Employee experience 10k


Far right: Kathy Powers-Moore,


diversity and inclusion manager at Rabobank.


Yet with such a small proportion of women in the workplace – particularly in positions of power – what incentive is there for either entry-level women or women with established careers to apply? As Powers- Moore explains, the bank is a “male-dominated organisation” for historical reasons, while financial institutions typically do not have high turnover rates. It goes without saying that this can make change painfully gradual.


Change from the inside out Beyond the ‘hard’ policies of parental leave or equal pay, many banks are also experimenting with gentler ways of encouraging change. But if complementary pink cupcakes and an afternoon discussing gendered language can help raise awareness on a small scale, how successful are they in practice? “I know not everyone is a fan,” Gadhia says, “but I think unconscious bias training helps with a bit of self- awareness.” Powers-Moore agrees. “It’s important to recognise that including and engaging with men has to be part of the solution.”


Powers-Moore joined Rabobank three years ago as their first diversity and inclusion manager and knows first-hand that seeing these policies through to fruition can be a challenge. But as she says, it is clearly not a task she is “shying away from”. Over the past few years, indeed, the Dutch bank has introduced several mentoring schemes, leadership training (with specific programmes for aspiring female leaders) and a ‘speak up’ scheme where employees are encouraged to address wrongdoings at work.


It also launched a daring ‘conversations’ series spurred on by the Black Lives Matter movement, where staff can raise sensitive racial issues, though they recently seemed to have slowed down. The team also has hopes to address unequal parental leave and is looking at partnering with organisations that address issues ranging from men’s mental health to menopause. The ambition is there on paper, in other words, but these ideas are only meaningful if put into practice.


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Peppy, for instance, is one of Powers-Moore’s favoured companies. Based in London, it offers personalised support for employees in the workplace, helping them deal with menopause, fertility issues and mental health. “Women at the age of going through menopause are the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace,” Powers-Moore emphasises, adding that lots of women end up leaving their jobs because they do not feel they are able to raise issues or talk about what they are experiencing. Partnering with forward- thinking and inclusive organisations is certainly a positive step forward – but genuine leaps are needed for real progress to happen.


And though Gadhia and Powers-Moore may both be enthusiastic, it is difficult to determine how useful ‘speak up’ mechanisms – and similar schemes cooked up by HRs – are without a promise of anonymity. It is similarly hard to gauge how effective a ‘daring conversation’ might be if employees return to normal as soon as the session ends. It is difficult, too, to ask for meaningful change if there are not many women – or none – in the boardrooms where decisions are actually being made. In point of fact, just 39% of companies with low proportions of women on the board offer flexible working arrangements, compared with 51% of companies with a more equal distribution. Even so, a pandemic that has turned working life on its head, coupled with a generation of young men and women willing to challenge the status quo, ultimately suggests that change is in the air. And while the finance sector might not be carrying the torch, Gadhia and Powers-Moore remain optimistic. “Identify your purpose and try to make a positive difference, but never sacrifice your personal life for your career,” Gadhia says, encouraging women entering the sector to find the balance between the personal and the professional, adding that “we all have only one life”. Powers-Moore’s advice is even blunter: “Find your allies who understand that gender equality is good for business” – something you would hope banks have a vested interest in. ●


Future Banking / www.nsbanking.com


The number of women who left UK banks in 2021. Bloomberg


Right: Jayne-Anne Gadhia, founder and chair of Snoop and former CEO at Virgin Money.


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