Below is a fictionalised example of what can often happen in the workplace when discussing diversity. Whilst this example is not ‘real’, it is a reflection of what can often happen when looking to address diversity through the corporate systems currently in place.
A meeting is called. The main executives and HR are invited in. The aim is to solve the diversity problem. The agenda item is scheduled for 20 minutes. At this meeting it has been put front of the agenda, as it had been scheduled in previous meetings but was put at the end so was never addressed as time ran out each time. With a new deadline approaching, the board need to nail it down now.
The meeting was called due to a new government initiative wanting to promote more women in the boardroom. This caught the organisation by surprise, and led to some thoughts about where exactly all the women are.
HR do not usually attend, but are invited in. They have spent the last two weeks scrambling around to understand where the women are in the organisation. They have built an initial analysis.
The meeting begins. HR starts presenting that women are particularly prominent in certain areas such as her own area, but otherwise are overly represented at junior levels, predominantly with receptionists and customer service workers.
One executive butts in that this is not true for their department, as there is one woman on his leadership team who is very visible.
HR note this point, and say that some women are making it to middle management but do not often progress further at a certain stage.
Another executive jumps in to share his experience that the women he has worked with have generally worked well and have always been happy. It does not make sense that there is an issue. He suggests that perhaps this is simply an issue of time needed for change to happen.
The chair jumps in to clarify why there seems to be a drop off rate on the middle management ranks. HR suggest this is related to women going off on maternity leave.
Another executive jumps in on this point, expressing that the issue is that women do not seem to aspire to senior management, particularly when they have started families. He notes he was having a conversation with his receptionist on this exact point, and she stated that she was not interested in progressing within her career.
The chair notes the point, but is not totally convinced. He asks whether any of their competitors have the same issue. The room mumbles and generally agrees that it is, noting that the last time they have recruited for high level positions women do not apply. There must be a lack of suitably talented women for the role.
One woman is sat in the room. She is deputising for her boss, and is staying relatively silent. She is uncomfortable at raising a point in front of a room that is more senior than her. The chair, noting a woman is in the room, asks her what she thinks.
She fidgets in her chair, before talking a little about some of her experience being one of the few women at her level. She did not have children, so did not face some of the challenges her other women colleagues did, who ended up leaving the organisation; though she finds it difficult to explain this fully when being put on the spot. Her comments are politely noted by the rest of the board members.
The conversation continues, breaking down into a general set of opinions from different people, often with little coherence with one another. When it becomes obvious that time is running out, the chair pushes for a decision they can make.
One executive exasperatingly remarks that they can’t solve an issue if women don’t want the jobs. Whilst the chair sympathises, he highlights that they must be seen to act in order to meet the expectation of promoting gender equality.
As such, the chair pushes the board to decide that they commission HR to find a solution to the issue and will revisit the conversation in the New Year. The chair ends by highlighting his personal belief that gender equality is extremely important and is a priority of the organisation. He then moves to the next agenda topic.
Have you seen this scenario happen?