So all the usual methods of getting more women and more people from BEM groups into senior management posts have made little impact. Targets, unconscious bias training, gender balanced interview panels and impressive sounding statements of a commitment to Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Inclusion haven’t resulted in a significant shift. So why not try something truly radical. The Dutch technology University of Eindhoven did and the changes are impressive.
The university made all academic vacancies open only to women for the first six months. If the post was not filled after this period men would be welcome to apply. As you might expect this was considered a highly controversial decision, heavily criticised in sections of the media and challenged through the courts. However the University continued its policy with some modification. Now only those departments with less than 30% female academics are required in the first instance to advertise vacancies as exclusively for female applicants.
A British Parliament with more women MP’s than ever , a new government with a more positive attitude to equality and diversity might just be the right time to challenge outdated views on equal opportunity recruitment practices. Some will say it is discrimination against men . And it is. But there is a bigger picture here one in which a better gender balance is not only fair but according to the research better for business.
So here is the challenge to HR teams and their organisations. The case example is there to show what can be done. The business case is supported by the research . Is your organisation willing to be a trail blazer, to band together with other organisations and turn rhetoric into action?
