Women Leading Diversity

Presenters:Alison McKechnie and Rowenna Walker

Introduction

• Who is SKM?• Diversity at SKM...How are Women leading it?– Women in Consulting (WiC)– Global Diversity Committee

• Who are these Women & what do they do?

Leading Cultural Change

• In 2006, senior women at SKM recognised the necessity for;- Greater representative of females within management and leadership

roles;- Improved recruitment, recognition and retention of female staff;- Better mentoring and networking opportunities to support career and

development needs.

• Consequently, the Women in Consulting (WiC) initiative was established to engage women at all levels within SKM and provide opportunities for staff development and career progression.

• WiC represents SKM’s acknowledgement that diversity and equality is not just about providing a better workplace for all staff but is a financial imperative for the future of the business.

WiC Vision

To advance and support women at SKM by promoting the value of women in consulting environments

• Encourage diversity of thought in strategic planning• Tap into a broader and more dynamic talent pool• Improve staff awareness of career opportunities and potential within the

business• Attract key skills in an increasingly competitive market• Help us expand into new markets and geographies• Address the retention and progression issues of mid-level female staff

which was becoming an increasing problem• Connect with our clients better – in many instances their company profiles

are also changing

Key Initiatives

• Involvement in development of Flexible Work Policies• Support for increased parental leave (12 weeks) for

both genders• Instigated reporting mechanisms specifically recording

diversity figures (attrition rates by gender, % females in management roles, etc)

• Assisting with the implementation of Good Workplace Relations and Behaviour programs (ie. Bullying and harassment, Cultural awareness training)

• Establishing mentoring programs specifically for women

Key Initiatives

• Encouraging networking opportunities both internally and externally

• Promoting the achievements and career choices of women within SKM

• Connecting female staff with female students in school and universities to promote career opportunities in engineering, science and consulting

• Regular client events to connect, learn and share information from other women in our industries

• Achieving EOWA Employer of Choice for Women accreditation

Impact and Results

• Increasing % Female Staff• Less variance of attrition rates by gender reduced

from 5% to 1.4% since WiC• Increasing % of female managers– 37.5% of SKM board are female– 15% women in management roles – 23% of team leaders and above are women

• Increasing % of part time staff from 4.6% to 5.3%

Impact and Results

Arup Exxon Mobil SKM Woodside Worley Parsons

0102030405060708090

30 30 29 26 22

% of Female Employees by Company

FemaleMale

Females in SKM:• 29% staff•32% new hires

Impact and Results

• An open and transparent recruitment policy . All leadership roles in the organisation are advertised internally, with a diverse interview panel including at least one female interviewer.

• Active sponsorship of female talent in the organisation, including the CEO personally reviewing attendance at each senior leadership development program, to ensure females are included.

• Ensuring gender pay equity through continual analysis of salary reviews by gender.• Diversity as a standing agenda item at all senior management meetings.• Diversity included as a key theme in many leadership development forums across all career

streams, which helps to support working across cultures and recognising unconscious bias.• Stronger reporting mechanisms, including a rigorous analysis of exit interview data by

gender, discipline and location, including follow up surveys.• 'EOWA Employer of Choice for Women' (EOCFW) • NAWIC Crystal Vision Award for Advancing the Interests of Women in the Construction

Industry in Victoria, Australia 2008

Being part of the solution – What worked

• Active (not Rhetoric) CEO and Senior Management sponsorship

• Business Plan and related budget that aligned with SKM strategic vision and core business priorities

• Inclusion: men on committees, invited to events• Consistency: Global WiC and diversity committees• Promoting Choice: There is no right or wrong way to

live your career• Listening: feedback from all informal & surveys

Being part of the solution - What didn’t

• One size doesn’t fit all• Secret women’s business• Being part of HR/People• Preaching to the converted• Not doing a lot of things well• Being antagonistic

Future Priorities – A way to go

Future Priorities – A way to go

• Continue to be relevant• Communicate, celebrate and acknowledge progress• Growing committees in all regions• Better communication and consistency across WiC in

undertaking initiatives and sharing knowledge• Be responsive –Listening to our staff better about

what they need in their careers and diverse life styles• Connect with our clients/partners/industry and share