The Gap:

Type of Gap: ...at entry level

We monitor the gender of applications at all stages of the recruitment process and take positive action to ensure that we reach enough female talent to supply 46-54% of our positions. We have achieved 51% of our recruits being female.

The Practice:

Type of practice: Measurement & target setting

We established a target zone of 46 - 54% for female representation in LOCOG, based on the demographics of London.

We then intervened on the supply side to ensure that over 1000 community and professional organizations were aware of our strategy, asking for their help to publicize and encourage applications.

We also intervened on the demand side with an understanding and leadership programme to encourage personal accountability for inclusive recruitment, involving a leadership pledge.

 

Metrics:

We measured the attraction, shortlisting, interview and hire rates and broke this down by functional area with specific Director accountability. This allowed us to reward successful functions and support those that were lagging behind.

Implementation Date:

2008 - 2012

The Success:

Quantitatively, we achieved 51% female representation with a range of 28-70% across functional areas. Qualitatively we achieved an inclusive environment which allowed better decision making.

We are planning further iterations of this practice.

Success factors:

1. Deep understanding - i.e. men are also the target audience
2. Authentic leadership - the pledge and people taking personal accountability
3. Relentless delivery - and communication of statistics to Directors on a monthly basis

Barriers:

1. Poor understanding of gender issues
2. People assuming it was an HR responsibility
3. Aligning the reporting systems to produce reliable and regular metrics

Keywords:

Corporate Social Responsibility|Leadership Support|Monitoring|Recruiting|Reporting & Accountability|Rewards|Targets