfayU

— DiversityCouncilAust (@DivCouncilAus) October 23, 2017

When it comes to diversity & inclusion in the workplace, some organisations adopt an identity-blind approach where employees are treated the same, regardless of their cultural background, gender, ability or disability, age or LGBTIQ+ status.

This has changed recently with an identity-conscious approach emerging where group differences, such as age, cultural background or gender, are acknowledged and emphasised.

‘The matter of identity has been played out in all of its beauty and ugliness through the postal vote’ @LisaAnnese says. #DCADebate pic.twitter.com/HtDUV04Lu8

— Women's Agenda (@WomensAgenda) October 24, 2017

But what is the impact? Has it created division and led to disengagement by those who feel excluded? Or does recognising differences help level the playing field?

This was for two teams, moderated by the ABC’s Tony Jones, to argue in front of 460 men and women.

It’s a full house here at the @DivCouncilAus #DCADebate Tonight we explore Identity. Stay tuned for more #equality pic.twitter.com/EQPKJpJDUk

— Amanda Webb (@AmandaWebbAUS) October 24, 2017

On the affirmative side, arguing for an identity focus was Sharon Cook, the Chief Legal & Commercial Counsel at NAB, the ABC’s Kumi Taguchi, and Paralympian and StarAmp Global Founder Don Elgin. 

“Embracing difference and identity leads to understanding, not division,” Sharon Cook said. “It’s not the only ingredient you need for a diverse and inclusive workplace, but it’s part of the recipe.”

Japanese-Australian Taguchi spoke about wanting to be blonde haired and blue eyed growing up because that’s how success appeared to her.   

“Identity matters because when we see people who reflect our own identity, we feel like we belong,” Taguchi said.

Elgin, a paralympian, says while he doesn’t like label, a focus on identity can lead to understanding and empathy.  

“ Humans crave acceptance and knowing we can be who we are brings the best out of people,” said Don Elgin.

Diversity is being asked to the party Inclusion is being asked to dance #dcadebate pic.twitter.com/jSm88wI0xB

— Dr Jane O'Leary (@Jane_OLeary) October 24, 2017

‘Would the bastions of power – men – have woken up one day & said “let’s give women the vote”? No.’ Sharon Cook. #DCADebate

— Women's Agenda (@WomensAgenda) October 24, 2017

“We want to be in a workplace where our sense of self is celebrated and not crushed”. Perfectly said @kumitaguchi #DCADebate @ABCcompass

— Rhonda Brighton-Hall (@rhonda_bh) October 24, 2017

‘I don’t like labels but being a man with half a leg makes me who I am’ @donelg17 #DCA pic.twitter.com/7qoyanc4aD

— Women's Agenda (@WomensAgenda) October 24, 2017

WGEA director Libby Lyons, Dr Sev Ozdowski AM, Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council and Peter van Onselen, from Sky News and The Australian, argued against. They said a focus on identity doesn’t help diversity.

Lyons said as long as gender equality is seen as the responsibility of women, progress will remain slow.

“It’s true that women face unique challenges at work,” Lyons said. “But if gender equality is seen as a women’s issue to be addressed by women talking to themselves, I guarantee we’ll still be here in decades to come bemoaning our lack of progress.”

“It’s hard to attain inclusion and equality when you’re constantly focusing on differences between groups or categories of people,” Dr Sev Ozdowski AM said. “Success and even greatness must be a product of individual talent, effort and enthusiasm, not of group, class or category.” 

Peter van Onselen admitted that a focus on identity does matter, but moving beyond that is the gamechanger. 

“The same-sex marriage debate got real when it moved beyond identity politics.  A focus on identity for a time is good but you need to move on,” van Onselen said.  

Libby Lyons: if gender equality is seen as only an issue women can discuss, nothing will change #dcadebate pic.twitter.com/5lR75oim43

— Ky Chow (@KyBusiness) October 24, 2017

#DCADebate @sevozdo must stop stereotyping people – let’s making coys more human friendly @rhonda_bh pic.twitter.com/7JnX0Pnq2j

— Ming Long (@MingYLong) October 24, 2017

It’s the final speaker for negative @vanOnselenP (who tweeted earlier that he feels like he belongs on the affirmative side) #DCADebate pic.twitter.com/KpaX4JXIqO

— Women's Agenda (@WomensAgenda) October 24, 2017

So who won?

The affirmative team, by a healthy margin, with 78% of the room’s vote.

The post Does a focus on identity help or hinder diversity in the workplace? appeared first on Women's Agenda.

What gets measured gets managed. And what gets managed ultimately gets done.

It seems senior leaders understand this mantra on so many levels when it comes to their work and the accountability that’s expected of them. So why should it be any different when it comes to addressing gender diversity?

Setting ‘gender targets’ offers a last chance attempt for organisations to regulate themselves on addressing the number of women in management and senior leadership positions, rather than having regulations imposed on them. It’s, potentially, the final step before the dreaded ‘q word’ gets some serious consideration: quotas.

The 2012 Australian Census of Women in Leadership outlined just how much work there is to do when it comes to women in leadership, finding just 9.2% of ASX500 director and executive management positions are held by women.

And with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency releasing a comprehensive tool for setting and measuring gender diversity across different levels of the organisation, it appears our corporates may finally be out of excuses for not setting targets in order to address the issue.

It’s not ‘too hard’. Indeed, small and large businesses alike should be able to use this tool. And it’s certainly not a case of ‘there are no women to promote or appoint’ – just take a look around. Tools like what’s on offer from WGEA could, however, mean leaders get a much better understanding on where exactly the female pipeline for leadership gets blocked, and find solutions for responding accordingly.

Produced in collaboration with Dr Graeme Russell, WGEA’s free tool works along similar lines to setting financial or operational targets within an organisation, off the premise that your chances of achieving a target are much better with rigorous analysis and plenty of data to show how you’re tracking.

Launched Monday at the Sydney offices of the Commonwealth Bank, Russell took the audience through how to get started on setting gender targets, with a number of senior leaders declaring they could see how the tool would benefit, including ASX managing director Elmer Funke Kupper and Commonwealth Bank Group Treasurer Lyn Cobley.

Cobley noted that numerical targets on gender diversity make sense in business, especially at a bank. CBA achieved organisational buy-in on the need to get more women into leadership when it publicly declared in June 2010 a target of increasing female representation in senior leadership roles to 35% by December 2014.

Meanwhile Kupper, one of 22 ‘Male Champions of Change’ who’ve committed to advancing gender diversity across corporate Australia, said he believes the tool will help organisations get “practical” about what they’re trying to do.

While he’s experienced a bit of “push back” on gender targets, especially from those who believe it can open their organisations to scrutiny and exposure, he said it’s the very exposure targets offer that ultimately help them succeed. “It’s where you are uncomfortable that you make a difference,” he told the audience.

Catalyst senior director Mary Boughton, visiting Australia from the US, was also impressed with the tool, declaring measurements can help highlight pain points. She said targets work if they’re tied to the business case for gender diversity and have management buy-in. “I think the companies that implement this will get their fair share of the top talent and therefore be more successful,” she said.

But while using the tool provides clarity on how an organisation is tracking, it won’t alone provide the silver bullet solution to making gender targets work.

Achieving gender targets requires a serious commitment to acquiring and analysing the relevant data. It also means thinking outside the square of what we’ve come to expect from the traditional ‘path to leadership’ in order to provide more scope for career breaks, part-time work and flexible careers.

Ultimately it involves a willingness to address and potentially dismantle existing cultural and structural barriers within the workplace that may be holding women back.

And as WGEA director Helen Conway said at the launch, WGEA can provide plenty of help but leaders must drive the change – that starts with the CEO.

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