Niche Recruitment

Posted by Niche Recruitment
8th March 2023

IWD 2023: Championing Equity and Equality in The Workplace

It’s here! International Women’s Day 2023 has arrived, and this year’s theme, #EmbraceEquity aims to get the world discussing how equal opportunities aren’t enough and that true inclusion requires equitable action. In light of today’s theme, we wanted to review current employment statistics and offer top tips on championing equity and equality in the workplace.

If you’re scratching your head at what the difference is between equality and equity, here’s a quick explanation:

Equity Vs Equality

Equity and Equality share a root meaning, ‘even’, ‘fair’ or ‘equal’. However, the two words have a slight variation in meaning.

Equality means everyone is given the same resources or opportunities. However, Equity recognises that each individual has different circumstances and therefore allocates the required resources needed to create an equal outcome.

Want to explore this further? Click here to read an insightful article from George Washington University.

As a Recruitment agency, we like to stay informed on UK employment statistics; here is some of the latest data on women in the UK workforce…

Women in The Workforce: Top Statistics

• According to Office for National Statistics, in the UK, 15.66 million women aged 16 and over were in employment in October to December 2022. This means that 108,000 more women were employed than in the year before.
• Of the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises with employees, 19% were led by women in 2021, according to data from the BEIS Small Business Survey (employers). 
• In July 2022, 39.6% of FTSE 100 directorships and 38.9% of FTSE 250 directorships were held by women. Recent increases in the rate are partly due to changes in the state pension age for women.
• However, this increase in employment is shadowed by the gender pay gap. According to new research from The Living Wage Foundation, 14% of women (over 2 million) who are in work are paid below the real living wage in the UK. Compared to 9% of men.
• According to The Women in Work Index 2023, the UK fell five places on the list of top OECD countries for women’s employment outcomes, from ninth place in 2020, to 14^th place in 2021. The downfall is suggested to be due to the gender pay gap.

So we know the data and where progress needs to be made, but how can we begin to solve these problems? let’s take a closer look at how businesses can be the change-makers and champion equity in the workplace.

How to Champion Equity and Equality in The Workplace

Modernise Your Recruitment Strategies

Prioritise diversity and inclusivity in your recruitment. If you’re not getting a diverse range of applicants, check your job description and adverts to identify if there are any gender-specific pronouns or review your interview questions, looking for any gender-specific questions. Swap these for more inclusive options.

Provide Equal Opportunities

Provide each of your employees with the same opportunities. Ensure each employee feels recognised and is given opportunities for training, learning, feedback and progress.

Implement Pay Transparency

Be open about how your organisation determines pay and benefit structures for staff and the formula you use for calculating salary increases. Carrying out research into market rates to ensure salaries are fair can be crucial.

Offer ‘Family Friendly’ Policies

Become a ‘family friendly’ employer by offering flexible working arrangements, Maternity and Paternity leave and pay, offer support and allow an open conversation about parental responsibilities. For more information on championing a family-friendly approach, click here.

Embracing Equity at Niche Recruitment

‘Equity is important for us all to feel fulfilled and succeed together.’

Niche Recruitment Co-Director Michelle Graham

It’s important to practise what you preach and here at Niche, we aim to do just that. Discussing this year’s International Women’s Day theme with Niche Recruitment Co- Director’s Michelle Graham and Nick Wimshurst, equity has always been a priority at Niche.

Co-Founder and Director Michelle Graham explained;

‘From the first conversation about starting the business, Nick and I were clear that we wanted to create an environment where we could offer a great service and feel fulfilled in our roles whilst not missing any of those precious family moments.

During the early years, I worked reduced school hours and felt fully supported by Nick in having the opportunity to balance the business and home life, working hard to avoid the dreaded ‘Mum guilt’. I feel very fortunate to have such a supportive Co-Director in Nick who is not just a great recruiter, but also a wonderful father and husband, working hard to give his children and wife the best opportunities to feel truly fulfilled.

 So when it came to growing our team and considering employees looking for flexible working options it felt very natural to us to recognise the importance of offering flexibility for all, to help our team feel fulfilled at work and home.

We have an amazing team of 10 with 40% of the team working reduced hours, the majority to fit around busy family life but one working a flexible schedule around studies.

Equity is important for us all to feel fulfilled and succeed together.’

‘We champion a work/life balance, and help accommodate demands placed on working mothers and give opportunities for women to shine in the business and carve successful careers.’

Niche Recruitment Co-Director Nick Wimshurst

Niche Recruitment’s Co-Founder and Director, Nick Wimshurst, also commented on the importance of equity in business, describing how;

‘As an inclusive employer, Michelle and I made a conscious decision to provide flexible working options for a number of our employees, to champion a work/life balance, and help accommodate demands placed on working mothers and give opportunities for women to shine in the business and carve successful careers.

My business partner and Co-Founder Michelle is real inspiration to women in the workplace, including working mums. Internally, she is a great leader, highly organised with meticulous attention to detail and has helped to grow and manage our team here at Niche Recruitment. This is all alongside balancing this with raising a wonderful son, supporting her husband and generally just getting on with life! A real inspiration and someone I am proud to work with.’

If you’re an employer looking for further advice and keen to explore what others are doing, or if you are on the job hunt for an employer that truly embraces equity, then get in touch with us today!