I HAVE been beating my drum for years now about gender diversity and there is still a long way to go to get true and meaningful change that will have a tangible impact for the Northern Ireland economy.
For many, diversity in the workplace is still merely a tick box exercise, but we need to tackle this imbalance from the top - our leaders really need to embrace this, to own it and to live it!
In my quest I found a leader whose voice cannot be ignored, a leader we can all admire for his approach to gender diversity, Gary McGann, chairman of Paddy Power Betfair plc, and past leader of many other key businesses. He did me a great favour when he agreed to speak at our recent Business of Diversity Lunch in Belfast.
Recognised as one of Ireland’s most successful CEO’s, his passion and genuine commitment to seeking to deliver improvements in women’s career progression is refreshing and I would urge our local businesses to look to him endorsement or encouragement on their diversity journey.
Gary shared his insights to over 160 of our local business leaders, driving the message that gender diversity in businesses is not simply about making up numbers, it is logical. He recognises that there is a wealth of incredible talent on offer from women and there is no sense in businesses limiting their talent to a tighter market.
Gary was undoubtedly on point when he reinforced the huge role women play in all aspects of life. Women are instrumental in making decisions and have a huge input in the end market, so why are they missing in action in middle level decision making process? According to Gary, the reasons are threefold: there are not enough women putting themselves forward; females tend to hold themselves to higher standards; and the education process is preordained to position men in senior business roles.
Key to addressing this gender imbalance is flexibility. In his address Gary highlighted how businesses looking for talent, will take it in any form, especially as flexible working has been proven to not only positively impact work-life balance, but also health and wellbeing and productivity.
In fact, recent research from the CIPD revealed that implementing flexible working practices can improve staff engagement and motivation and just last week tech company Versa in Australia announced it has increased its revenue by a third after giving its employees every Wednesday off to relax. Whilst this is not always an option for businesses, it does reinforce how flexibility empowers and inspires employees.
We are undoubtedly making strides to tackle disparity in the workplace and events such as the recent Business of Diversity Lunch support businesses in their reassessment of their gender diversity procedures. However, we must remain committed taking steps to develop an unbiased workplace that will benefit everyone.
My mission, and one I will not be deterred from, is to deliver on an economy built on inclusive growth to be achieved on two fronts. One, I will be relentless in encouraging more organisations to make the changes necessary to bring about sustainable and significant improvements in women’s career progression and create environments that are fair and positive for everyone. And two, I will encourage women to set up and grow their own businesses.
We cannot and must not ignore the findings from The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship that Northern Ireland is missing out on a potential £7.08 billion in Gross Added Value.
As I have written on numerous occassions before, a balanced workforce is good for business: it is good for customers; for profitability; and workplace culture.
I urge you all to ask yourself if you truly believe in gender diversity and how can you make a change today. Join Women in Business today and consider signing up to Diversity Mark NI, where your business will commit to support the progression of women into senior roles.
:: Roseann Kelly is the chief executive of Women in Business (www.womeninbusinessni.com). Follow Women in Business NI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/women-inbusinessni or on Twitter @wibni
