THE DIVERSITY AGENDA THE CASE FOR CHANGE Your business will perform better when you hire more people that think differently to you. Engineering and architecture are facing the challenge of new technological and digital innovations. We need to take action to keep up. We need a more diverse workforce in our industries to better reflect our client base. And we need to start now. Maybe you think this doesn t apply to you. You ve ticked the diversity box. You re hiring a diverse workforce. But is your workplace inclusive? Do your people feel as though they belong? The numbers of women leaving our professions and missing from the higher levels suggest it might be time to take another look. There s a broader conversation happening in our society right now about the role of women in industries like ours. But we think the questions have already been answered, the evidence is compelling and it s time for action. Without diversity of thought and a workforce that s representative of our society, we won t keep up with change and innovation, let alone get ahead. Craig Price President, Engineering New Zealand Susan Freeman-Greene CE, Engineering New Zealand We know that companies with a gender diverse workforce see better commercial results Companies in the top quartile of gender diversity are Companies with female board members are 15% 26% more likely to financially outperform their industry. 1 more profitable than companies with all-male boards. 1 BUT 17% of technical leaders 2 9% 8% management teams 2 members 2 of engineering firms senior of engineering firms board 13% 22% of principal architects in small medium firms 3 NOT CONVINCED? TAKE A LOOK AT THE FACTS. Women are significantly under-represented at senior levels in our professions 19% The median gender pay gap for engineers working full time 5 $ of registered architects (compared with 45% of NZIA graduates) 3 Women earn less than men $13,000 The median gender pay gap for principals/directors in architecture firms 3 Christina van Bohemen President, NZIA Teena Hale Pennington CE, NZIA CEOs who ve led diversity and inclusion strategies say they re better at attracting talent, their business performance has been enhanced, they re better at innovating and have enhanced customer satisfaction. 1 3% of IPENZ Fellows 2 14% of NZIA Fellows and Distinguished Fellows 4 Growing a more diverse workforce in our professions means we all see better results. It s time to change. Data sources: 1 Champion for Change NZ s The Case for Change. 2 Snapshot 2015. 3 NZIA. 4 Does Gender Matter (research by IPENZ/Ministry of Women s Affairs). 5 2016 IPENZ Remuneration Survey.
OUR SOLUTION Today s graduating classes are far more diverse than the architectural and engineering professions. We need to take collective action to make our workforces resilient to the challenges of our changing world. Sign up to the Diversity Agenda and commit to our goal: #20for2021. Join the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), Engineering New Zealand and ACENZ in challenging the status quo, through the Diversity Agenda. It s an industry-wide call to action in engineering and architecture, addressing critical issues like retaining and promoting women to leadership roles, pay equity and changing the working culture for everyone s benefit. It signifies a commitment for our industries to be more inspiring and accessible to everyone. The backbone of the Agenda is a clear industry target 20 percent more women in engineering and architecture roles by 2021 which gives organisations something to commit and measure up to. By working together to give practical advice and thought leadership, we ll use the Agenda to give industry the reason, the drive and the tools to evolve both our collective talent pool and our culture. Whatever your starting point, now s the time to act. 20% MORE BY 2021 OUR GOAL THE DIVERSITY AGENDA. OUR GOAL 20% MORE BY 2021 CODE. Ten clear principles that businesses can use to diagnose their situation and see the gaps in their workforce and approach. COUNSEL. HUB. A digital environment that pulls together all the resources of the Agenda A taskforce of mentors and leaders who can directly assist businesses to adapt to a more inclusive workplace through stakeholder management, planning and cultural change. #STATSTHATSUCK A public campaign to bring visibility to our strategy. Particularly important to build awareness and cut through. JOIN US Maybe your business is already a diversity leader, doing great work to make your workplace more inclusive. Maybe you want to make a change but don t know where to start. Maybe this is the first time you ve considered diversity issues. Become a Diversity Agenda changemaker Commit to the goal: #20for2021 Back our campaign
Join The Diversity Agenda as a Founding Partner or Change Maker. BEING A FOUNDING PARTNER It s widely acknowledged that a diverse and representative organisation with a flexible, inclusive culture is more productive, profitable and enjoyable. Diversity is also key to innovation and there is a direct correlation between diversity, innovation and the bottom line. We want architecture and engineering to lead the way. That means getting more women into the profession - and keeping them. You re probably already doing amazing things within your own organisation to ensure women stay in the profession and become leaders. We want to shine a light on what s working and together create a momentum for real change. We want our professions to be diverse, more representative of our society and truly inclusive for all. As a Diversity Agenda Founding Partner, you re leading the way. Help us build the most vibrant and attractive engineering and architecture professions imaginable where the best and brightest choose to work, and feel they belong. We can t make progress without funding. We re looking for money to: Build a website that hits the issue head-on and becomes a place for discussion, thought leadership and up-to-date resources Produce communication collateral for partners including imagery and design templates Develop case studies and interviews to speak to the issues and foster better understanding Develop a hard-hitting social media campaign and generate momentum for it over time Survey the professions to set benchmark measures Host a launch event for the industry that will be used to highlight the issue and gain media attention Establish a steering committee with industry professionals to help lead the direction and provide input. DIVERSITY AGENDA FOUNDING PARTNERS: Actively support the campaign through funding ($5,000) Make a public commitment to the Tikanga and target of 20% more women by 2021 Participate in our benchmark Diversity Agenda survey Champion diversity in your organisation and shares successes THE DIVERSITY AGENDA > 13 FEBRUARY 2018 PAGE 1 OF 2
Talk boldly and loudly about the importance of diversity in engineering and architecture Provide case studies and tips on what works for them Participate in the #StatsThatSuck campaign. WHAT YOU GET IN RETURN: Recognition on the Diversity Agenda website as a Founding Partner Acknowledgement at functions and in all Diversity Agenda collateral Opportunities to showcase your organisation as a leader in diversity and inclusion License to use the Diversity Agenda Founding Partner logo on your website, in promotions & on collateral Opportunities for PR, marketing and speaking A Diversity Agenda badge of honour. BEING A CHANGE MAKER A Diversity Agenda Change Maker is someone who supports the campaign and makes a public commitment to meeting our target of 20% more women by 2021 but doesn t fund the campaign. You still get to proudly show your commitment to the cause but you won t get all the benefits of being a Founding Partner. DIVERSITY AGENDA CHANGE MAKERS: Publicly support the campaign by signing up to the Diversity Agenda Tikanga and makes a public commitment to our target of 20% more women by 2021 Participate in our benchmark Diversity Agenda survey Champion diversity in your organisation and shares successes Talk boldly and loudly about the importance of diversity in engineering and architecture Actively share our #StatsThatSuck campaign. WHAT YOU GET IN RETURN: Recognition on the Diversity Agenda website as a Change Maker Opportunities to showcase your organisation as a leader in diversity and inclusion License to use the Diversity Agenda Change Maker logo on your website, in promotions & on collateral A Diversity Agenda badge of honour. THE DIVERSITY AGENDA > 13 FEBRUARY 2018 PAGE 2 OF 2
TIKANGA The backbone of the Agenda is a clear industry tikanga which gives organisations something to commit and measure up to. It contains six clear principles that businesses can use to diagnose their situation and see the gaps in their workforce and approach. It will help them meet the goal of #20for2021. OUR TIKANGA I will adopt inclusive practices in my business and strive towards meeting the goal of 20 percent more women in senior leadership positions by 2021 by: CREATING A CULTURE OF RESPECT so all employees feel safe and valued APPOINTING WOMEN TO SENIOR ROLES so we have a representative leadership team of architecture and engineering professionals OFFERING FLEXIBLE WORKING in recognition of employees other priorities WORKING TOWARDS PAY EQUITY by analysing my business gender pay gap BUILDING CAREER PATHS NOT GLASS CEILINGS by removing barriers to employees fulfilling their potential CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION so achieving the #20for2021 goal is everyone s responsibility for everyone s benefit
HOW-TO GUIDE Congratulations! You ve become a Diversity Agenda changemaker. Here s what you can do next. 1. MAKE A PUBLIC COMMITMENT You ve signed up to the Diversity Agenda Tikanga tell people about it. Use your business social media channels to let people know you re a diversity changemaker. 2. UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU RE AT Data is your friend. Review your business gender split, gender pay gap and employee satisfaction. Take a look at your approach to flexible working and returning to work for those on career breaks. Ask for honest feedback from your workforce on where you can do better in making your workplace inclusive. 3. FIND THE SUCCESS STORIES Talk to others in your industry about how they ve put diversity into action and look for mentors who can help you make the changes you need to. As a first step, take a look at the Diversity Agenda website for case studies from engineering and architecture. 4. MAKE IT EVERYONE S RESPONSIBILITY Gender diversity and inclusion isn t just a women s issue; it s everyone s issue. Make sure all your employees know diversity and inclusion is a priority for your business and that everyone will be expected to walk the talk. Make it a formal part of people s objectives, just like health and safety. Encourage everyone to bring their best ideas to work and make room for everyone to be heard so all your employees can reap the benefits. 5. ADDRESS UNCONSCIOUS BIAS We all have unconscious biases the ingrained beliefs about our society that we aren t even aware we have. Unaddressed, it s toxic for the workplace. But the good news is we can make it conscious. Try the Harvard 10-minute gender bias test at bit.ly/project_implicit for science and the humanities you might be surprised about your own biases. Identify and challenge it on an individual and a group level. Create an environment where people feel able to call out inappropriate behaviour.
6. 7. HELP ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL One of the main reasons women leave engineering and architecture is a lack of opportunities to advance. Take a look at your senior management team, your executive team and your Board. What s the gender split? Move beyond talk and symbolic hires and invest in career development for all your employees. Encourage women to apply for senior roles. Introduce formal mentoring programmes. Review your hiring practices to root out any biases and barriers that could be preventing your best people from making progress. REWARD QUALITY NOT QUANTITY Measure performance based on actual achievement and not hours in the office. It gives your employees space to incorporate more of what s important to them into their work life and evidence shows they re more productive at work when they have the freedom to do this. Create a flexible working model that s available to everybody and allow people to work when and where it suits them and their families. Encourage everyone to take time/leave to care for elderly parents and look after children, to attend school events and to follow their interests. And model flexible working from the top down. 8. WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS DONE Research shows that organisations that set and measure gender diversity targets are more gender diverse. We all measure health and safety it s time to think about diversity in the same way. So set goals, measure your progress and be publicly accountable by sharing your data in your annual report. Have an ongoing conversation in your company about what s working and what isn t. 9. TRUST YOUR PEOPLE Richard Branson famously offered staff at Virgin unlimited time off, saying treat people as human beings, give them that flexibility, and I don t think they ll abuse it. They ll get the job done. Why are flexible working and an inclusive workplace culture good for your business as well as your employees? It creates loyalty and it helps you recruit, and retain, the best talent. Trust your employees. They won t let you down. 10. BE THE CHANGE Your employees and your future employees already care about diversity and inclusion. A lot. They consider it when they re weighing up their career options. Leadership on this issue needs to come from the top, so be vocal about what you re changing, why you re changing it and how it will benefit your business and your workplace culture.