Gender diversity event stresses heart-led approach, tackling pay gap
Tuesday, 19 September 2017
Spark's boss was nearly brought to tears when he told a crowd of mostly women that his organisation had failed their gender.
Spark managing director Simon Moutter said at Global Women's 1 Day for Change conference to mobilise women in the workforce on Tuesday, that he struggled to swallow the feedback from some female leaders who left Spark this year.
He said it made him rethink his approach to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce for women and minority ethnic groups.
'Diversity is about being invited to the party, inclusion is about being asked to dance. At Spark we are clearly not asking them [women] to dance.
**READ MORE:
* Not just a women's issue: Global Women's 1 Day for Change
* It makes business sense to get women and younger people in top roles
* Blunt instruments required* Diversity key driver of innovation
'Spark's systemic, intervention, target-driven approach is playing very well to the minds. From here we need to put a lot more work into the heart of the issue.'
One third of his company's staff are women. While it had progressed to that amount, it still had work to do to make every employee feel comfortable at work, Moutter said.
His points were repeated by 15 female leaders from the public and private sector took the stage to share their stories of oppression.
Genesis Energy people and culture general manager Nicola Richardson said her 9 per cent pay rise alerted her to the wider problem that many women were not being paid to reflect the value they brought to the business they worked for.
She encouraged businesses to tackle the systemic gender pay gap.
While it was a difficult path to start on, it would future proof businesses by making them an employer of choice, Richardson said.
Minister for Women Paula Bennett said there was no excuse to not address pay equity today.
A panel on cultural diversity touched on the unconscious bias against Māori in corporate organisations.
Fletcher Construction people and performance manager Kara Brown said she had been called a 'tupperware Māori' because of her success in the private sector.
Hays New Zealand managing director Jason Walker said Māori were held back by the way they themselves, and others, perceived them.
'There is still a lot of Māori tinge with unconscious bias around gangs and whether or not they have the work ethic.'
Islamic Women Council of New Zealand representative Shahd Abu Jwaied asked how the leaders walked the talk on diversity, particularly for minority religious groups.
Inspiring Stories chief executive Guy Ryan said empathy needed to be taught in schools so the next generation of workers were accepting of New Zealand's increasing multicultural society.
Global Women chief executive Miranda Burdon said exposure to other cultures was crucial to eliminate people's fear of other cultures and religions.