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DIVERSEAPPROACHES

Supporting more diverse, inclusive and productive workplaces.

DIVERSITY.

INCLUSIVENESSIS THE PROCESSOF REALISING THE POWER OF

INCLUSIVENESSIS THE PROCESSOF REALISING THE POWER OFDIVERSITY.

CONTENTS

1. Introductionandsummary 1

1.1 Reportstructureandkeyfindings 1

2. Understandingtheworkforcediversityissue 2

2.1 Thebusinessimperative:moreinclusive,moreproductive 2

2.2 Scoping‘workforcediversity’:Beyondgender 2

3. Currentbestpractice 3 3.1 Leadershipbuy-in 3

3.2 Targetsandmeasurement 3

3.3 Attractingandretainingthebesttalent 5

4. ActionofConsultAustraliamemberfirms 6 4.1 Leadershipbuy-in 6

4.2 Targetsandmeasurement 6

4.3 Up-skillingstaff 6

4.4 Meetingtheneedsofemployees 7

4.5 Findingthebestpeople 7

5. Learningfromotherprofessionsandsectors 8 5.1 Healthsector 8

5.2 LegalProfession 8

5.3 Accounting 9

5.4 Maritimeindustry 11

6. Conclusionandnextsteps 12

7. References 13

DISCLAIMER

DiverseApproachesispublishedbyConsultAustralia.Itrepresentscollectiveviewpointsforconsiderationbygovernments,communityandindustrystakeholders.Theinformationcontainedhereindoesnotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsofindividualcontributorsortheirrespectivefirms.

TofindoutmoreaboutConsultAustralia’spolicywork,toobtainanelectroniccopyofthereportortoprovidefeedback,[email protected]+61299224711.

©ConsultAustraliaMarch2012www.consultaustralia.com.au

ABOUTUS

ConsultAustraliaistheassociationforprofessionalservicesfirmswithinthebuiltandnaturalenvironment;influencingpolicy,creatingvalueandpromotingexcellence.

Asanassociation,ourprimaryfocusisonimprovingthecommercialenvironmentforourmembersandraisingstandardsacrosstheindustry.

Ourmemberfirmservicesinclude,butarenotlimitedto:design;architecture;technology;engineering;planning;landscapearchitecture;surveying;costconsulting(quantitysurveyors);projectmanagement;environmentalscience;andmanagementsolutions.Werepresentsomeoftheindustry’sbiggestplayersinthisspacewithourmemberfirmscollectivelyemployingmorethan50,000staff.

ConsultAustralia’svisionistodrivebusinesssuccessforconsultingcompaniesinthebuiltandnaturalenvironmentthroughcollaboration,education,supportandadvocacy.Wearededicatedtoprovidingsupportandadvocacytoourmemberswithintegrity,commitment,evidencebasedpositioning,responsibleactionsandrespect.

ConsultAustraliaachievesthesegoalsthrougharangeoftopdown(improvingregulationandcreatingopportunities)andbottomup(buildingcapacityandcommunitytoreducerisk)supportandservicestomembers.

ConsultAustraliaisamemberoftheAustralianChamberofCommerceandIndustry(ACCI),theAustralianConstructionIndustryForum(ACIF),andtheAustralianServicesRoundtable(ASR).ConsultAustraliaisahostorganisationfortheannualBuiltEnvironmentMeetsParliament(BEMP)summit.

Aspecialthankstothefollowingindividualsandtheirrespectivefirmsfortheirgenerouscontributions:

MarianneMatin,SMECEmmaBritton,AECOMHeatherBrown,URSAustraliaLouiseRound,AureconLyndaPeters,Pitt&Sherry

Andtocontributingorganisations:

MaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtdMallesonsStephenJaquesHenryDavisYorkBlakeDawsonAllensArthurRobinsonTheInstituteofCharteredAccountantsinAustraliaAustralianMaritimeCollege

OurthankstothosememberfirmsthatcontinuetosupportConsultAustraliabylendingtheirexpertisetoadvancebest-practicethroughtheWorkforceDiversityRoundtable:

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Aspartofaknowledge-basedeconomy,growthinprofessionalservicesisacoredriverofproductivity,withgrowthintradeservicesoftenpartofthebroadereconomicresponsetothatincreasedoutput.Consultingservicesinthebuiltandnaturalenvironmentformasignificantcomponentoftheprofessionalservicessector,withsome17,000firms,employingabout130,000people.

AsAustraliacontinuestoexperienceexceptionalgrowthoffthebackofasecondresourcesboom,skillsshortagesinthoseprofessionssupportingthatboom,andrelatedprofessionsconsultinginthebuiltandnaturalenvironment,isexpectedtocontinue.Theimpactoftheseshortagesisnotconfinedtomajorconstructionprojects,orjusttheresourcessector,butwillresonatethroughouttheeconomy.

TheConsultAustraliaSkillsSurvey,representingapproximately44,000employeescontinuestomonitortheseshortagesonanannualbasis.The2011Surveyidentifiedthattwo-thirdsofallrespondentsbelievethatthereisanongoingskillsshortagewithintheindustry.

Compoundingthisproblemisthefactthatmanyprofessionsconsultinginthebuiltandnaturalenvironmentdonotappeartoberepresentativeofthebroaderpopulation,particularlyonthebasisofgender.Acommonquestioninresponsetothisshortageis:

Tohelpanswerthisquestion,in2011ConsultAustraliaconductedasurveyofourmemberfirmstomeasuretheextenttowhichwomenarerepresentedintheindustry,withafocusontechnicalandmanagerialroles.Thesurveyrepresenteddataforover15,000employeesandidentifieddifferencesinpay,turnoverandageatdifferentlevelsofseniority.Headlineresultsinclude:

Elevenpercentofboardmembersarewomen.

Thirtypercentofjuniorprofessionalstaffarewomen(wheretheaverageageofsurveyedwomenis28),andthisratiodropsto11percentatthe‘principal’level(wheretheaverageageis44).

Femalegraduatesearntwopercentmorethanmenbutninepercentlessatthe‘senior’level,beforerisingagaintobewithinonepercentofmalecolleaguesatthe‘principal’level.

Thesurveydataconfirmedsignificantopportunitiestoimprovetheparticipationofwomen.ThisfindingwasnotasurprisetoConsultAustraliaanditsmembers,butprovidedamandateforcollectiveactionsupportedbyobjectivedata.

Todrivethatwork,ConsultAustraliacreatedtheWorkforceDiversityRoundtabletoexplorearangeofissuesrelatedtodiversity,butwithaninitialfocusonwomen.

Diverse Approaches,representspartoneofatwo-partprocesssupportingtheRoundtable’swork.Inthisreportweprovideanexaminationofexistingbestpracticeforimprovingworkforcediversity,andexplorethedifferentwaysthatvariousprofessionsandindustrysectorshavechosentotackleworkforcediversity.

Parttwo,andthenextstepfortheWorkforceDiversityRoundtable,willbetodrawonthesediscussionstodevelopadvicespecifictoconsultantsinthebuiltandnaturalenvironment.Whilstmuchisgenerictoanyprofessionorindustrysector,thisreportdemonstratesthatchallengesvaryacrossfirmsandindustriesandcertainculturalandjob-specificissuesrequiretailoredresponses.

1.1 REPORTSTRUCTUREANDKEYFINDINGS

Diversitymaymeandifferentthingstodifferentpeoplesoitisimportanttobeginbysettingthecontextandscopeofthework.Themoralimperativeisclear,andthisisstronglysupportedbysoundbusinessdrivers.

Currentthinkingonhowthiscanbeachievedisreviewed.Alargeamountofdataisavailableandthereisnoneedto‘reinventthewheel’,rather,areviewoftheadviceshowsaconsensusforthebroadrangeofstrategiestobeapplied.Mostnotably,thereisastrongfocuson:

Theimportanceofvisibleleadershipfromthetop.Settingtargetsandmeasuringprogressagainstthem.Attractingandretainingtalent.

TherangeofinitiativesofConsultAustraliamemberfirmsandotherprofessionsshowthatactivitiesoftenneedtobetailoredtoindividualcircumstances,butthereisacommonfocusacrossfourmainthemesofactivity:

Achievingleadershipbuy-in.Up-skillingstaff.Meetingtheneedsofemployees.Findingthebestpeople.

Diverse Approachesdeliversavaluablegapanalysisforfutureimprovements,andprovidesalaunchingpadforinter-industrydiscussionofwhatconstitutesbestpractice.Furthermore,itdemonstratesthefactthatworkforcediversityisawidespreadissue,butonethatrequiresindividualresponsescognisantoftheparticularcircumstancesandgoalsofeachbusiness.

TheinformationpresentedinDiverse Approachesisvaluabletoanyfirmseekingabenchmarkorcomparatorfortheirworkforcediversityactivity,andtoidentifythekeyinitiativesthatarewidelyusedorrecommended.Furthermore,thereportisacatalystfordiscussionbetweensectorstoaidthedevelopmentofsector-specificbestpracticesinitiatives,andtoidentifybarriersandsolutionsforfirmsofallshapesandsizes.

INTRODUCTIONANDSUMMARY

WHY AREN’T MORE WOMEN INVOLVED?

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IntroductionandSummary

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UNDERSTANDINGTHEWORKFORCEDIVERSITYISSUE

Therearemanydefinitionsofdiversity,butmostsimplyitreferstoallofthecharacteristicsthatmakeindividualsdifferentfromeachother.

Diversityhastraditionallyreferredtocharacteristicsorfactorsassociatedwithlegalandotherrequirementssupportingequalemploymentopportunityonthebasisofreligion,race,ethnicity,language,sex,age,sexualorientationanddisability.Howeverbusinesspracticesandtheoriessupportingdiversityhaveevolvedbeyondthesetoembraceabroaderphilosophyincludingissuespertainingtosocio-economiclevel,educationalattainment,personality,maritalandparentalstatusandgenerallifeandworkexperience.

Diversityisnowusedtodescribeallthosewaysinwhichwedifferfromeachother.Inclusivenessistheprocessofrealisingthepowerofdiversity.

2.1 THEBUSINESSIMPERATIVE:MOREINCLUSIVE,MOREPRODUCTIVE

Businesssuccesswillbeachievedthroughaninclusiveworkingenvironmentwhereallemployeesandpotentialemployeesarevaluedandempoweredtosucceed,thusmoreefficientlyharnessingtheirproductivepotential.

Thebusinessdriversjustifyinginvestmentinmoreinclusiveworkplaceshavebeenproven:A2007reportbyMcKinsey&Company,Women Matter: Gender diversity, a corporate performance driver 1showedthatcompanieswithahigherproportionofwomenintheirtopmanagementhavebetterfinancialperformance.Againstothercompaniesintheirsectors,theyenjoyedhigherreturnsonequity(11.4percentto10.3percent),abetteroperatingresult(EBIT11.1percentto5.8percent)andstockpricegrowth(64percentto47percentovertheperiod2005-07).

Thisisnottosaythatwomenaretheonlydriverforsuccess,butthatfirmsthatvaluediversityandinclusivenessarebetterperformers.Amorediversetalentpoolbroadenstheperspectivesavailabletodecision-makingprocessesandenhancesemployeeexperiencesandsatisfaction,withflow-oneffectsforgrowthandprofitability.

Companiesthatemployandvalueadiverseworkforceenjoybenefitsthatincludeawiderrangeofperspectives,deeperclientconnections,abroadertalentbase,andimprovedretentionandengagementlevels.Companysuccessis,afterall,reliantonitsmostimportantresource—theskillsofitspeople.

TheskillsshortageexperiencedbymanyAustralianindustrysectorsmeansthatstrivingforworkplacediversityisaboutmuchmorethancorporatesocialresponsibilityoramoralobligationtoavoiddiscriminatoryworkplacebehaviours.

Theretentionofcurrentemployeesandtheabilitytoattractnewemployeestotheindustryandorganisationsisincreasinglycriticaltoachievingacompetitiveadvantage.

Employersareincreasinglyrequiredtomeettheneedsofindividualemployeestoretaintheirservices,preventpoachingbycompetitors,andtoensurethatkeytalentdoesnotleavetheindustryforgood.Inclusiveworkplaceshavehighercustomersatisfaction,productivityandprofitability.Companieswithgenderdiversityinleadership,forexample,havesignificantlyhigherreturnsonseveralmetrics,asdemonstratedbytheMcKinseyresearchabove.

Discrimination—becauseofaperson’srace,sex,pregnancy,maritalstatus,disability,sexualpreference,ageorfamilyresponsibilities—isalsounfair,unacceptableandillegal.Failuretoacknowledgetheneedsofadiverseworkforcecanleadtocomplaintsofdiscrimination,lawsuitsandadegradedreputation.

Yetdespiteawarenessoftheimportanceofworkforcediversity,manyorganisationsinAustralia,acrossallindustries,facearangeofchallengesthatmakethetaskharder:

1Theprofessionalskillsofwomenandparttimeworkersmaybeundervaluedinsomeworkplaces.

2Workforceparticipationforkeydiversitygroupsremainslow(e.g.peoplewithadisabilityandAboriginesandTorresStraitIslanders).

3Discriminationandharassmentcontinuetobeexperiencedinsomeworkplaces.2

4Work-lifebalancecanbehardtoachieveduetobusinessculturesthatrequirelonghourstomeetclientdemands.

5Somecareershavetraditionallybeenwidelyperceivedtobemorewellsuitedtoindividualswitheithermasculineorfemininetraits.

6Homogenousworkplacescanleadtounconsciousbiasesinrecruitingandpromotionthatlockoutemployeesfromotherbackgrounds.

7Universityapplicationsforin-demandprofessionssuchasengineeringaredropping.3

2.2 SCOPING‘WORKFORCEDIVERSITY’:BEYONDGENDER

Itbecameapparentinthecourseofthisstudythat‘workforcediversity’veryoftenmeans‘genderdiversity’.Thismaybebecauseitisthemostobviousofissues,butthatcausespausetoconsiderthosepeoplemorehiddenfromview.Inlinewithovercomingthosebroadchallengesoutlinedabove,itisimportanttoensurethatinitiativestoachievemoreinclusiveworkplacesembracediversityinthebroadestsenseoftheword.

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UnderstandingtheWorkforceDiversityIssue

3CurrentBestPractice

Anincreasingfocusonissuesassociatedwithequalemploymentopportunity,andopportunitiestogaincompetitiveadvantagehaveseenaburgeoningindustrysupportingworkforcediversity.Generally,andreflectingtheexperiencesoftheprofessionsexaminedlaterinthisreport,thisliteraturefocusesongenderdiversity,butnotwithoutvaluablelessonsacrossallthosefactorsthatsupportadiverseandinclusivebusiness.

Threekeythemesemerge:achievingleadershipbuy-in;developingandmeasuringtargets;andattractingandretainingthebesttalent.Theseprovideastartingpointforactionandabasefromwhichresponsescanbetailoredfordifferentbusinessesandindustries.

3.1 LEADERSHIPBUY-IN

AleadingandcentralthemeclearfromthosepursuingmoreinclusiveworkplacesistheimportanceofstrongleadershipfromtheChiefExecutive.Thisisemphasisedintheadviceofonewhowrotethat“developinganeffectivediversitypolicyisnotjustanotherHRinitiative.Itssuccesswilldependonbuyinandleadershipfromtheboard,CEOandexecutiveteamandthecreationofarobustbusinesscaseforchange.”4

TheprimacyofleadershipisthecentralthemeofadvicefromTheMaleChampionsofChange(MCC),acollaborativeinitiativeofcorporateandinstitutionalleadersconvenedbyElizabethBroderick,SexDiscriminationCommissionerattheAustralianHumanRightsCommission.5TheMCCadviseleadersto“makeitpersonal”,“maketheleadershipteamthediversitycouncil”and“developinclusiveleaderswhoharnesstalent”.(SeetheboxattheendofthissectionformorefromtheMaleChampionsofChange.)

Thisleadershipthemereoccursinalloftheliteratureavailable.“Engagedaccountableleaders,”6isoneofsixnecessaryfactorstoimprovegenderequity,saysone,“visibleleadershipoverthelongterm”7isvital,saysanother.“Leadershipcommitmentiskey,”istheadviceofDeloitte,8whichcallsoninclusiveleaderstodothefollowing:

Visiblychampiondiversityanddriveinitiatives.Createanenvironmentwhichisopenandinclusive.Demonstrateacollaborativeleadershipstyle.Embodymerit-baseddecision-making.Seekoutandvalueemployees’contributions.Createasenseofcollectiveidentity/sharedgoalswithintheteam.Possessculturalcompetency.Havetheabilitytoactivelymanageconflictgivendifferent

perspectives.

SostrongisthisthemeitwouldseemactionnumberoneforanyfirmwishingtotackleworkforcediversityistobringthecompanyChiefExecutiveintotheconversationandsecuretheirvocalandvisiblesupport.

CURRENTBESTPRACTICE

ASXCorporateGovernancePrincipleshaveappliedtolistedentitiessince2003,withthelatestversionapplyingsinceJanuary2011.Principle3isto“promoteethicalandresponsibledecision-making”,andincludesthreekeyrecommendations:11

Recommendation 3.2Companiesshouldestablishapolicyconcerningdiversityanddisclosethepolicyorasummaryofthatpolicy.Thepolicyshouldincluderequirementsfortheboardtoestablishmeasurableobjectivesforachievinggenderdiversityandfortheboardtoassessannuallyboththeobjectivesandprogressinachievingthem.

Recommendation 3.3Companiesshoulddiscloseineachannualreportthemeasurableobjectivesforachievinggenderdiversitysetbytheboardinaccordancewiththediversitypolicyandprogresstowardsachievingthem.

Recommendation 3.4Companiesshoulddiscloseineachannualreporttheproportionofwomenemployeesinthewholeorganisation,womeninseniorexecutivepositionsandwomenontheboard.

ASXCORPORATEGOVERNANCEPRINCIPLESANDRECOMMENDATIONS

3.2 TARGETSANDMEASUREMENT

Someconsidersettingmeasurabletargetsastheonlysurewaytotrackthesuccessesandfailuresofinitiativessupportingmorediverseandinclusiveworkplaces.Thereareofcoursechallengesassociatedwithmeasurement,whereindicatorsfailtoaccountforlesstangiblebenefits,oreasilyquantifiablesuccess.Nonethelessmeasuringchangewillhelpmeasuresuccess.

Evidence-basedinternalpolicysupportedbyclearsystemstomeasureandtrackprogressareforsomefirmsthefocusoftheiractivity.Inthecaseofonefirm,sixfactorsareidentifiedtoimprovegenderequity,fiveofwhichareconcernedwithtargetsandmeasurement,theseinclude:

Anevidence-basedstrategicplan.Clearlydefinedandtrackedmetrics.Strongprogrammanagementandgovernance.Awell-alignedchangemanagementframeworkand,Areviewframeworktoensurecontinuousimprovement.9

OneplacetostartistousetheAustralianSecuritiesExchange(ASX)guidelinesforgenderdiversity.Thesecanbeappliedtoanybusiness—listedorunlisted.Indeed,everyorganisationwouldbenefitfromadaptingtheASXguidelinesthroughthedevelopmentofandadherencetoameaningful,measurablediversitypolicy.10

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Obligatoryreportingrequirementscantouchonnon-ASXlistedcompaniestoo.Thosewithmorethan100employeesarerequiredtoreporttotheEqualOpportunityforWomenintheWorkplaceAgency(EOWA)on,amongotherthings,thegendermake-upofthecompany.

TocomplywiththeEqual Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act,companieswithmorethan100staffmustdevelopa“workplaceprogram”(astrategicapproachtoeliminatingdiscriminationandcontributingtoequalopportunityforwomenintheworkplace)andmakeannualpublicreportsagainstthatprogram.Non-compliantcompaniesmaybeincludedinapublicreport,andmaybeunabletotenderforgovernmentcontractsandindustryassistance.12

InMarch2011,theGovernmentannouncedchangestolegislationthatwillseethereportingrequirementsenhanced,withchangeslikelytobecomeeffectivefrom2013.ReformswillseetheActrecasttoacknowledgepayequityandcaringresponsibilitiesofbothmenandwomenascentraltogenderequality.Agencypowerstochecktheaccuracyofreportsandtoensurenon-compliantcompaniesareunabletoparticipateingovernmentprocurementwillbestrengthened.13

Aswellasbeingarequirementformanyfirms,settingtargetsandmeasuringprogressalsomakesgoodsense:ithelpsidentifyinitiativesthataremakingarealdifference.Anditismorethanjustcountingthenumberofwomen.Ifacompanyintroducesaflexibleworkingprogram,forexample,itcanbeusefultotrackusageandmatchittochangesinemployeesatisfactionsurveys.Accountabilitycanbeensuredbyincludingrelevanttargetsintheperformancecriteriaofmanagers.14

Thesubjectoftargetsandmeasurementcanbecomemorecontentiousiflinkedtoquotas.EqualOpportunityforWomenintheWorkplaceAgencydirector,HelenConway,hassaidthat“talkofquotas…divertsdebatefromthemainstreamissues”andthatinherview“weneedtolookatthebestpossiblefitforeachindustry.”15Thiscommenthitsonatensionbetweensupplyanddemand.

Usuallyusedinthecontextofboardmembership,forprofessionssuchasengineeringthathaveverylownumbersoffemaleentrantsatthegraduatelevel,quotasmaybebetterfocussedonsupply-sidefactors.16Forexample,onthenumberofwomeninvitedtorecruitmentinterviews.

Quotasarecertainlynotafix-allsolution.JulieMcKay,ExecutiveDirectorfortheAustralianNationalCommitteeforUNWomen,hassaidthatwhilequotasareagoodtool,she“stronglybelieve[s]thatsettingquotasortemporaryspecialmeasuresforboardparticipationisjustasmallpartofthepuzzleandweneedtoensurethatattitudinalchangesarehappeningeffectivelyatalllevelsofanorganisation.”Inthisvein,targetscouldincludeafocusonreducinginstancesofinappropriatebehaviourattheworkplaceorincreasingtheuseofflexibleworkingarrangements.

TARGETS,MEASURES,KPIs,REPORTINGREQUIREMENTS…ANDQUOTAS

CurrentBestPractice

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3.3 ATTRACTINGANDRETAININGTHEBESTTALENT

Recruitmentandpromotionprocessesthatensurethatthebestavailabletalentisfoundanddevelopedareseenasessentialtosupportingamorediverseworkforce.Removingunconsciousbiasfromrecruitmentprocesses,andidentifyingopportunitiestoaccessnewpoolsfromwhichtorecruitarecriticalstepstohelpfirmsbroadentheiremploymentbase.

JARGONBUSTER

Unconscious biasoccurswhenyoudonotrealisethatyouhaveapositiveornegativeattitudetowardssomeoneorsomething,butthatattitudenonethelessaffectsyourpreferences,actionsanddecisions.Thesebiasescanbelearnedstereotypesthatoperateautomaticallyandaredevelopedinmanyways,includingthroughpersonalexperiences,prejudices,orexposuretoculturalnorms.

Unconsciousbiasismorethanjustabuzzword.Itisoftenraisedasakeyblockagetofindingthebestrecruits–especiallythosewomenorolderworkers,forexample,whoareoverlookedduetooutdatedrecruitmentattitudes.

THEMALECHAMPIONSOFCHANGE

Intheirreport,Our experiences in elevating the representation of women in leadership: a letter from business leaders,19theMCCidentifythreestagesofdevelopmentandofferpracticaladvicetoCEOswholeadcompaniesateachstage.Thethreestagesaredescribedas(1)gettinginthegame,(2)gettingserious,and(3)capturingthediversityadvantage.

Intheirexperiences,companiesatStage1tendtogetunderthenumbers,setupadiversitycouncil,makeitpersonal,ensurewell-functioningwomen’sskill-buildingnetworks,andensurehygienefactorsareinplace.

Instage2,companiestendtomaketheleadershipteamthediversitycouncil,signalchangewiththeappointmentofwomentokeyroles,shiftfromdiversitymathstomeasuringandmanagingKPIs,interveneontalentrecruitmenttogettherightmerit-basedoutcomes,andhighlightbarriersandbiases.

Finally,atstage3,theMCCsaidthattheytendtodevelopinclusiveleaderswhoharnesstalent,weedoutentrenchedbiasesandtakeflexibilityfrommarginaltomainstream.

Oneorganisationrecommendsremovinggenderbiasfromrecruitment,pipelinedevelopmentandsuccessionplanningacrossfourareasincludingrecruitment,performanceculture,leadershipandjobdesign.17Anotherrecommendsthatemployersseektoremovestructuralbiasesandmakepromotionsmoremeritocratic.18Thiscanincludetakingactionthroughrecruitmentpanels:ensurethatthereisalwaysawomanontheinterviewingteam,orsetquotasforthetargetgrouptobecalledtoatleastthestageoffirstinterview.

Changingattitudesthatareentrenchedinanationalculturetakestime,butsometimeseducationisallthatisrequired.Unconsciousbiasisjustthat—unconscious.Employerscanworkwiththeirleadersandmanagerstohelpthemidentifyinstanceswhenunconsciousbiasescouldhaveanimpactandgivethemthetoolstotakeactionagainstthem.

Thereviewofcurrentbestpracticehasraisedthreekeythemesforfuturework:

Leadershipbuy-in,Targetsandmeasurement,andAttractingandretainingthebesttalent.

The Male Champions of Change report is a good manual for business in general and is available from the Australian Human Rights Commission website.

CurrentBestPractice

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ACTIONOFCONSULTAUSTRALIAMEMBERFIRMS

Firmsconsultinginthebuiltandnaturalenvironmenthaveacknowledgedthatmoreneedstobedonetoimproveworkforcediversityandinclusion.Forsome,thisissuehasbeenactivelyaddressedforatleastthepastdecade,whileothersarejuststartingtomoreactivelydealwiththeseissuesandassociatedchallenges.

ThischapterisanintrospectiveexaminationofcurrentactivityofConsultAustraliamemberfirms.Itincludestheinitiativesofmediumandlargebusinesses.Smallfirmsarelikelytofacedifferentchallenges,butmustaddressthesamebroadissueswhenlookingforwaystoimprovediversity.

ThemanyandvariedactivitiesofConsultAustralia’smemberfirmsdemonstratethatthereismorethanonewaytosucceedinachievingdiversity.ManyoftheactivitiespursuedacrossthosefirmsrepresentedbyConsultAustraliareflectthebestpracticeidentifiedinChapter3.Otherspecificinitiatives,includingup-skillingexistingstaffandmeetingtheneedsofemployees,reflecttheparticularchallengesfacedbyConsultAustralia’smemberfirms.

4.1 LEADERSHIPBUY-IN

AsidentifiedinChapter3‘buyin’fromtheCEOandtheexecutiveteamisacknowledgedbyConsultAustralia’smemberfirmsasessential.Withoutthevisiblesupportoftheseniorexecutive,othersintheorganisationmaynotrecognisetheneedforstrongaction,ormayworrythatinitiativestosupportahealthywork/lifebalance(suchasflexibleworkingarrangements)arenotsup-portedbytheirmanagersormayinhibittheircareerprogression.

ARUPLEADERSHIPPRIORITIES

“AtArup,diversityisnotseenasoptionalbutimperativetoourongoingbusinesssuccess.Wearecommittedtoimplementingprogramsandinitiativesthatsupporttheneedsofadiverseworkforce,suchasflexibleworking.AstheCEO,Iampersonallycommittedtodiversityandourstaffhavingwork/lifebalance.Inearly2011,inmyinauguraladdresstostaff,Iincludedfamilyphotosandannouncedthat,whileIamcommittedtoArupanditssuccess,theyaremypriority.Thefeedbackfromstaffwasoverwhelminglypositive.Ileadbyexample—Iwon’tacceptworkcommitmentsonFridaynights,Iwillleavetheofficeearlytopickupmychildrenfromschool,andIwillworkfromhomewherepossible.”–PeterBailey,Arup.

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ActionofConsultAustraliaMemberFirms

4.2 TARGETSANDMEASUREMENT

Leadershipteamsalsoknowthatitisnecessarytosettargets–tohavesomethingtoaimforandabenchmarkagainstwhichtobemeasuredandaccountable.Many,butnotall,initiativespursuedunderthebannerofstrategicleadershiphaveagenderfocus:

Ensuringthereisfemalerepresentationontheboard.RegularCEOmessagestopromotethebenefitsof

workplacediversity.GendersteeringcommitteeschairedbytheCEO.Includingdiversityandinclusionasstandingitemsonthe

agendaofexecutiveteammeetings.Settingtargetsforthelevelofparticipationofwomen.Trackingkeydiversityindicatorsandreportingeachmonthto

theboardorexecutivemanagers.

4.3 UP-SKILLINGSTAFF

Theindustryhasrealisedthatitstraditionalworkforceandworkplacesarechanging:thoseofthefuturewillnotmirrorthoseoftoday.Theywillbemorediverse,withflexibleworkingstructuresandnon-linearcareerpaths.Firmsthathelpemployeestoworkwithinthesenewframeworksarebetterequippedtosucceed.

Initiativesthatup-skillstaffhelptopreparethenextgenerationofleadersandteammembers.Forinstance,leadersrequirenewskillstomanageteamsthatincludepart-timeworkerswhoarenotonlineeverydayfrom9-to-5.Specificinitiatives(oftenwithaparticularfocusongenderdiversity)include:

Genderagendaworkshops.Trainingtohelpemployeesunderstandbullyingand

harassmentintheworkplace,andhowtoidentifyanddealwithit.

EEO(equalemploymentopportunity)trainingtoensurethatstaffareawareoftheirrightsandresponsibilities.

Mentoringprogramstargetedspecificallyatwomen.Leadershipdevelopmentprograms.Otherprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesforwomen,such

asattendanceatconferences,aregularcalendarofevents,andcoaching.

Onlinetrainingmodules.

7ActionofConsultAustraliaMemberFirms

ASPIRE:NETWORKINGANDPEERMENTORINGATAURECON

Aurecon,aConsultAustraliamemberfirm,hasagenderdiversityprogramthatincludesprofessionalskillsdevelopment,specificallyaimedatdevelopingtheskillsandcareerconfidenceofAureconWomen.

Aurecon’sASPIREprogramgeneratesnetworkingandpeermentoringforfemaleemployeesoverninestructuredmodules,includingsuchtopicsasnegotiationandinfluencingskills,andplanningafulfillingcareer.Itprovidesemployeeswithanopportunitytoshareideasandexperiencesinafunandrelaxingenvironment.ProgrammaterialisavailablesothatanyonecanvolunteertoruntheASPIREprogramatanylocationandatanypace.

4.4 MEETINGTHENEEDSOFEMPLOYEES

AccordingtotheConsultAustralia2011SkillsSurvey,almosthalfofallfirmsandover80percentoflargefirmsconductemployeeengagementsurveys.Byaskingfortheirviews,employersarefindingnewwaystomaketheworkenvironmentfittheprofessionalandwork/lifebalanceneedsofalltheirpeople.

Inatightlabourmarket,manyemployersalsoofferextraemployeebenefits,suchassubsidisedgymmemberships.Thesebenefitsenticepotentialstaff,andcanhaveaddedbenefitsforthegeneralhealthofemployees.Othercommonengagementinitiativesincludethefollowing:

Reviewofemployeebenefits:paidparentalleave,includingmanualsonhowtouseit;nationalchildcarereferralservicesandaprogramfor‘KeepinTouch’days;flexibleworkingprograms;healthandwellbeingprograms.

Provideaccesstocounselling,financialadviceservicesandcorporatehealthplans.

Toppingupthegovernment-fundedpaidparentalleavesothattheparentreceivestheirfullpayforthe18-weekleaveperiod.

Policiestorespecttheoften-competingneedsoffamily,education,healthandrecreation(e.g.flexibleworkingarrangements,workingfromhomepolicies,leavewithoutpay,purchasingadditionalleave).

Provideaccesstoareasfornursingmothers.Programsencouragingopportunitiesforparttimeleaders

andparttimemanagers.Employeenetworksfordiversityandinclusion‘champions’.A‘Women’sCouncil’forglobaloperations.Regionaldiversitycommittees.Women’snetworks,withmembershipdrawnfromacrossall

businesses,gendersandlocationstounderstandthebarrierstoachievingincreasedfemaleparticipationinleadership,toraiseawareness,providenetworkingopportunities,recommendpracticalsolutions,andenhancethepersonalandprofessionaldevelopmentofemployeesatthefirm.

4.5 FINDINGTHEBESTPEOPLE

Makingemploymentopportunitiesaccessibletoawiderrangeofpotentialemployees,andtargetingthosesectorsofthecommunitythatarenotusuallyassociatedwiththeindustry,areimportantstepstoimprovingworkforcediversity.

Todothis,trainingandguidanceisgiventothosewhositonhiringpanels,anduniversitycareerfairsareusedtothrowthenetwidely,enticingthebestandbrightestofthenextgenerations.Otherinitiativestodrawonawiderpoolofcandidatesareused:

Changingthelanguageusedinrecruitingmaterial,inductiondocuments,online,andinjobadvertisementstospeaktoabroaderaudience.

Changingnewemployeereferencechecktemplatestoincludestatementsandquestionsaboutdiversitypolicies.

Reviewinggraduaterecruitmentprocedures.Localrelationshipswithuniversitiesandindustrycouncils.Recognisinganddealingwithunconsciousbiasofrecruiters.Areviewofallpositiondescriptionstoavoidbias.CEOinterviewsofwomenwhoresign,togatherfeedback

andanalysetrends.

ATTRACTINGANDRETAININGDIVERSITYATPARSONSBRINCKERHOFF

ParsonsBrinckerhoff,aConsultAustraliamemberfirm,hasimplementedanumberofchangesinrecruitmentandretentionpracticestobroadenitsworkforcediversity.In2012theyarerevisinggraduateattractionandselectionprocessestoincreasetheproportionoffemalegraduateappointments,includingthewayitpresentsitselfatgraduatefairs,theworkshopsitrunswithpotentialgraduates,andthewayitworksupcandidateshortlists.Itisalsorevisingtermsofengagementwithrecruiterstoensurediverseshortlistsareavailable,andisreviewingthecandidatereferralprogramtoencouragestafftoreferfemalecandidates.

Attheretentionendofthespectrum,ParsonsBrinckerhoff’sManagingDirectorinterviewedaselectionoffemaleleaversin2011toestablishwhethercommonthemesdevelopamongdepartingfemalestaff.Theintervieweesprovidedvaluablefeedbacktothecompany’sDiversityCouncilwhichisbeingusedtoaddressculturalandprocessdrivenissuestoimprovetheprofessionalexperienceoffemalestaff.

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LEARNINGFROMOTHERPROFESSIONSANDSECTORS

TheexperienceofConsultAustraliamemberfirmshighlightsthatwhiletherearemanybestpracticeinitiativescommonacrossfirmsandsectors,itisequallyimportantthatfirmstailortheirapproachtodevelopingworkforcediversitytomeettheirspecificchallenges.Inthiscontext,itisusefultoconsidertheapproachtakenbyotherprofessionsandsectorswithdifferentexperiencesacrossabroadrangeofissues.Theinitiativesemployedhereoffersomeinsightsintothelateralthinkinganduniqueapproachesdemandedforaninclusiveworkplace.

5.1 HEALTHSECTOR

Key message: Prepare a detailed, multi faceted, plan to allow for inclusion of all employees’ requirements.

MaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtd,foundedbytheBrisbaneCongregationoftheSistersofMercyandwith7,500staffandvolunteers,hasmadeworkforcediversityakeybusinessissue.Thisispartlyduetoashrinkingworkforce,butitisalsointegraltoitsmissionofprovidinghealthservicestoallwithoutdiscrimination.Thereisastrongemphasisonequalemploymentopportunityonthebasisofrace(e.g.AboriginalsandTorresStraitIslanders)andage(e.g.aworkforceapproachingorpastretirement).Mater’sworkforceispredominantlyfemale,particularlyinnursing,butinthemedicalareatherearemorementhanwomen.Materhasequalopportunitiesandnon-discriminatorypoliciesinplacebuthasalsointroducedseveralactiveinitiativestobringchange.

Leadership buy-in

GenderequalityataseniorlevelhasbeenachievedatMaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtd.Thisisduetoaculturethatsupportsinprinciplea50:50ratioofmentowomenatboardlevel—thoughthisisnotawrittenpolicyandisnotstrictlyenforcedasallappointmentsareonthebasisofmerit.TraditionallytherehavealwaysbeentwooftheSistersofMercyontheboard—again,thisisnotawrittenpolicy.ThisculturereflectsatraditionofreportingtotheSistersofMercyandaculturalexpectationofwomenbeingwell-representedontheboard.Incontrast,someotherlargeoperatorsofhospitalshavenofemaleboardmembersdespitefemalestaffmakingupover80percentoftheirworkforces.

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LearningfromotherProfessionsandSectors

Meeting the needs of employees

Theretirementrateisakeyindicatorforthenursingprofessionastotheavailablesupplyofnurses,ratherthanthegraduationrate.Withanageingworkforce,particularlyinareassuchasmidwifery,thereareissuesrelatingtoknowledgetransferandretentionofkeyskillsintheworkforce.Thishasbeenadriverindevelopingwaystokeepstaffbeyondtheageatwhichpeoplecontemplateretiringfromfulltimework.Theseworkerswillsimplyretireandhenceleavetheworkforceiftheyarenotcateredfor.

MaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtdhastakenseveralstreamsofactiontoaddressthis,suchasfullyflexibleworkingarrangements.Thishasincludedintroducinga‘twilightshift’,whichallowsstafftoworkintheeveningandisaimedatparentswhosepartnerworksduringthedayandcanthentakeoverthechildcareresponsibilitiesfortheevening.

Theflexibleworkingarrangementsalsoallowstaffcontemplatingretiringfromfulltimeworktocutbackontheirhourswithoutleavingtheworkforce.MaterHealthiscurrentlyconsideringtheintroductionofanonlinesystemthatallowsstafftochangetheirrostersfromhome,orwherevertheycangetaccesstotheinternet.Thiswillmaketheworkrostersevenmoreflexible.

MaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtdhascharitablestatus,whichallowsfortheprovisionofadditionalsalarysacrificingopportunities.ThisincludeschildcarethatisprovidedonsiteataMater-runfacility.

MaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtddoesnotthinkthatanyoftheinitiativesithasintroducedhavebeenunsuccessful,howevertherehasbeennodirectmeasurementofthelevelofbenefitthathasbeenderivedfromeachpolicy.Thisperhapsreflectsthechallengesinquantifyingsuccessagainstindividualinitiatives.ThemainindicatorofthesuccessofthepolicieshasbeenthatMaterHealthServicesBrisbaneLtdhasaverylowturnoverratecomparedtootherhealthcareproviders.

5.2 LEGALPROFESSION

Key message: CEO Commitment and involvement—sending a signal to the whole organisation that diversity is important and that senior people are engaged with diversity—is vital.

9LearningfromotherProfessionsandSectors

Whilethereisarangeofreasonswhythelawfirmsinterviewedforthisreporthavemadeworkforcediversityakeybusinessissue,genderistheleadingfactor.Therehascertainlybeenasignificantchangeintheprofession’sgenderprofileinrecentyears.

TheLawSocietyofNSW,forexample,reportsthatin198820.2percentofsolicitorswerefemale.After22years,in2010,thathadgrownto45.9percentandlookssettokeepclimbing.Theaverageannualgrowthrateforfemalesolicitorssince1988hasbeen8.1percent,comparedwithjust2.3percentformen.20

However,whilegraduateintakesarearound50/50male/female,lessthan25percentofwomenareeventuallyappointedaspartners,indicatingthatmoreworkisstillrequired.Flexibleworkingarrangementsareseenasakeyretentiontool,supplemen-tedwithtrainingandmentoringforemployeesandmanagers.

Leadership buy-in

PerhapsthegreatestdriverofchangeinthelegalprofessionhasbeenthecommitmentofCEOs.They,andotherseniorleaders,canberolemodelswhopromotediversity,sharepersonalexperiencesandfosterabroaderacceptancethatcareerpathsarenotlinearandcanaccommodateadiverseworkforce’sdiverseneeds.

Up-skilling staff

Mentoringisapopularactionforlawfirmsandcantakemanyforms,butforgreatestimpacttheparticipantsinthisreportsaidthatitneedstobedrivenbywomen.Somefirmstakealayeredapproach—seniorassociatesmentorjuniorswhilepartnersmentorseniorassociates—andanotherreportedthattheyfindsmall-groupmentoringtobemoreeffectivethanone-on-onementoringbecauseitencourageswiderdiscussion.Inanexampleofcross-industryparticipation,onefirmapproachedamajorbanktoarrangeforthebank’sstafftomentorsomeofthelawfirm’sfemalelawyers.


Employeesurveysareusedtoidentifyissuessothatactionscanbetargetedforgreatestimpact.Inonefirm,adiversitysurveyhighlightedissuessuchasinclusiveness,stereotypingandbias.Thishasledthefirmtointroducetrainingonspecificissues,suchas‘unconsciousbias’forleadersandmanagerstocreatebroaderawareness.DiversityCouncilswithsessionsfrommotivationalspeakersandclientparticipationareanotherwaytoengagestaffintheissue.

Onefirmhasappointeda‘FlexibilityManager’toensurethereisopendialoguebetweenmanagersandemployees,andthatexpectationsonbothsidesareclarifiedbeforetheflexibleworkingarrangementscommence.Othersutilisetrialperiodsforanindividual’sflexibleworkingarrangement,withreviewstoensurethatitoperatessmoothlyfortheemployeeandmanager.Onefirmnotedthattheyuseflexibilityasan‘enabler’thatcoversalldemographics,notjustwomenandthosewithfamilycommitments.

Butwhatofthechallenges?Theparticipatinglawfirmssharedsometheyexperienced.Firstamongthechallengesisaneedtospreadknowledgeofthebusinesscaseforworkforcediversityandtoengagementoremovethestigmathatitisonlyawomen’sissue.

ThecommitmentofCEOsandtheleadershipteamisvital,butwithoutgivingthemthetoolsandlanguagetohelpthemchampiontheissue,theywillbelesseffective.Sotrainingforleadersisneeded.

Flexibleworkingarrangementsareidentifiedaboveasaleadingmeanstoimproveworkforcediversity,butitremainsonethatisseenasacomplexitywhichmayimpactperformance,andisinconsistentlyexecuted.Supportforitvariesacrosslegalfirms,asdoestheabilityofsupervisorsandmanagerstoimplementitsuccessfully.Employeescanhaveunrealisticexpectationsofwhatcanbeachievedandneedtoacknowledgethatboththeemployerandemployeeneedtobeflexibleforittowork.

Workplaceculturealsoneedstochangesothatemployeesfeelabletoworkflexiblywithoutfearingnegativecareerconsequences.Forthelegalprofession,challengesincludethemeasurementofperformanceintermsof‘billablehours’andtheinflexibilityofexternaldeadlinesanddrivers(suchascourtcommitmentsandregulatoryhurdles).Somechallengesmaybeuniquebutothersmirrorissuesfacedinotherindustries,suchasclientexpectationsofconsultants.Itisimportanttotailorresponsestosuittheuniquechallengesofeachindustryorprofession.

5.3 ACCOUNTING

Key message: Culture is the most important thing and will take time to change.

Forthosemembersoftheaccountingprofessioninterviewedforthisreport,itwasthechampioningofdiversitybyseniorfiguresthatwasthetriggerforaction.

Targets and measurement

Toimproveworkforcediversity,thefirmsinterviewedplacedgreatimportanceonthecollectionofdata.Datawasseenasvitaltomeasuringtheimpactofactivitiesandtoprovideincentivesforfurtheraction.TheinformationrequiredwasusuallycollectedthroughinterviewswithfemalestaffmembersandthroughanalysisofEqualOpportunityforWomenintheWorkplaceAgency(EOWA)reportstatistics.

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Leadership buy-in

Solidgainsinworkforcediversitywereseenfromarangeofinitiatives.Strongsupportfromtheleadershipteamis,intheviewsofthoseinterviewed,veryimportant,andfirmscanhelpdemonstratethisbymakinggenderastandingitemforboardmeetings.Howthisisimplementedwillvarywitheachboard,andcaremustbetakentoensurethatitdoesnotbecomeamerechecklistitem.


Aswithmostprofessions,achievingawork-lifebalanceandmakingreturningfromparentalleaveeasyarevaluableinitiatives,andanauditofsalariesenabledonefirmtoensurethatthewagegapwasidentifiedanddealtwith.

Theaccountingandarchitectureprofessionsadvisethatcultureisthemostimportantthingandwilltaketimetochange.Partofthisishavingseniorleadershipcommitment,andfirmsrecommenddevelopinganddeliveringnewinitiativeseachyeartomaintaintheirmotivationandengagement.Inthisvein,firmsneedmeasurablegoalstotrackprogressandidentifysuccessesandfailuresofdeployedstrategies.

Finding the best people

Engagingnewentrantstotheprofessionshasalsoproveneffective,withhighschoolvisitsforyears9,10and11studentsprovidedwithcareersadvice,rolemodellingprogramsandscholarships.Aprofessionalassociationforaccountantshasaspeakersprogramwherebypractisingaccountantsareencouragedtogobacktoschooltoselltheprofession(anddeveloptheirownpresentationskills).

REACHINGOUTTOHIGHSCHOOLSTUDENTS

Asafirstyearundergraduatestudent,EktaaPatelattendedanInstituteofCharteredAccountantsinAustralianetworkingevent.Accountingisachallengingcareerandthesupportshefoundthereencouragedherto‘stayinthegame’.BynetworkingwiththeInstitute’smembership—accountancyconsultants,recruiters,andexperiencedgraduates—shefoundasenseofdirection.

Later,EktaabecametheCharteredAccountantsStudentBrandChampforRMITUniversity.ThisrolesawherspeaktostudentsatherformerhighschoolanduniversitytopromotethecareerofCharteredAccountants.Shefoundthatstudentsoftendonothavethefactsonwhichtobasecareerchoicesandshewasabletodispelmisconceptionsoftheprofessionandprovidetheinformationneededtomakeinformedstudydecisions.

Choosingtherightcareerpathcanbedifficult.ForEktaa,thebiggestlessontakenfromherownjourneyandStudentBrandChampworkisthatreachingouttoschoolanduniversitystudentswithadviceandsupportisessential.Sometimes,shesaid,allittakesispositivewordsofwisdomfromprofessionalnetworks.

Marketingbrochuresaimedatyoungermarketsmustappealtotheparticularsegmenttargeted.Forinstance,theexperienceoftheintervieweeshasshownthatgraduateslooktothosewhoarethreetofouryearsolderasinspiration.

Helpingthosewithrecruitinganddevelopmentdecisionstorecogniseandovercomeunconsciousbias,anddevelopingunderstandingoftheissuesacrosstheworkforce,willassistthisprocess.

Overall,severalkeydriversforimprovingworkforcediversitycanbeidentifiedthroughthoseaccountingfirmsparticipating:

Thetoneatthetop:achievediversityontheboardandexecutive,introducerolemodellingprogramsandchangeagents.

Culture:embedacultureofunderstanding(ofunconsciousbias,the‘hourglassceiling’,the‘maternalwall’),leading,andcelebrating.

Havingacodetooperateunder:buildabusinesscase,developcrediblepolicies,achievepayequity,monitorresults,andintroduceflexibilityinworkingpractices.

Assignmentofkeypersonnel:afinancialinvestmentinpersonnelisnecessary,withidentifiedrolesandresponsibilities.

Supportandoversight:introducesponsorshipandcoachingforjuniorstaff,settargets,monitordataandreportonprogress,developthoseinleadershippositions.

JARGONBUSTER

Sincethecreationofthewell-knownterm,“glassceiling”arangeofothershavebeencoinedtodescribetheexperiencesofwomenandotherminorityworkers.

The glass ceiling:Theunseen,yetunbreachablebarrierthatkeepsminoritiesandwomenfromrisingtotheupperrungsofthecorporateladder,regardlessoftheirqualificationsorachievements.21

The hour glass ceiling:Careeradvancementisoftentiedtoputtinginlongworkinghours.Forwomenwhoalsohavechildcareduties(andthesedutiesareveryoftentakenbythemother),longhoursatworkaredifficulttoachieveandtheyarethusfacedwithan‘hourglassceiling’.22

The maternal wall:Thematernalwalldescribesadropincareersuccessthatcanbeexperiencedbyfemaleworkerswhobecomepregnantorreturntoworkafterhavingachild.Itistiedtoattitudesthatregardworkingparentsasbeinginsufficientlycommittedtowork,orunabletocontributeaseffectivelytotheteamasanon-parent.

The glass cliff:Atermtodescribeaphenomenonwhereby,ifpromotedintoaseniorleadershipposition,womenarelikelytofindthemselvesonaglasscliff—dealingwithsituationsthatareseriouslyrisky.Inshort,theyaresetupforfailure.


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5.4 MARITIMEINDUSTRY

Key message: Begin by identifying the future business direction and workforce needs.

TheAustralianMaritimeCollege(AMC)isthenationalinstituteformaritimeeducationandtrainingbasedinLaunceston,Tasmania.Ithasaninternationallysourcedstaffandstudentpopulation.TheworkforcediversityissuesencounteredbytheAMCarewiderrangingthanformostotherprofessionsexaminedinthisreport.AsignificantproportionofstaffandstudentsobserveRamadan,andtheAMCmustcatertostudentswithawiderangeofacademicneeds.AMCisalsoconfrontedwithanageingworkforcethatisoftenreferredtoasthe“retirementgroup”.

Up-skilling staff

AMChasfoundsuccessinitsprogramstoup-skillstaffandimprovetheirnetworkingabilities.Femalegraduatenumbershaveincreased.Workplacestrategieshavebeendesignedtoaddresschallenges,suchasculturaltensionsandlanguagebarriers,meetingtheexpectationsofinternationalstaff,andintroducingfemalestudentsintothemoremale-dominatedprofessions.

Activitytoaddressgenderdiversityincludestheintroductionoffemale-onlyscholarshipsforareaswheretheleveloffemaleparticipationislow,staffaccesstomentoringand“LeadershipforWomen”programs.Monthlynetworkingmeetingsareheldoncampusfor“WomenintheNorth”andtheAMCmakeseffortstoaccommodatepart-timeemployment.


AUSTRALIANMARITIMECOLLEGE:MEETINGCULTURALCHALLENGES

AMC’sapproachtotheimpactofRamadanoffersanexampleofhowAMChasrespondedtotheneedsofadiversepopulation.RamadanisintheninthmonthoftheMuslimyearandlastsfor29or30days.DuringthistimeparticipatingMuslimsfastduringdaylighthours.

ThisperiodpresentsAMCwithsignificantissuesasstaffandstudentscanbeundertakingphysicaltraining(e.g.firefighting,survivalexercises),yetcannotconsumeeitherliquidorfoodbetweensunriseandsunset.TheAMChastobeveryawareofwhenRamadanwilloccurandappropriatelystructurecoursecontentatthistime.Thecafeteriaalsoprovidesstudentswithbreakfastprovisionsthenightbefore,anddinnerservingtimesareextendedtoallowthestudentstoeatwhendark.


Broaderstaffdevelopmentopportunitiesareusedtoretainvaluablemembers.Thisincludesshort-terminternationalstaffexchanges,especiallyintheresearcharea,andofferingfinancialsupportforbothacademicandgeneraliststaffwishingtopursuefurthereducationanddevelopmentopportunities.

Finding the best people

Aparticularchallengehasbeenfacedinattemptstocountertheindustry’sageingpopulation.WhileAMCtendstobeabletoattractsomeyoungpeoplewhowantabreakfromseagoingdutieswhiletheystartyoungfamilies,theysoonreturntoseagoingdutieswhentheirchildrenareolder.Thisleavesagapintheagedemographicbetweenthosequiteyoungstaff,andotherswhoarenearingtheageatwhichpeoplecontemplateretiringfromfulltimework.

PartofthereasonthatyoungerexperiencedpeoplearedifficulttorecruitisthewagedisparitybetweenwhatAMCcanofferandwhattheycanearninthewidermarineindustry.ItiscommonforafirstyeargraduateofAMCtoearnover$150,000forsixmonthswork.Thetopoftheacademicsalaryscaleismuchlessthanthisatabout$144,000perannum,andveryfewstaffareatthatlevel.

AMCofferedadvicefororganisationswishingtoimproveworkforcediversity.Itwassuggestedthatorganisationsbeginbyidentifyingthefuturebusinessdirectionandworkforceneeds,andanalysingandunderstandingthemake-upofthecurrentworkforce.Thiscanthenleadtodeterminingthenecessaryskills,capabilitiesandcompetenciestoachievestrategicandoperationalgoalsinthefuture.Finally,developinstitutionalandbudgetcentre-basedpoliciesandstrategiesthatwillassistinachievingthesegoals.

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CONCLUSIONANDNEXTSTEPS

ThisreporthascollectedabroadrangeofinformationfromtheexperiencesofConsultAustraliamemberfirms,currentpracticesofotherprofessions,andtheadviceofleadingprofessionalservicesandbusinessconsultingfirms.Together,itpaintsavividpictureofexistingeffortstomakeworkforcesdiverseandinclusive.

Theclearestmessagethatemergesisthatstrongleadershipfromthetopofanorganisationistheprimaryandessentialingredientforsuccess.Thisincludesallocatingresourcestotheissueandleadingbyexample.Othercriticalfactorsinclude:

Makingflexibleworkingarrangementsareality.

Broadeningthelanguageofworkplacediversitytoensurethatissuesotherthangenderareincluded.

Providingmanagersandworkerswithnewskillstoenablethemtoworkeffectivelyinchangingworkplaces.

Settingtargetsandcollectingmeaningfuldatatomeasurethepaceofchangetohelpidentifythoseinitiativesthatdeliverthegreatestbenefits.

Itisclearthatsometailoringofresponsestosuittheneedsofdifferentprofessionsandindustriesisalsoessential.Somefirmswillhaveanageingworkforce,whilstothersaremoreconcernedwiththeneedsofayoungerworkforce,work-lifebalanceandfamilycommitments.Smallerfirmswillneedtorespondto‘keypersonrisks’,andtheengineeringprofessionwilllikelyrequireadifferentresponsetothearchitecturalprofessionwherethechallengesvary.

Inacomplexandcompetitiveoperatingenvironment,itwillbefortheCEOtodecidewhatdirectiontotaketomeettheirindustry’schallenges,achievesuccessfortheirfirmandensureaninclusiveandproductiveenvironmentfortheirstaff.

Thisreportshouldpromptfirmstoconsiderhowtheyaredevelopingamorediverseandinclusiveworkforce:

IsyourCEOahigh-profilesupporterofdiversityprograms?Haveyousettargetsandareyoumeasuringprogressto

meetthem?Doyourlinemanagersfeelabletomeettheneedsofan

increasinglychangingworkforceandflexibleworkplace?Howcanrelationshipswithclientsbestrengthenedby

changestoworkingpractices?Areyousponsoringwomenandothersunderrepresentedin

yourfirm?

ThenextstepfortheConsultAustraliaWorkforceDiversityRoundtableistodrawonthisreporttodevelopadvicespecifictofirmsconsultinginthebuiltandnaturalenvironment.Itisclearfromthisreportthatworkforcediversityisanissueaffectingallindustries,butoftenindifferentways.ConsultAustralialooksforwardtofacilitatingfurtherdiscussionsacrossindustrytoidentifyhowgreaterdiversitymightbeachieved.Thisreportshouldhelpcatalysethesediscussionsandprovidesomenextstepsforfirmsandindividualsinpursuitofamorediverseapproach.

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Conclusionsandnextsteps

13

1Desvaux,G,Devillard-Hoellinger,S,andBaumgarten,P,Women Matter: Gender diversity, a corporate performance driver,McKinsey&Company(2007).

2APESMA,Women in the professions: The state of play 2009-10,TheAssociationofProfessionalEngineers,ScientistsandManagers,Australia(2010).

3Kaspura,A,The Engineering Profession: A Statistical Overview,EighthEdition,EngineersAustralia,(2011)p34.

4Scott,M,Women in leadership: Engaging Australian business,Ernst&Young,(2010).

5Our experiences in elevating the representation of women in leadership: a letter from business leaders,AustralianHumanRightsCommission(2011).Availableat:http://www.hreoc.gov.au/sex_discrimination/publication/mcc/index.html.

6Schreiber,U,etal,Women in Leadership: How smart are you?,Ernst&Young,(2010).

7Sanders,M,etal,What stops women from reaching the top? Confronting the tough issues,Bain&CompanyandChiefExecutiveWomen(2011).

8 Impacting Gender Diversity: Exploring the challenges and generating strategies for change,DeloitteandWomen&LeadershipAustralia,(2011).

9Schreiber,U,etal,Women in Leadership: How smart are you?,Ernst&Young,(2010).


11ASXCorporateGovernanceCouncil,Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations with 2010 Amendments,2nded,(30June2010),AustralianSecuritiesExchange,pp22-25.Availableat:http://www.asx.com.au/governance/corporate-governance.htm.TheASXprovidesresourcesforlistedentitiesat:http://www.asxgroup.com.au/diversity-resources.htm.

12Moredetailsandhelptocomplywiththelegislationareavailableviahttp://www.eowa.gov.au/Reporting_And_Compliance_LandingPage.asp.

13Conway,H,The Way Ahead for the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency,mediarelease(7October2011).Availableat:http://www.eowa.gov.au/Information_Centres/Media_Centre/Clayton_Utz_Article.asp.


15Shanahan,A,Forging a career path without gender police, The Australian,19March2011

16Russell,J,A quota for women in industry, inNationalOutlook(Winter2011),pp10-11.


REFERENCES718Sanders,M,etal,What stops women from reaching thetop?

Confrontingthetoughissues,Bain&CompanyandChiefExecutiveWomen(2011).

19Our experiences in elevating the representation of women in leadership: a letter from business leaders,AustralianHumanRightsCommission(2011).Availableat:http://www.hreoc.gov.au/sex_discrimination/publication/mcc/index.html.

202010 Profile of the Solicitors of NSW,Urbis,fortheLawSocietyofNSW,January2011,pp5-6.

21A Solid Investment: making full use of the nation’s human capital,RecommendationsoftheFederalGlassCeilingCommission,(Washington,D.C.,November1995),p4.

22ANUMediaOffice,Hourglass ceiling: Mothers’ careers squeezed,AustralianNationalUniversity,(12May2008).Availableat:http://news.anu.edu.au/?p=388.

References

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NOTES

CULTURE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND WILL TAKE TIME TO CHANGE.

CULTURE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND WILL TAKE TIME TO CHANGE.

ContactMeganMotto,ChiefExecutiveJonathanCartledge,DirectorofPolicyJonathanRussell,SeniorPolicyAdvisor,WorkforceDiversity

ConsultAustraliaLevel6,50ClarenceStreetSydneyNSW2000P.0299224711F.0299572484E.info@consultaustralia.com.auW.www.consultaustralia.com.au

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