Employers – raise awareness, but first raise your game
A stark majority of candidates (80%) actively seek employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to gender parity*. Although this has been a fantastic progression, which has forced hiring firms to cement their contributions to equality for women, it’s not easy for job-hunters to identify the organisations who truly and tangibly push this forward. Many companies seemingly align themselves with conversations like International Women’s Day (IWD), but what about the operational backing to substantiate their pledges? Just 1 in 10 women believe their employer takes concrete steps to fulfilling its commitment to gender equality*, a stat which points to the uncomfortable disconnect between the swarms of support we see online vs what’s happening behind office doors.
As a female Co-owner who has carved a career in the professional services sector across almost 30 years, who has helped hundreds of female candidates secure the job they deserve, and who leads a gender-balanced team, I know first-hand that we make progress not through our public declarations, but through our low-profile, hight-impact actions.
Why talent management is synonymous with workplace equity
IWD cites “recruiting, retaining and developing diverse talent” as one of 10 key areas to address, and we partner with some change-making firms who are taking tangible steps to drive this forward. But we are not there yet. In Professional Services, despite an almost equal proportion of men and women across the sector, there is a significant drop in female representation at senior level (only 20-25% of equity partners are women*). The takeaway: there are still glaring gaps!
As employers, every day we’re met with opportunities to ignite change and it all leads back to how we treat our people. Who we recruit and how we empower them. It can be overwhelming to think about gender equality as one big movement and is perhaps more useful to break it down into three key areas: recruitment of female candidates, ongoing support for female employees, and the nurturing of an inclusive workplace culture.
Fair treatment for female candidates
A woman’s experience of applying for and securing a new role can be wildly different to that of a man’s – and often much harder! It starts with Boy’s Club language in job ads (96% of those reviewed at FTSE 100 companies use gender-biased language*) and it continues right through to the unconscious bias of the interview panel (an issue in up to 70% of hiring decisions*) and an offer that a female applicant just can’t meet (rigid working hours, unfair expectations etc). An organisation who really cares about gender equality will take these barriers into account when sourcing talent and will adjust their hiring strategies to counter them.
Actionable changes that every employer can make?
The overall message for hiring managers is that female candidates don’t need to be treated the same as men, they need to be treated fairly and with their unique needs in mind. It’s People-first recruitment and it’s fundamental in the fight for equality for women.
Beware the glass ceiling
The average woman’s career trajectory shows slower progression compared to her male counterparts*. Why? Let’s start with the fact that every time she takes time out of work for maternity leave, she is set back 10 years compared to her partner.* Even at the point she returns to work, she likely bears the brunt of the domestic load*, takes the majority of responsibility for childcare*, and is put at an ongoing disadvantage. She is also more likely to be overlooked for promotions and less likely to be recognised for her achievements*.
So what changes can be made within our people management to help lift this glass ceiling? We can implement policies that promote gender equality, we can offer flexible working, we can foster a culture of inclusion where women feel supported and empowered to advance in their careers. We can take small steps in every corner of our business to rally against the tide. It doesn’t have to be a big headline move either – it can be as simple as informally mentoring your female staff.
My predecessors Ciara and Beverley mentored me, grew me, and rewarded me on my own merit, and it’s a real privilege to pay this forward now as a Co-owner and Director. We have grown an incredibly strong team of female leaders at Ryder Reid and helping them to find and fulfil their potential is one of the best things about my job! Whether that’s encouraging welcoming Kate back from maternity leave on a new flexible working schedule or offering adapted hours to Keira, a mum to two autistic children. The support we give looks different for each of our employees depending on their unique needs, because that is how equity is made.
Look out for your female colleagues
Empowering women goes beyond appointing and promoting them. They need to be continually championed, because although they share the same desk, there’s a high chance they have a far less comfortable view than their male counterparts.
As well as being more likely to be on the sharp end of microaggressions and harassment*, women in the workplace are often pressured to display stereotypically masculine traits or behave in a way that makes them uncomfortable.* We really don’t have to dig too deep to see that it can be a painful experience for a woman to even take a seat at the table in her workplace, and sadly it still takes a lot of courage and resilience a lot of the time.
Changing this requires a seismic culture-shift, which relies on the effort of the entire team. Yes, managers need to implement fair policies and leaders need to lead by example, but every team member also needs to step up. You don’t have to be in a leadership role to make a difference. Have a zero tolerance for speaking over her in meetings (too many women deal with this!), put her forward for training, advocate for her when opportunities arise, think about how you can support her to reconcile her in and out of work responsibilities, and actively listen to her when she speaks. Every person in every workplace is a cog in the creation of a gender-inclusive environment, one in which women have their voices heard, their skills recognised, and their unique needs supported.
Ryder Reid was founded by two women at a time when purely female-led businesses were rare, and as much as I’m proud that we have imbibed this ethos from the off, it also gives us the edge as a recruitment ally and when partnering with clients. We work closely with firms to instil gender-equality throughout their organisations and across their talent management because a) it’s the right thing to do and b) a gender-balanced workforce is a successful one*!
By now, all employers should have taken heed of their role in changing the landscape for women – not least because exceptionally talented, sought-after female candidates are setting their stall out like never before. And they expect more than a hashtag! Social media can be useful for raising awareness and bolstering female voices, but workplace equity isn’t built on public statements of support from the brand. It’s built on the daily actions of the business.
It's in the colleague who shows allyship. It’s in the manager who allocates opportunities fairly. It’s in the leader who asks a female team member what they think. It’s in the flexible working policies that protect women through maternity leave, menopause and all the myriad gender-specific challenges female professionals face. What matters is not what employers are saying loudly, but what they’re doing quietly!
We know it can be hard work for long-standing firms to rewire their processes, reimagine their workforce, and move away from outdated patriarchal archetypes – but this work is not just good, it’s critical for those employers who want to stay appealing to candidates and address social issues on an operational level. Hiring managers can download our 2025 recruitment guide for further insight into building more equality into your recruitment strategies.
We’ve spent years empowering female candidates, advocating for them, helping them secure the role and contract they deserve, and ensuring they walk into a workplace culture in which they will be supported to thrive. We’re here for all candidates, of all genders, looking for THE opportunity to fulfil their potential. Give us a call!
Written by Andrea Prendergast, Ryder Reid Legal Co-owner and Director of Executive Search. Andrea started her recruitment career in 1998 in her hometown of Liverpool. She moved to London and joined Ryder Reid in 2008, becoming a director and shareholder three years later, before buying the business in 2018 with Callum Smith.