A recruitment practice that bakes in gender, race and disability inequality because the outcome is heavily influenced by perceived worth and negotiating skills. Women, and in particular women of colour and disabled women, are more likely to be on a lower salary – so they are already disadvantaged by this practice.
In the growing number of US states which have banned this practice, the results have been both positive and fast, with pay gaps closing for new starters. Our recent research shows that 61% of women who have been asked about salary history say it damages their confidence to negotiate for better pay.
Instead, offer a salary based on someone’s skills and experience.
Whilst this approach won’t end the gender pay on its own, evidence shows it works to tackle pay inequality and as an employer, it is a simple, low-cost step to close your gender pay gap.
Recent data from recruitment firm Reed found that 49% of females would be deterred from applying for a role due to a lack of clarity around salary on the job ad compared to 42% of males. So advertising salaries alone won’t resolve your gender pay gap but it will help.
Furthermore, Reed discovered that in 2024, jobs that disclose a salary receive a whopping 60% more applications than those that don’t – jumping up 33 percentage points since 2021. So advertising pay helps attract more candidates as well.
This supports all your employees to balance the pressures of work and home life.
It is particularly beneficial for women, who would experience the biggest benefit of flexible working by default, as they often take on the bulk of unpaid care work, looking after children or relatives, alongside work. Zurich, the insurer, did a trial of advertising flexibility which led to a massive third more women being hired for senior positions
Women are overrepresented in part-time, low-paid jobs in comparison to men. This is a huge contributor to the gender pay gap.
Women often face barriers at work that stop them progressing into senior positions and in turn, earning a higher salary. The route to progression is challenging for women, and particularly if you are a woman of colour: research shows that 31% of women of colour have been unfairly passed over or denied a promotion at work.
Paying equally is a good step but not sufficient on its own. You need to create a positive workplace culture that encourages men to take parental leave, where they feel reassured that they won’t be judged or suffer career limitations for actually taking the leave.
This can have a significant impact on gender equality and pay equity in your workplace. Many working women juggle the demands of becoming a parent with the pressure of taking time away from work to start a family. When they return to work, this is often on a part-time basis and balanced alongside childcare. We will only significantly shift the expectation that this is ‘women’s work’ if we make it equally men’s work.
It’s not just about the “big ticket” items like paternity leave, either. It’s also about men performing their parental roles loudly and proudly – drop offs, pick ups, attending nursery graduations, sports days and nativity plays, handling medical appointments…
Recent research shows that at least 40% of women have experienced workplace sexual harassment. It has serious negative repercussions for women and for workplace culture and productivity.
New legislation has recently been introduced (and the Government has indicated it intends to strengthen it even further). This is a great opportunity to think about how to integrate training on this topic into your L&D offer, as part of the culture you are trying to curate for your business. It’s also an opportune moment to revisit the effectiveness of your reporting channels and to think about whether your culture is sufficiently psychologically safe for women to be able to speak up about their experiences.
Talent programmes can be very effective tools to level the playing field. They do however come with a word of warning: everyone likes to be developed, so think about your positioning if you choose a programme that focusses on specific groups.
Also, these programmes sometimes come with a deficit model mindset (“we need to fix the women!” for example) when that’s not what is needed at all.
It’s more about understanding and changing those systems, structures and practices that disproportionately favour some groups or individuals over others. These programmes need therefore to be holistic and include work on allyship, stimulating action and activism in senior sponsors and making stretch assignments available.
An “off the shelf” programme will also not typically be as effective as one which is bespoke to the needs of your business, and informed by your own data.
Reverse mentoring can be an incredibly powerful tool to increase levels of understanding and awareness. Whatever lens is right for your reverse mentoring programme (age is a frequent one – and many senior people report being blown away by what they’ve learned from their younger mentors), the relationships that are built as a result can be hugely beneficial, as well as the positive impact on retention
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