Importance of gender-inclusive team policies

Change the system, not the individuals. This trans day of visibility, I encourage organizations to change their environments for transgender & gender diverse (TGD) inclusion. 🗺 Co-design workplace initiatives, practices and experiences with transgender & gender diverse (TGD) folks. Pay, recognise and reward them for this unique and vital contribution. This is not volunteer work, this is a form of research, this is culture building, this is experience design. This has an emotional tax so pay the bills. 🛑 Drive a zero tolerance approach for all forms of transphobia. Clearly define what’s a teachable moment (i.e. make a mistake, acknowledge it, apologize, aim to not make the same mistake, show growth) and what’s a sackable moment. Embed this into your code of conduct, policies, practices, training and values/behaviors efforts. Hiring? Here are Some Specific Edits at “Joining” Stage of the Employee Lifecycle. Systems: Review all systems and forms where gender markers and pronouns are asked. What options do you provide? What comes next and is it an ID/verification check? If so, what happens when someone’s government name and documentation doesn’t match their name on file? Can this be avoided and if not, are you teams trained on inclusive customer/employee experience? If a candidate is likely to meet 4-5 people during the hiring process, how will you ensure you limit the risk of them being misgendered or deadnaming occurring? See Envato example in comments. Process: Review your recruitment practices end to end with TGD employees and/or experts. Where you think you are being equal, you may need to consider where it is necessary to be equitable. Sameness isn't fairness. This includes when you collect information and why, unbiased interviews and selection practices and making sure your role descriptions and selection criteria are robust and line up otherwise, it’s left to “gut feel” and bias will come into play. Not all trans colleagues or candidates are out at work, and no two trans people will have an identical journey or transition. So remember to treat everyone uniquely, and without bias. Language: De-gender your targets, adverts and language. Use “they/them” as a default. Ensure you have 40/40/20 targets not 50/50 gender targets as nothing tells a non-binary colleague they aren't welcome in the exec team more than a target that literally denies their existence. Demonstrate: Show candidates not tell them. On your careers page, adverts and key hiring process points remind candidates that they can access someone in your team who is trained and aware of the barriers trans and gender diverse people face through the application process, and in work. See: Coles example in comments. Leverage (and credit) some great trans-led organizations who are specialists in this work. I’ll drop examples in the comments. What would you add?

“It’s not only a question of fairness. It’s a question of quality.” Ms Lidia Brito said during her opening address. This message resonated strongly with me during the International Day of Women and Girls in Science discussions at UNESCO HQ— because the data is clear: gender balance is not a social luxury; it’s a performance driver. Multiple global studies confirm it: • McKinsey found companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to outperform on profitability. • BCG showed that companies with diverse leadership generate 19% higher innovation revenue. • Deloitte reports that inclusive teams make better decisions up to 87% of the time. And the impact goes far beyond boardrooms. When women are underrepresented in research, the quality of science itself suffers: • Emmanuelle Valentin-Fouchs from Sanofi reported that women are often diagnosed up to 4 years later than men for several diseases because clinical data has historically been male-biased. • In car crashes, women are significantly more likely to be seriously injured or killed — partly because crash-test dummies were long modeled on male bodies. These are not abstract inequalities. They are design flaws in systems built without full representation. Gender balance is not about optics. It is about accuracy. It is about excellence. It is about building a world that works — for everyone. #EveryVoiceInScience #WomenInScience #Leadership #DiversityDrivesInnovation #Inclusion #STEM #EvidenceBasedLeadership

𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐀 𝐕𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 When IKEA opened its first India store, it didn't just bring Scandinavian design. It brought a bold people-first policy 50% women across all levels from warehouse to leadership. That’s not a target. That’s a redesign of how work works. Because gender diversity isn’t a hire-and-hope exercise. It’s a system. 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐𝘒𝘌𝘈 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 📦 In warehousing, where female presence is often <5%, IKEA introduced flexible shifts, secure transport, and ergonomic redesigns. 🛒 In retail, women took on frontline and leadership roles not through tokenism, but through structured mentorship and skill-building. 👷♀️ Even construction teams of partner vendors were held to inclusion metrics. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵? More than 46% of IKEA India’s workforce today are women👍 Across roles, ranks, and regions. 💬 As Parineeta Cecil Lakra, Country People & Culture Manager at IKEA India, put it: “Gender balance is a business priority. It's about building better teams, better decisions, and a better workplace.” This wasn’t easy. But it was deliberate. 𝑷𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑷𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 ➡️ Is gender diversity part of your business model , or just your HR strategy? ➡️ Are frontline and supply chain roles truly open to women, or just support functions? ➡️ Do your vendor contracts reflect your internal diversity values? ➡️ Are inclusion metrics tied to leadership performance KPIs? ➡️ Would your workplace design need to change to include more women? Sources: IKEA India via HR Katha, Infosys ESG Report 2023, Wipro Annual Report 2023, Hindustan Unilever Integrated Report 2023, Tata Sons DEI disclosures, Mahindra Group Sustainability Report, Godrej Group DEI data, Nestlé India Corporate Sustainability Report. #Diversity #CorporateGoveranance #OrgCulture

Please stop telling your recruitment partners that "it'd be great if you could find a woman for the team". ❌ Instead, start doing the following... ✅ Evaluate your sales culture. If it's feels like a "boys club", it is. Fix it. ✅ Analyse the language you are using. Gendered wording of job advertisements signals who belongs and who does not. "Masculine- worded ads reduced perceived belongingness [among women], which in turn lead to less job appeal, regardless of one’s perception of their personal skill to perform that job." - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, January 2011 - (🔗 Link in comments.) ✅ Provide workplace flexibility A 2023 study conducted by the University of Oxford’s Well-being Research Centre found that when it comes to fostering a positive working environment, reducing stress, and boosting employee resilience, flexibility is one of the most effective elements required to create a healthy work-life balance. The findings correlate with a separate study which found that post-pandemic, 72% of women are prioritising purpose and balance at work, and are looking for the flexibility that facilitates this. (🔗 Link in comments.) ✅ Build an infrastructure and culture of coaching and support. The opportunity to be coached by other women (both internal and external) goes a long way in not only developing existing staff members, but also in attracting new talent. (Bonus point: ensure your interview processes are as gender diverse as possible. You can't be what you can't see.) ✅ Implement gender-neutral and diversity-inclusive policies. Offer gender-neutral parental leave policies to prevent issues like absence visibility, project loss, and early return pressure. In my experience, the Nordics lead the way in gender-equitable parental leave policies, for example. ✅ Address any existing gender pay gaps. It's 2024... This shouldn't even have to be a point. I'm a recruitment & search professional. I'm not a DE&I specialist. But I really hope one day the conversation changes from "it'd be great if you could find us a woman" to "we have awesome diversity in our team because...". Women in sales & those of you in gender diverse businesses - what else would you add? LP ✌️ Pack GTM | SaaS Sales Recruitment in Germany #sales #hiring #careers #startups #recruitment 

Gender Equality Isn’t Just Fair—It’s Profitable: How Family-Friendly Work Policies Contribute The data is clear: workplaces that prioritise gender equality see higher productivity, better profitability, and stronger employee engagement. Yet, despite growing awareness and legislative support, many employers still fail to address the key drivers of workplace inequality—including outdated policies on caregiving and flexibility. A recent report from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) highlights a 60% increase in employer participation in gender pay audits. While this is a step in the right direction, achieving real equality isn’t just about salaries—it’s about removing systemic barriers that prevent women from fully participating in the workforce. One of the biggest barriers? Lack of family-friendly workplace policies. Workplaces that fail to support flexible work, paid parental leave, and caregiving responsibilities are inadvertently widening the gender gap. Women still take on the majority of unpaid caregiving duties, and when workplace policies don’t accommodate this reality, it forces many women to: ✅ Work fewer hours ✅ Take career breaks ✅ Leave the workforce altogether As Mary Wooldridge, CEO of WGEA, pointed out in the AFR, “For many employers, the [gender pay gap] average is higher than the estimated median pay gap, giving credence to the common refrain from businesses and leaders that ‘we don’t have enough women in senior roles.’” But why don’t women hold more senior roles? Often because workplace policies often fail to support the career progression of women juggling work and caregiving. According to Family Friendly Workplaces research, organisations that adopt family-inclusive policies higher retention and greater employee engagement: 🔹 Flexible work arrangements reduce burnout and improve productivity—for all employees, not just caregivers. 🔹 Paid parental leave for both parents helps normalise caregiving responsibilities and reduces the “motherhood penalty.” 🔹 Access to affordable childcare allows parents—especially women—to remain in the workforce without sacrificing career growth. Wooldridge warns that employers who fail to address gender pay gaps and workplace inequities will face serious consequences: “With so much to gain, employers should consider the risk of inaction carefully.” And she’s right. Companies that fail to implement fair policies risk losing top talent, suffering lower employee engagement, and falling behind competitors who prioritise inclusion. If workplaces truly want to achieve gender equality, they must go beyond pay gap reporting and actively implement policies that support all employees—especially those with caregiving responsibilities. Employers must ask themselves: are we creating a workplace culture where everyone can thrive - at work and at home? If the answer isn’t a clear yes, it’s time for change. #GenderEquality #FamilyFriendlyWorkplaces #FutureOfWork

While going through a recent study on working women in India, I came across some eye-opening insights that underline both the progress we’ve made and the challenges that remain. The findings provide a clear roadmap for organizations aiming to foster gender equity and inclusivity: Key Insights: - Ambition Unleashed: 90% of women are willing to go above and beyond in their roles, with 73% identifying as highly ambitious—shattering the myth that women lack drive or aspirations. - Retention and Bias: 42% of women experience workplace bias, making them 3.5 times more likely to leave. Inclusive leadership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a retention strategy. - The Motherhood Penalty:1 in 3 mothers report career setbacks post-maternity, a stark reminder that we need policies that don’t penalize women for their life choices. - The Burnout Reality:Women handle 64% of domestic responsibilities, leading to significant time poverty and burnout, with 81% feeling mentally exhausted. - Leadership's Ripple Effect: Organizations with visible women leaders have a tangible impact on fostering equity and inspiring confidence in their workforce. Lessons for Organizations: - Flexibility Wins: Policies like flexible work arrangements and returnship programs aren’t perks—they’re essentials for retaining women talent. - Representation Matters: Promoting women into visible leadership roles helps create role models and a more inclusive organizational culture. - Mental Health is Key: Actively addressing bias, microaggressions, and workplace mental health challenges is non-negotiable. Why This Matters: Equity isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a driver of innovation and growth. When women succeed, organizations thrive. But achieving this success requires deliberate action, not just intent. How can we, as leaders and changemakers, create workplaces where ambition isn’t hindered, and potential is fully realized? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 👇🙂 #GenderEquity #LeadershipMatters #InclusiveWorkplace #WomenInLeadership #WorkplaceCulture

Standing with trans* employees: more than words, it’s action. Recent rhetoric and policies have undermined the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals, but let me be clear: trans rights are human rights. As workplaces, and as individuals, we have a responsibility to stand in solidarity with our trans colleagues. The workplace should be a space where everyone feels valued and safe to thrive—not an environment where identity becomes a barrier. Here’s how we can take action, together: 💼 In the Workplace Update Policies: Ensure anti-discrimination policies explicitly protect gender identity and expression. Inclusive Facilities: Provide gender-neutral restrooms and inclusive healthcare benefits. Education: Train staff on trans awareness and allyship to foster a culture of respect. Celebrate Voices: Amplify and centre trans and non-binary employees in decision-making and leadership. 🤝 As Individuals Use Correct Pronouns: Take the time to ask and use them consistently. Speak Up: Call out transphobic behaviour or rhetoric, even when it’s uncomfortable. Listen and Learn: Seek out stories, resources, and perspectives to better understand trans experiences. Normalise Support: Share and support trans inclusion initiatives in your networks. 📢 Now Available: A Good Practice Guide to Trans Inclusion I’m proud to share this guide, co-developed with over 20 trans and non-binary engineers with InterEngineering, National Grid and Stonewall back in 2017. It’s packed with actionable steps to create workplaces where everyone can thrive. 💡 Download the guide, share it widely, and start a meaningful conversation in your organisation. Together, we can create workplaces that embrace inclusion, not just as a policy, but as a practice. When we act as allies and advocates, we make inclusion possible—not just as a buzzword, but as a standard. Let’s build a future where everyone belongs. 🌈 #TransRightsAreHumanRights #WorkplaceInclusion #TransInclusionGuide

In a time when transgender individuals are increasingly facing uncertainty, scrutiny, and policies that directly impact their safety and livelihoods, visibility is more than recognition; it’s protection, it’s advocacy, and it’s humanity! As HR professionals, we sit at the intersection of people, policy, and culture. That means we have both the opportunity and responsibility to create workplaces where transgender employees feel seen, respected, and safe (not just today, but every day). Visibility in the workplace looks like: ▪️ Inclusive policies and benefits that support gender identity and expression ▪️ Respecting names and pronouns; consistently and intentionally ▪️ Creating psychologically safe environments where employees can show up authentically ▪️ Speaking up when inclusion is challenged or overlooked ▪️ Ensuring leaders are educated, accountable, and empathetic For many transgender professionals, simply showing up to work as their authentic selves still requires courage. That shouldn’t be the case; but until it changes, visibility matters. And HR has the power to help lead that change. My call to action to fellow HR professionals: Don’t let today be performative. Let it be purposeful. Review your policies. Start conversations. Educate your leaders. Advocate for inclusive benefits. Be the voice in the room that ensures inclusion isn’t optional... it’s foundational! Because when transgender employees feel safe, supported, and visible… everyone benefits. Today, we recognize. Tomorrow, we continue the work. And every day, we choose inclusion! #TransgenderDayOfVisibility #HRLeadership #PeopleFirst #InclusionMatters #DEI #HRCommunity #BelongingAtWork #InclusiveWorkplace #HRProfessionals #PsychologicalSafety #LGBTQInclusion #Leadership

Hello LinkedIn ! Imagine sitting in a job interview for a multinational company and being asked: "Are you planning to get married?" "Do you intend to have children? Now, ask yourself: Would a man be asked the same questions? Despite all the progress we claim to have made in workplace equality, these intrusive and discriminatory questions still exist. They send a clear message: a woman’s career potential is evaluated not by her skills, experience, or ambition but by her personal life choices. The Cost of Ambition: What Are Women Expected to Sacrifice? For women in male-dominated fields, like oil and gas, the reality is even harsher. What kind of job requires a freshly married woman to be sent to the field for seven or more weeks without flexibility? Is this about business necessity, or is it a failure to accommodate diverse career paths? I've been witnessing some sad stories of incompetent managers forcing a freshly married woman to stay in the field more than here rotation schedule basically "6 weeks" in the cost of her own mariage !!!!! The real issue is NOT women’s ability to handle demanding roles. Women have proven, time and again, their competence in high-pressure environments. The real problem is the systemic unwillingness to adapt workplace policies to support employees regardless of gender who want both a successful career and a fulfilling personal life. Men are rarely asked about their marital status or parental plans. Why? Because corporate structures were built with their careers in mind. But when a woman steps into the same space, she is expected to prove that she won’t “disrupt” the system with her life choices. Companies love to highlight their Diversity & Inclusion initiatives. But true inclusivity is not about hiring women just to meet quotas it’s about ensuring that they don’t have to justify their personal lives to keep their careers. If we want real progress, we must shift the conversation: - Stop penalizing women for wanting both a career and a family. - Stop questioning their commitment to work based on their personal choices. - Start designing policies that support all employees, men and women, in balancing career ambitions with personal fulfillment. This is not just a women’s issue it’s a workplace fairness issue. And it’s time for companies to catch up. Let’s break the cycle. Let’s demand change. #Diversity #Inclusion #WomenInLeadership #BreakingBarriers #WorkplaceEquality #WomenInSTEM #WomenInEnergy #WomenInTech #GenderEquality #EmpowerWomen #CareerGrowth #WomenInBusiness #WomenInOilAndGas #WorkLifeBalance #EqualOpportunities #Leadership #RepresentationMatters

How well does your organisation support the LGBTQI+ community? Shape Talent Ltd engaged Dr Ciarán McFadden-Young, Senior Lecturer and researcher on EDI at the University of Stirling, to author a white paper that examines the barriers to LGBTQI+ career progression. This is an adaptation of the research that we conducted into women's career progression, looking through a lens of gender identity and sexual orientation. Addressing systemic barriers is at the heart of our work. You can download our white paper to see the specific recommendations that we make on how organisations can cultivate inclusivity and address the barriers to LGBTQI+ people in the workplace. For those who are time poor, here are the 8 headline recommendations: 𝟏. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. For example, do the childcare and parental leave policies assume a heterosexual employee? Does the workplace have gender-neutral bathrooms? Is a uniform required, and are there only gendered versions? 𝟐. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. Although there are social, cultural and historical reasons why lesbian women, gay men, bisexual people, trans people and queer people all form one distinct and recognisable collective group, different sub groups experience distinctly different barriers. 𝟑. 𝐄𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Organisations should have clear and well communicated anti-discrimination and harassment policies, provide anti-discrimination training, and engage in cultural audits to uncover any potential informal issues 𝟒. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰. This is particularly important for multinational organisations operating in very different regions with different legislative norms. 𝟓. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬. Training and development can be offered to help demystify common concerns, clarify the terminology used in discussions about LGBTQ+ identities, and in many cases offer a starting point for conversations on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. 𝟔. 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧. A policy should, where possible, have input from those it seeks to protect or promote inclusion for. 𝟕. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬. While your organisation may have excellent inclusion and anti-discrimination policies, it’s important that your employees are made aware (and reminded) of them. 𝟖. 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞. In June of each year, more and more organisations are accused of ‘pink-washing’ or ‘rainbow-washing. It is a form of performative allyship. Ensure your work extends throughout the year and is meaningful. #WorldPride2024 #Pride2024 #ThreeBarriers https://lnkd.in/erD9a3Sy