Despite continuing advances in gender equality in the workplace and beyond, there’s a reason conversations about the issue continue: female graduates still face some disadvantages in the jobs market.
Recent reports have revealed the extent to which the gender pay gap still exists, and the difference can be seen between male and female graduates’ starting salaries. Data published in 2015 showed that twice as many men earn between £30,000-£40,000 than women, and that the median salary for female graduates was £1,000 less than that of males. And the level of women in senior management positions and on company boards is still proportionally lower across the workforce than that of men.
So there are plenty of reasons to apply to a company that is taking active steps to achieve true gender equality and diversity in the workplace, but which of them also offer good opportunities at graduate level?
We’ve put together this list by cross-referencing the most recent editions of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. And as there are 30 employers that make both lists, we narrowed it down by looking at where they placed on the Guardian’s UK 300 – a ranking of which employers graduates most want to work for.
The Big Four (professional services)
It may be a cheat to include 4 employers in one, but all of the UK’s leading professional services firms – Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, and EY – performed well in the rankings, and between them planned to hire around 5,100 graduates in 2016.
The 2015-16 Graduate Employers list saw PwC top the table for the twelfth year in a row. Its graduate scheme is built upon strong foundations of mentoring, training, development, and support. And though it’s biggest base is in London, there are 29 locations across the UK that graduates can join. The firm also runs a high potential female development programme, Breakthrough, and sets gender and ethnicity targets for each grade pool.
Deloitte, KPMG, and EY also all rank within the top ten graduate employers, and have been recognised for their commitment to gender equality in the workplace, and for running a variety of schemes and programmes to help women maximise their potential. EY’s Managing Partner for Talent in the UK and Ireland, Liz Bingham, stressed the importance of an approach that encompasses the entire workforce, improving diversity ‘from graduate entry to the boardroom’.
Deloitte has also chosen to publically engage with the problem of the gender pay gap, reporting its own average wage gaps across the company and at each grade; the firm is determined to balance the numbers and has set new targets for women in senior positions.
MI5 (public service)
A far cry from the popular media image of the gentleman spy – white, male, private school and Oxbridge educated – the Secret Service is actually well recognised for its commitment to diversity.
As well as establishing itself as a top employer for women and taking strides in employing Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff, MI5 was named Employer of the Year 2016 in Stonewall’s list of best employers for LGBT staff. Staff of all gender identities and sexual orientations are recruited and work in every area of the organisation.
The Service recruits around 80 graduates, who can expect to earn between £28,500-£30,000 at entry level, who join graduate programmes for Intelligence Officers and Intelligence Data Analysts.
Unilever (consumer goods)
Unilever UK has 40 brands covering a variety of commodities, from soup to soap. The employer recruits 50 graduates at starting salaries of £30,000 to its Management and Development programme. It also employs another 50 or so students on industrial or summer placements.
The company demonstrates internal commitment to and external promotion of gender equality; at the Business in the Community Workplace Gender Equality Awards it received the Female FTSE 100 Award, which recognises the affiliate organisation with the most women on its board.
JP Morgan (financial services)
Rising to 14th place in the Top Graduate Employers list, JP Morgan is the first global finance firm to achieve such a high ranking. Although it has no set graduate recruitment targets, the bank hires several graduate analysts on competitive salaries each year, and many of these are recruited straight out of its competitive internship programmes. Developing junior talent is considered vital.
Globally, the firm is dedicated to creating a positive culture for people from diverse backgrounds, and in the USA 55% of representatives are female. As well as promoting equality in the workplace, JP Morgan has also contributed to external projects aimed at helping women. For instance, the bank partnered with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in 2014 to help female entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates, and hosted a discussion panel during Women’s History Month.
Goldman Sachs (financial services)
Goldman Sachs recruits around 400 graduates to join its New Analyst and New Associate Programmes. The programmes aim at helping graduates develop and become integrated members of the team, with access to several mentoring and training opportunities.
Amongst the bank’s policies promoting equality are its efforts to reach out to female undergraduates and sixth-formers in an attempt to encourage more women to go into what is still sometimes stereotyped as a male dominated culture. Efforts are also being made to promote more women into senior roles, both to further their careers and to create a greater number of female role models for entry-level women to look up to.
The bank also launched ‘10,000 Women’ in 2008, an initiative aimed at helping female entrepreneurs worldwide.
IBM UK (IT and telecommunications)
The IT company makes a concerted effort to reach out to girls at every stage of their education, running a Schools’ Outreach Programme, and even holding an annual ‘Take Our Daughters to Work’ day. There are also several initiatives aimed at supporting women in the company; globally, the firm has over 220 networking groups and over 50 of these are for women. In fact, the company’s website includes a section dedicated to the women of IBM.
It planned an intake of over 300 graduates, at salaries of £30,000 or more. Graduate hires also have access to the company’s generous benefits packages, ranging from travel insurance to a discount bicycle scheme.
Shell (oil and gas)
Shell’s recruitment target was between 80-100 graduates, on salaries of £32,500. Graduates can join the Commercial, Technical, or Corporate Function areas, and receive full training to ready them for on-going advancement in the company.
Shell aims to support equality and diversity at each stage of the employee life-cycle. Its recruitment programme looks to hire graduates from diverse backgrounds. The company has introduced a shared parental leave policy that matches their maternity leave policy. It also boasts several employee led diversity and inclusion networks, as well as development and mentoring schemes.
However, given the company layoffs that occurred early in 2016 in the face of weakened oil prices, this may not be the most secure industry to go into at the moment.
Procter and Gamble (consumer goods)
P&G onboards around 100 graduates in the UK at salaries of £30,000. Although the focus is on-the-job training – with graduates given responsibility from the start – the company encourages graduates to take training courses that are developed with external partners.
A driven approach to staff development has led P&G to achieve gender neutrality in the areas of sales, finance, and marketing. Most importantly, the UK leadership team is also balanced, with 8 men and 7 women in the most senior positions.
Microsoft (technology)
Recruiting 36 graduates on salaries of £34,700, roles at the tech giant are highly sought after. Graduates join the Microsoft Academy for College Hires (MACH) scheme, developing skills for a career in marketing, technology, or sales.
As well as seeking to encourage women to pursue careers in technology, and promoting women’s networks through such features as their separate women’s Facebook page, Microsoft has also launched an innovative internal strategy to drive inclusion. All employees are expected to complete a course on Unconscious Bias Training, encouraging both men and women to break down traditional gender barriers.
By expecting everybody to change their behaviours and to create an inclusive culture, Microsoft aims to build a truly equal workplace.
BAE Systems (engineering and industrial)
The 350 or more graduates joining BAE Systems can look forwards to salaries of £25,000 and up, and benefits that can include a £2,000 welcome bonus. Schemes include the Graduate Framework Programme (2 years), the Finance Leader Development Programme (5 years), and the Sigma Leadership Programme (3 years).
BAE Systems has taken a stand against all forms of bullying and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, signing the ‘No Bystanders’ pledge to take action against all such behaviours. It also uses a Diversity and Inclusion Matrix to track their progress in this matter – from a business that meets regulatory requirements to one that recognises diversity as a boost to their performance levels.
Claire Kilroy is a content writer for the UK’s leading graduate recruitment agency, Inspiring Interns. Check out their website if you’re on the hunt for internships or graduate jobs London.
Happy Martin Luther King Day
Career Advice, NewsMartin Luther King Day is a public holiday here in the US that we always acknowledge. For our US readers, enjoy the day off and use it wisely.
For our readers all over the world outside this part of the Americas, I want to talk about what is means as I came to the United States many years ago with zero reference to this day off work but am now consider it to the most important of all non religious holidays.
Dr King, as far as I can see, asked for the American people to honor the code they proclaimed was the basis of law when the country was set up. Basic civil rights and a fairness to exist on an equitable footing as the next person. You know, liberty and all that.
I think the work is not done yet and we are in a place where progress was made and resented by some and therefore we had three policy steps forward and one to four steps back depending on how it all shakes out. I think we all need to think long and hard about how to ensure that there is liberty and equality and equitable practices in place for all members of society in all countries to thrive not just survive. Dig deep and act. Good people care and the awareness around equity rather than the concept of equality is at its highest now which means that meritocracy can be honored and conundrums removed in everyone’s minds.
I ask everyone who reads theglasshammer to reflect how in action and in thoughts you can be a person who levels the playing field and works for fairness. Change starts here.
Career Progression – Moving Sideways and Diagonally to Move Forward
Career Advice, Next LevelBy Nneka Orji
Image via Shutterstock
Most of us will be familiar with the typical career path within big corporates; the graduate entry role, the progression to middle management, and for a few who meet what are deemed to be the prerequisites, the senior management and leadership positions are within grasp. Career progression – in the traditional sense – has been valued by the pace at which individuals make it the top of the organisational hierarchy, and any move off the ladder or taking a non-traditional route has until very recently been viewed as detrimental to achieving the end goal. However things are changing; with technological advancement, evolving needs of the workforce, and a more diverse talent pool, the perception of a successful career is being challenged and new forms of career paths are being introduced. Could an unconventional career path lead to a more fulfilling and sustainable career?
According to the authors of “The Corporate Lattice”, not only is there value in reimagining professional progress as a lattice instead of a ladder, it is necessary to address the changing demands of today’s diverse workforce and the different landscape in which businesses operate. “In contrast to the traditional ladder, [the corporate lattice] is more adaptive, and therefore better suited to align with the changing needs, norms and expectations of today’s workplace”. Rather than focus on the next rung of the hierarchy, the lattice structure enables individuals to take on roles outside their immediate business areas – through secondments, international transfers, sabbaticals, and many other routes. By removing the barriers that exist in many organisations, this enhancement in mobility provides individuals with more choice around how they work and progress their careers.
A culture for diverse talent
While many employers see the benefits of career mobility – including greater employee engagement and enhanced productivity, some still grapple with redesigning career pathways and fostering the organisational culture needed to make career transitions work successfully for the individual and the organisation. However, it is no longer just a nice to have. Bentley University recently conducted a study, the results of which are documented in the PreparedU: The Millennial Mind Goes to Work report. According to the report, 66% of millennials surveyed are no longer striving for the top job but rather looking to start their own businesses. If their current employer does not offer the career experiences they are looking for, they turn their attention elsewhere. With employees now more able and better equipped to seek career opportunities outside their organisations, it is increasingly important for business leaders to address this need for flexibility in career models to ensure they attract and retain top talent.
This isn’t unique to millennials who are predicted to make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025. Last year LinkedIn found that across the 20,000 people surveyed across 29 countries, almost a third were looking for a new job. Yet the opportunities employees are seeking can sometimes be found in their existing organisations – if only lateral transitions, international secondments and the like were encouraged. How do these open roles get filled? With external candidates. According to talent management firm Cornerstone, HR professionals recruit externally for almost two thirds of open positions. It seems illogical to do so, particularly given the costs which are estimated to be almost twice the cost of recruiting internally.
The female pipeline also benefits from the lattice approach. While the enhanced flexibility provides caretakers (although changing, the majority of caretakers are female), perhaps less frequently discussed is the opportunity a “lattice mind set” provides for women to pursue those stretching roles which lead to leadership positions. According to a Catalyst study, women are still less likely to be put forward for such “hot jobs” – those with high visibility and are “mission critical”. Of those female and male leaders surveyed, 62% attributed a significant contributor to their career success to such high profile assignments, and only 10% stated that formal training programmes had contributed more significantly. While a number of factors lead to men still being offered such positions more than women, the current relatively low representation of women at senior levels (in which candidates for such “hot jobs” are identified) does not help. Is the only option for women to wait their turn for the next rung on the ladder to become available before they too can be considered experienced enough? Clearly not. With the lattice approach, and a concerted effort from business leaders to acknowledge the value of diverse experiences, this “wait in line” bottleneck in our talent pipeline can be eased further if not completely removed.
Plan, act, and communicate
So how can you make the most of the lattice career approach – seeking opportunities in that may require a sideways or diagonal move? Although the organisational framework might not yet exist within organisations to foster this lattice model, individuals seeking diverse and “stretching” experiences now must be proactive in realising their ambitions. There are three things to consider: your plan, when to act on the plan, and how to communicate with your key stakeholders.
Plan: Before plunging in head first, it’s important to develop a strategy. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the corporate lattice is that there is no one model that can be prescribed. The lattice model encourages and enables individuals to have greater accountability for their career paths; accepting roles that seem unconventional to others, but clearly support the individual in realising longer term ambitions.
Being clear on your desired outcomes from the move is a critical part of your plan, but just as important is deciding when to call time on your current role. Arianna Huffington’s recent announcement reminds us that “moving on” is an important part of self-development and there must be a clear sense of purpose. Moving because you’re fed up, while a valid reason, should not be the only reason to lead you to act.
Act: Once you have developed your plan and identified the right opportunity, don’t be paralysed by indecision. There will be those who question your move and even those who doubt that it will be beneficial to your career progression. While feedback can be helpful, some of it will be white noise. At the heart of the lattice approach is the individual – not just in terms of the recipient of the benefits, but also in terms of the driver. You are in the driving seat so don’t let conventional approaches distract you from your goal.
Communicate: Planning and acting won’t suffice if you are to make the most of a lattice career model; being able to clearly articulate your experiences and communicate your skills and value-add as a result of your diverse career path is the finishing touch. Anna Ranieri’s piece last year in Harvard Business Review provides some practical tips on how to address the communication challenge. Develop a narrative which brings together your valuable experiences – from the volunteering experience while on sabbatical, to the marketing role while on secondment. In a world where the lattice approach is yet to be fully embedded, being able to tell a coherent story about your unconventional career choices is a key factor for success.
In time the lattice approach will be the norm; top talent in every organisation will continue to seek opportunities to further develop and learn (the common trait of some of the most successful leaders), but rather than just consider external roles, they will be in organisations which offer diverse opportunities and encourage lateral moves. Career progression won’t be limited to forward moves; sideways moves and sometimes “pauses” will be recognised to be just as valuable if not more so.
How To Stay Motivated During Your Job Search
Career Advice, Guest Contribution, Next LevelNew Year, New You. Same Job?
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!The holidays are often a blur but can be a time of reflection for some who want change in their jobs and careers as the year turns. Now is a good time to think about what you want out of life for the next 2-5 years.
If you like what you do, then you still should be thinking about a pay rise, a promotion and the bonus discussion that is looming in the next 30-90 days for most people in financial services.
When asking for a raise, there are two schools of thought. One strand of research says that women simply just do not ask for more money. The other branch of research suggest that women do ask but are not heard and more practically buffered with reasons why they do not get the same as men for the same job done. Policies such as percentage incremental increases for example contribute to systemic bias if women are hired at 10-30% less than the guy beside them anyway.
My advice, go big or go home. Explain in detail at every opportunity what you do prior to the annual review so that every step of the way, managers and HR know why you should be rewarded for your work. Then ask. Ask again. Ask for benchmarks. Ask what you need to do to get to the figure or grade you want. Never give up.
If you are in a place where you know that it is time to leave then work with your coach to reason out your thinking a little on what is motivating you to leave. Next week, we will look at why leaving can be a great path forward also. Face your fears and address what is fear and what is real. This way, you start the year empowered to make the right career decisions.
Nicki Gilmour is an industrial psychologist and qualified career coach as well as Founder and CEO of glasshammer2.wpengine.com
If you wish to be coached by Nicki in 2017 she is taking on a small number of (paying) individual clients this year- please apply nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com
Voice of Experience: Nicola Morris, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, WEX
Voices of ExperiencePeople truly do want to help, says Nicola Morris, reflecting on a lesson she’s learned over the years. “When I received offers for guidance or building out networks and relationships, I wish I had understood the value and not been as shy and reluctant to take people up on their outreach,” she says, when looking back on her career. “It’s a hard thing for many people to do, especially when you’ve not yet proven yourself, but once you progress in your career, and see how much you want to help others, you look back and realize the offers you received were equally genuine. Where I spent time working into the wee hours, I know that some of that effort should have been redirected to having lunch with colleagues or mentors along the way.”
Change Dynamic As a Career Constant
“Winding.” That’s the word Morris uses to describe a varied career covering sectors such as government, startups and financial services, and functionalities that have entailed IT strategies, product marketing and M&A.
When she looks at the diverse journey, however, she sees one unifying theme: helping companies maintain the leading edge for how they grow and expand, whether it’s through new products, acquisitions or an expanded marketplace. “I’ve had a patchwork of experiences that have come together to create an exciting, interesting career,” she says.
At WEX, she focuses on shaping the direction of the company through the decisions she makes now that will influence tomorrow. “We have to understand how to meet the customer’s needs today and then realize what our reality will be tomorrow to map out the journey that will get us there.” Doing so involves deciding on the steps and executing, whether success will be achieved through new product sets, business ventures, investments or expansion into new global environments.
Technology will be the driving force in her company as the business model coalesces around blockchain, AI, mobile and IoT – developments that will have a meaningful impact on most businesses but particularly ours, she says, as they focus on how they can imbed payments seamlessly through various technologies. She says it will be particularly interesting to see how the sharing economy’s inevitability will drive evolution in many industries, and the changes that will be wrought by this pivot from a consumption economy.
Another heavy influence comes from a macro-demographic perspective and the effects it will have on customers’ needs, as well as what it means for her company’s internal employee base and generational shift to consider how millennials work differently than Gen Xers.
The Value of Relationships To Bolster Your Career
Morris thinks of her professional life in terms of the people she leads, and how they contribute to the future of the company, which is why she names her teams and the professional accomplishments of the people she’s worked with and for as the achievement she’s most proud of.
Being better and working harder is a key component to the success puzzle, she stresses, but you have to balance that with relaxing and going with the flow. “You have to be the one they want in the boat because you’re good, sure, but because you have those other pieces to your personality as well,” she points out.
She finds that as a general rule women still tend to underplay their achievements and be more self-deprecating, where they should focus on accentuating these success.
“We need to recognize our own unconscious bias, and the lens through which we are viewing the world and work environment. Then we can determine how we can address it to be better leaders, employees and colleagues.”
Morris found that early in her career, it was challenging to be one of few women in a male-dominated environment, because of how they form relationships by socializing. “The connections you make during casual conversations and events do shape the way people work — who they will think of for a new assignment, for example,” she says. And while she points out that it’s rarely intentional, recognizing the dynamic of unconscious bias at work and figuring out how to put yourself in situations where you can reap positive benefits will help you move ahead.
Balance in the Workplace and Beyond
One of WEX’ core values is ensuring there are policies that are balanced for all employees. For example, the company just launched a new parental leave policy, very intentionally focused on both parents, not just maternity leave.
“I look at my own situation with three children and two careers, and I know it would have been great for each of us to have had the flexibility. It wouldn’t have made sense for only me to take leave, because of where our careers were at the time we had children. It’s about giving family the flexibility rather than just the mom,” she says.
With three kids, ages 15, 17 and 13, Morris laughingly notes that her family and their hobbies are her hobbies too, whether it’s sports or music. She notes that proximity to big cities has helped nurture both those interests for the whole family.
Morris says WEX encourages the team to give back through philanthropy so she enjoys her work on the boards off two local nonprofits, Center for Grieving Children, which provides peer support for families who have gone through loss, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. “These two organizations represent a nice balance, and I really appreciate that my involvement is so positively supported by my company.”
Happy New Year!
Featured, Year end reviewThis week we offer 5 of the best articles that I have enjoyed as publisher in 2016. In case you miss great articles, we will highlight our picks every 6-8 weeks to recap them this year based on what we feel is most useful.
https://theglasshammer.com/2016/03/09/beating-bias-technology-changing-recruiting-game/
https://theglasshammer.com/2016/02/25/why-you-should-avoid-overwork-to-be-effective-in-your-job/
https://theglasshammer.com/2016/06/02/resilience-storms-critical-leadership-development/
https://theglasshammer.com/2016/03/02/stereotypes-at-work-do-women-buy-into-them-just-as-much-as-the-next-guy/
https://theglasshammer.com/2016/09/14/pack-your-bags-why-you-might-want-to-get-ahead-by-going-abroad/
Enjoy our content as all of this is made possible by our site sponsors and supporters.
A big thanks to current and founding sponsors Goldman Sachs, PWC and Shearman and Sterling
To loyal sponsors for many years Voya and Accenture and to WEX for joining us.
Thanks to Citi, Amex, Paamco, BNY Mellon and others who have sponsored events along the way on a consistent basis.
Thank you to our team here at theglasshammer – Louise our content manager, Cathie our profile writer and Aimee our journalist at large, Melissa who was our main editor/writer for 6 years, Jane, Erin, Pam, Jewells and finally Jill who all did so much to help us get here and to all the freelancers and contributors who have in the past and still continue to make this a great read!
Enjoy, and here is to a great 2017!
Sincerely,
Nicki Gilmour, Publisher and Founder of glasshammer2.wpengine.com
2016: Year in Review: How to Move Forward From Here For Gender Parity at Work and Fairness in Society
Career Advice, Featured, Year end reviewBy Nicki Gilmour, CEO and Founder of theglasshammer
Recap the past ten years (see here for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 Year End reviews for a macro, multi-year view) to see how things aren’t changing over a fair time period. In one sentence, progress for women’s equality at work, based on promotional and pay parity for same work done and all things being equal, is just not there. This year, hasn’t seen much progress either and the fact is at board level there are no more women in board seats than there were ten years ago, unless mandated by quotas seen with an increase in countries that have a mandate in place (i.e. not USA). Senior management figure changes aren’t all that either and most women (and men) will tell you that they are working harder than ever.
A striking research piece of evidence is seen here in the 2016 PWC’s Annual Corporate Directors Report which includes responses from 884 public company directors, 83% of whom are male and 17% of whom are female. Overall, the findings state that 97% of respondents who think female board representation should be between zero and twenty percent were male board members. Worth noting, 3% of those who think that are female board members themselves. Then, the survey shows about a quarter of respondents said they believe there are a significant number of qualified diverse candidates out there with 93% of female directors saying that they at least “somewhat” believe that there plenty of qualified non-male, non-white candidates out there. “Somewhat” is not exactly resoundingly confident is it? And that implies that everyone thinks that there is an abundance of male candidates that are entirely ready for a board because somebody sits in these seats. I hate to tell you folks but we are all still holding up this blind spot of perceiving men to be more ready for leadership by virtue of being a man only. The emotions and desires driving “facts” are that maybe people want men in leadership roles because I have mentioned many times, women can be as equally sexist as men and sometimes even more so for many reasons including securing their own place in the pack.
How do we really create a meritocracy?
Do people want meritocracy? I do not believe all people do want meritocracy as the results of the US election show with 61% of white women who voted in the US election deciding that they do not want equal pay for the same work done as the man beside them and other actual policies that impact them directly. Then, these same women are turning a blind eye to sexism, sexual assault, racism and homophobia in some effort to believe that they do not rate basic protections of themselves and others as highly as other things. Except, what are these other things? Because upon examination there are no other things. It is not economic stability that is being sought and it doesn’t take a psychologist to tell you, it is the status quo of the white patriarchy that is being maintained by the very group best placed to disrupt it.
Do you think these women will ensure you do not have barriers at work if they believe that they deserve them for themselves in life? You tell me? Why does this happen? Why do “good people” do things that have a serious negative impact on other humans directly and knowingly? Look for your own cognitive dissonance and address the nuances in your behaviors that make you feel better but actually make you favor men over women as leaders and experts. What is cognitive dissonance? It is when you have a value or a belief and then you do something that doesn’t line up with that belief or you hold conflicting beliefs and feel that you need to align them. For example, you are against drink driving as a value but drive home from your holiday party drunk. You didn’t like this action or thought so then, you try to reduce the dissonance by devaluing the item, action or person and in this case like saying, “It was only a straight road for one mile and I only had two drinks, I was fine”. In reality, your belief is cancelled out by your actions that you then justify. We all do this but if you truly want to be an inclusive, fair champion of a level playing field for yourself, women, LGBT and people of color at work then turn the mirror towards yourself for a second because you can stop this process and you can live your diversity and inclusion values just as you don’t have to drive drunk.
Much like the research that I mention frequently called “Think Manager, Think Male” where men and women constantly rank male managers (as a group, not known individuals) as more competent, productive, stable, is your brain playing tricks on you. It is what you have been socio-conditioned to believe in part so of course this work of undoing all your paradigms and “what you Granny told you”, is not going to be easy.
For those who do want meritocratic conditions what will 2017 hold?
I think there are several things we can do as people reading this to move the needle for gender parity and general fairness to everyone. Also, from a career perspective you can choose your path, do not forget that!
Firstly, work for good companies who work hard at systems and culture to ensure an inclusive, progressive culture. Signs to look for when picking a company to work for are women at the top, middle and everywhere else. Good policies around families with men taking advantage of these policies and not just women as this will mean it’s not a one- gender policy in practice. Healthy, happy people and fair and clear talent systems are a must. It is not a coincidence if there are literally no LGBT or people of color working there. It is not a coincidence if women are not in the middle or top of the house. Look for great leaders who do what they say they will do and have a value set that shows that they value you and all that you can bring to work, such as Lloyd Blankfein at Goldman Sachs when he made his marriage equality video. PWC’s Bob Moritz and Denis McNally have both walked the talk on promoting women to the highest positions in the firm. Accenture’s Pierre Nanterme has shown a lot of commitment to parity and is now involved in the newly formed Paradigm4Parity group. Watch leaders make their beliefs for equality translate through the firm in lived values by themselves paying more than lip service.
Secondly, keep it human. Tell your stories to help the people around you understand what diversity and multiple realities look like. Jennifer Brown, a colleague, competitor and comrade in arms to the mission as well CEO and author of her new book “ Inclusion: Diversity, the New Work Place and the Will to Change” puts it nicely,
At least it is on the table, we know sexism is still here
Although it is bittersweet and mostly horrible to have such a fascinating case study of 2016 to show the lack of progress, at least it’s now issues are undeniably on the table. As Sophie Walker, Head of the Equality Party in the UK stated recently on the topic of new Prime Minister Theresa May doing nothing so far for gender parity, “At least now we don’t have to debate if misogyny exists. We don’t have to debate sexism,” she said. “I’m so used to starting interviews with people who begin by saying, ‘women are equal, come come, there isn’t a problem’.
Anyone who has any grasp on this can agree that 2016 has explicitly shown us, there is a problem.
It is not easy to understand why Teresa May is making little effort to advance women in the UK. Like many female leaders, there is often a strong need to reject such issues to gain credibility if the system and all the players are men and historically masculine behavior is rewarded. Assimilation can often be the only strategy, sadly. Vicious circle this sexism business, eh?
My advice to you is to see things for what they are and if you cannot, then go deeper, do the work to evolve and make the decision if you are a status quo protector or a change agent. Own it. Do not tell me you want to lean in and advance and then constantly make sure that you reinforce gender stereotypes and maintain barriers and biases for yourself and others. It simply is tedious otherwise to go through the motions because I cannot help you, if you cannot help yourself. I see a lot of people being a part of the problem, somewhat unconsciously to be fair and it is all of our jobs to change society, to be fair and kind. Involve the men on a very real level. Identify your male gender champions, they are usually the smart guys who see the business and human value of this equality stuff such as my new friend Adam Quinton or the guys at our Engaging Men event. Your job starts with educating your boys and breaking toxic assumptions of how it is to be a man. Empower your girls and break gender role stereotypes from day one.
Make 2017 a good one.
Happy Holidays from me and theglasshammer team
Movers & Shakers: Stephanie Seugling | Director, Business Manager, TIAA
Movers and Shakers“What kind of day are you going to make it?” A powerful question that one of Stephanie Seugling’s mentors asked her years ago, and the concept has stuck with her to this day. “It helps me know that whatever happens that seems out of control, you have to learn from the situation and choose how it will impact your day,” she says.
Along the way this phrase has helped her plan for the “hiccups,” knowing that no matter how she is feeling, she can work through the tough spots and help others through them as well.
A Career in Financial Services
Seugling has been fascinated with the financial services industry since her first job as a bank teller in college. It was also the only job in which she physically handled money, but it gave her an understanding of what money means to people – from helping those who needed to pay their mortgage or to assisting those who were excited to be sending a gift or depositing their first paycheck.
After college she joined a different financial services firm as an administrative assistant. From there she took several mobility moves around the firm, working in many areas from marketing to technology, from mergers and acquisitions to process design, before finally landing in treasury fulfillment as an operations executive. Transcending all roles, Seugling noticed a common theme – understand and then take action. She realized that she first needed to get a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities for improvement at hand, and then she needed to execute and deliver the solutions.
In her current role as a business manager for TIAA, Seugling continues to apply this principle. She manages the integration of people and processes for the IT infrastructure department at the firm. “You have to look at the current state and figure out how to blend two different groups coming together to optimize the future state.”
When considering the professional achievement she is most proud of so far, one that sticks out is having been a part of a team that was recognized with patents for developing innovative work processes to enhance the customer experience. The team recognized the approach was novel and was solving a real problem. They conferred with a law firm who confirmed that they were the only ones taking that approach, and they were able to successfully file for patents.
Developing a Recipe for Success
Before joining the corporate world, Seugling leaned on the portrayal of work from TV shows and movies: Everyone wearing suits and dropping the final presentation on the boss’ desk and thus earning a promotion the next day.
“Because of that view, I was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to grow up and be in that environment; it seemed like it was a bit of an escape – like it was going to be easy,” she says. Of course, the day-to-day isn’t as rosy and perfect as the movies, she has found, but she has practiced finding the good in every day.
Along the way she also has learned her own personal recipe for success. She focuses on finding the balance between what you know works in your daily routine, while being able to improvise tailored solutions to addresses specific situations if needed.
Sponsors and Role Models Pave The Way
Seugling names her mom as a key role model – a single mom who instilled in her a work ethic and sense of commitment that she emulates to this day. But she has also been appreciative of other role models along the way, people she was drawn to because of their outstanding work ethic and commitment, with a focus on trying to do the right thing.
Both mentors and sponsors have been key factors in her career. Sponsorship, in particular, she has come to realize has been critical to her rise. “I used to think it was all by luck, being in the right place at the right time, but I realized that sponsorship is the reason for my career,” she says. For example, a series of coincidences introduced her to the woman who gave Seugling her first pivotal job with a financial services company. While she remembers thinking she was lucky, she knows now that she got the job because she was prepared. This same manager advocated for her, and she was tapped into her next role in marketing and the others after that by delivering each and every time.
At TIAA, her roles have similarly been achieved by showing that she was able to deliver and having her previous business partners vocalize those achievements.
Having completed the Emerging Leaders program, Seugling is applying what she learned and continues to take time for on-the-job reflection. The program focuses on designing and implementing strategies, examining social styles, recognizing blind spots and improving your ability to collaborate – among other things.
Paying it Forward
Now, Seugling focuses on paying it back by participating in mentoring programs. “Life is too short to be unhappy and I’m happiest when I am making a difference in people’s lives. I’ve noticed that the people who have helped coach and mentor me have that same type of outlook,” she says.
As a mentor, one of Seugling’s most shared lessons is helping others identify when they should ask for assistance, a lesson she learned early in her career. She had just been promoted into a senior leadership position and was given a large task as an individual contributor. Seugling was excited about the opportunity since it came with responsibility and exposure.
But several weeks into the new role, after continuous late nights, she remembers wondering what was going wrong. She soon realized that she had been trying to do it all on her own.
“My manager assumed I would know to ask for help if I was drowning, but just because you have a new title doesn’t mean that the new guidelines get immediately absorbed,” she says. It was the first time she had realized it was up to her to ask for help so that the team could be successful.
“That’s how I learned about influence and negotiation and explaining the business case for why you are asking for the resource,” she says, information she is quick to share with others she mentors.
She has also been involved in TIAA’s Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), as well as the Diverse Abilities ERG for people who are caretakers or are dealing with a disability themselves. As the mom of a child with special needs, she has found that exposing herself to others with like challenges has spurred different ways of understanding problems. “It’s ok to feel overwhelmed sometimes and it’s also ok to be proud and excited and to share those moments as well,” she says.
A Full Life Outside of Work
Always eager to give back to others, Seugling has recently become actively involved in a teammate’s charity, Aislinn’s Wish, which raises money for Sanfilippo Syndrome, a rare, progressive and fatal genetic disorder. “It’s a joy to see people coming together for a common cause and rallying to raise money for a better tomorrow,” she says.
In her spare time, she loves live sporting events, everything from being a spectator at soccer games for her kids, Liam, age 9, and Caleigh, age 7, to taking them to see professional sports teams. She also loves watching live music and experiencing the energy it creates in the venue. Finally, the family loves to travel, especially to New York to visit her family.
The Top 10 Graduate Employers For Women
Career Advice, NewsImage via Shutterstock
Despite continuing advances in gender equality in the workplace and beyond, there’s a reason conversations about the issue continue: female graduates still face some disadvantages in the jobs market.
Recent reports have revealed the extent to which the gender pay gap still exists, and the difference can be seen between male and female graduates’ starting salaries. Data published in 2015 showed that twice as many men earn between £30,000-£40,000 than women, and that the median salary for female graduates was £1,000 less than that of males. And the level of women in senior management positions and on company boards is still proportionally lower across the workforce than that of men.
So there are plenty of reasons to apply to a company that is taking active steps to achieve true gender equality and diversity in the workplace, but which of them also offer good opportunities at graduate level?
We’ve put together this list by cross-referencing the most recent editions of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. And as there are 30 employers that make both lists, we narrowed it down by looking at where they placed on the Guardian’s UK 300 – a ranking of which employers graduates most want to work for.
The Big Four (professional services)
It may be a cheat to include 4 employers in one, but all of the UK’s leading professional services firms – Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, and EY – performed well in the rankings, and between them planned to hire around 5,100 graduates in 2016.
The 2015-16 Graduate Employers list saw PwC top the table for the twelfth year in a row. Its graduate scheme is built upon strong foundations of mentoring, training, development, and support. And though it’s biggest base is in London, there are 29 locations across the UK that graduates can join. The firm also runs a high potential female development programme, Breakthrough, and sets gender and ethnicity targets for each grade pool.
Deloitte, KPMG, and EY also all rank within the top ten graduate employers, and have been recognised for their commitment to gender equality in the workplace, and for running a variety of schemes and programmes to help women maximise their potential. EY’s Managing Partner for Talent in the UK and Ireland, Liz Bingham, stressed the importance of an approach that encompasses the entire workforce, improving diversity ‘from graduate entry to the boardroom’.
Deloitte has also chosen to publically engage with the problem of the gender pay gap, reporting its own average wage gaps across the company and at each grade; the firm is determined to balance the numbers and has set new targets for women in senior positions.
MI5 (public service)
A far cry from the popular media image of the gentleman spy – white, male, private school and Oxbridge educated – the Secret Service is actually well recognised for its commitment to diversity.
As well as establishing itself as a top employer for women and taking strides in employing Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff, MI5 was named Employer of the Year 2016 in Stonewall’s list of best employers for LGBT staff. Staff of all gender identities and sexual orientations are recruited and work in every area of the organisation.
The Service recruits around 80 graduates, who can expect to earn between £28,500-£30,000 at entry level, who join graduate programmes for Intelligence Officers and Intelligence Data Analysts.
Unilever (consumer goods)
Unilever UK has 40 brands covering a variety of commodities, from soup to soap. The employer recruits 50 graduates at starting salaries of £30,000 to its Management and Development programme. It also employs another 50 or so students on industrial or summer placements.
The company demonstrates internal commitment to and external promotion of gender equality; at the Business in the Community Workplace Gender Equality Awards it received the Female FTSE 100 Award, which recognises the affiliate organisation with the most women on its board.
JP Morgan (financial services)
Rising to 14th place in the Top Graduate Employers list, JP Morgan is the first global finance firm to achieve such a high ranking. Although it has no set graduate recruitment targets, the bank hires several graduate analysts on competitive salaries each year, and many of these are recruited straight out of its competitive internship programmes. Developing junior talent is considered vital.
Globally, the firm is dedicated to creating a positive culture for people from diverse backgrounds, and in the USA 55% of representatives are female. As well as promoting equality in the workplace, JP Morgan has also contributed to external projects aimed at helping women. For instance, the bank partnered with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in 2014 to help female entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates, and hosted a discussion panel during Women’s History Month.
Goldman Sachs (financial services)
Goldman Sachs recruits around 400 graduates to join its New Analyst and New Associate Programmes. The programmes aim at helping graduates develop and become integrated members of the team, with access to several mentoring and training opportunities.
Amongst the bank’s policies promoting equality are its efforts to reach out to female undergraduates and sixth-formers in an attempt to encourage more women to go into what is still sometimes stereotyped as a male dominated culture. Efforts are also being made to promote more women into senior roles, both to further their careers and to create a greater number of female role models for entry-level women to look up to.
The bank also launched ‘10,000 Women’ in 2008, an initiative aimed at helping female entrepreneurs worldwide.
IBM UK (IT and telecommunications)
The IT company makes a concerted effort to reach out to girls at every stage of their education, running a Schools’ Outreach Programme, and even holding an annual ‘Take Our Daughters to Work’ day. There are also several initiatives aimed at supporting women in the company; globally, the firm has over 220 networking groups and over 50 of these are for women. In fact, the company’s website includes a section dedicated to the women of IBM.
It planned an intake of over 300 graduates, at salaries of £30,000 or more. Graduate hires also have access to the company’s generous benefits packages, ranging from travel insurance to a discount bicycle scheme.
Shell (oil and gas)
Shell’s recruitment target was between 80-100 graduates, on salaries of £32,500. Graduates can join the Commercial, Technical, or Corporate Function areas, and receive full training to ready them for on-going advancement in the company.
Shell aims to support equality and diversity at each stage of the employee life-cycle. Its recruitment programme looks to hire graduates from diverse backgrounds. The company has introduced a shared parental leave policy that matches their maternity leave policy. It also boasts several employee led diversity and inclusion networks, as well as development and mentoring schemes.
However, given the company layoffs that occurred early in 2016 in the face of weakened oil prices, this may not be the most secure industry to go into at the moment.
Procter and Gamble (consumer goods)
P&G onboards around 100 graduates in the UK at salaries of £30,000. Although the focus is on-the-job training – with graduates given responsibility from the start – the company encourages graduates to take training courses that are developed with external partners.
A driven approach to staff development has led P&G to achieve gender neutrality in the areas of sales, finance, and marketing. Most importantly, the UK leadership team is also balanced, with 8 men and 7 women in the most senior positions.
Microsoft (technology)
Recruiting 36 graduates on salaries of £34,700, roles at the tech giant are highly sought after. Graduates join the Microsoft Academy for College Hires (MACH) scheme, developing skills for a career in marketing, technology, or sales.
As well as seeking to encourage women to pursue careers in technology, and promoting women’s networks through such features as their separate women’s Facebook page, Microsoft has also launched an innovative internal strategy to drive inclusion. All employees are expected to complete a course on Unconscious Bias Training, encouraging both men and women to break down traditional gender barriers.
By expecting everybody to change their behaviours and to create an inclusive culture, Microsoft aims to build a truly equal workplace.
BAE Systems (engineering and industrial)
The 350 or more graduates joining BAE Systems can look forwards to salaries of £25,000 and up, and benefits that can include a £2,000 welcome bonus. Schemes include the Graduate Framework Programme (2 years), the Finance Leader Development Programme (5 years), and the Sigma Leadership Programme (3 years).
BAE Systems has taken a stand against all forms of bullying and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, signing the ‘No Bystanders’ pledge to take action against all such behaviours. It also uses a Diversity and Inclusion Matrix to track their progress in this matter – from a business that meets regulatory requirements to one that recognises diversity as a boost to their performance levels.
Claire Kilroy is a content writer for the UK’s leading graduate recruitment agency, Inspiring Interns. Check out their website if you’re on the hunt for internships or graduate jobs London.
2016 Did Not Go The Way You Planned? Plan a Stellar 2017
Career Advice, Career Tip of the Week!By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist
As the year draws to a close this December, it is a good time in all the holiday madness to do some reflection at the end of a busy and often surprising year for many.
What has gone well for you this year? What would you do differently? How would you do it again?
It can be useful to do an “after action review” of some of the interactions and situations that occurred for you in your home and work life to see what you have learned. We cannot change some of the outcomes, but two things are under our control, how we react to what has been handed to us and secondly what behaviorally we will do different in the hope of different outcomes in 2017.
If you did not get the job you wanted this year, even if you were truly ready for it then it is worthwhile to understand which parts where truly down to you (skills, traits, behaviors and even take a hard and honest look at mistakes) and what was really not to do with you. What do I mean by that? Simply put, culture and trends, was the country, firm or team trending in a certain way? Always understand the external environment that you are operating in. Secondly, did others have false perceptions about who you are or what you are capable of? Understand what is really you and what is imagined about you and then try your best to close that gap positively and navigate the rest of it as gracefully as possible.
Lastly, make sure the system is not flawed and that meritocratic processes are in place so that a clear and fair promotional criteria will reward those who deserve the job.
It is not lost on me that while writing this advice to you that politics does not abide by these rules, but I am confident that good firms do, so as Goethe said ” Choose wisely, your choices are brief but endless.” My advice for reviewing 2016 and planning for 2017 is exactly that.
If you are interested in hiring an Executive Coach to help you navigate your career then please contact nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com for a no obligation chat to discuss options