At Beyond Recruitment this International Women’s Day, we recognise that diversity and inclusion and #embraceequity includes a wide range of identities, not just gender, and ethnicity but also culture and disability.
Here at Beyond Recruitment, diversity is embraced in everything we stand for, our vision, our strategy and our values. We believe in equal opportunities for all people and incorporate our values into everything that we do. This means having a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion and always keeping these concepts at the forefront of our business ethics and practices.
Proudly at Beyond Recruitment women play a key role in our business and in leadership starting from a Board level and across all parts of our business. We strive to be fully inclusive across all diverse identities. We aim to create a culture of full inclusivity for all and where all women feel valued, respected, and supported.
We understand that women face unique challenges in the workplace, including the gender pay gap, unconscious bias, and a lack of representation in leadership positions. To address these issues, we are committed to uplifting the voices of women in leadership roles and promoting inclusive leadership practices with all the organisations we work with.
Our Core Values
As we celebrate International Women's Day it's important to recognise the need for equity in the workplace. At Beyond Recruitment, our core values of respect, honesty, flexibility, Mahi Tahi, and working for the benefit of Aotearoa guide everything we do.
We're very proud of our diverse Beyond Recruitment whānau and strive to uphold our values in all our actions, including supporting gender equity in the workplace. We know that women still face obstacles and ‘glass ceilings’, and we're committed to breaking down those barriers to ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
Studies show that diverse workplaces, including gender diversity, perform better and benefit their communities. By embracing equity for women and creating a diverse work environment, we can improve our own performance and contribute to a more equitable and prosperous Aotearoa.
This International Women's Day, in my role as CEO for Beyond Recruitment, I am proud to pledge to continue our efforts to support women in the workplace and promote gender equity. We know there's still work to be done in so many sectors and organisations, but we're committed to working towards making our contribution to a future where all individuals, regardless of gender, have equal access to inclusivity in the workplace.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Here at Beyond Recruitment, diversity and inclusion are much more than just buzzwords. They’re foundational to our day-to-day activities and we ensure this happens in several ways.
We work hard to uplift the voices of women in leadership positions and spread the word about the benefits of diversity in management. This takes shape through our blog series as well as with annual webinars on a range of different diversity and inclusion topics.
We also strive to build a diverse team and to become an attractive employer to members of diverse communities. This goes far beyond gender equality to include ethnicity, gender, sexuality, culture and disability.
At Beyond Recruitment, we are proud to support a number of different charitable organisations that share our values. This includes Para Kore, an organisation providing education to help communities embrace sustainability and reduce waste. We seek to partner with employers who actively support equity, diversity and inclusion in meaningful ways to ensure that our candidates we work with feel safe and included in the workplaces where they gain employment.
The Importance of Belonging
A sense of belonging at work is essential, not just for individual employees but also for the success of the business. Only when everyone feels valued, respected and free to be themselves can they truly thrive in the workplace.
We recently explored this concept in-depth with our partner, leadership coach, author and business commentator Dr Harold Hillman. Dr Hillman shared why inclusion and belonging are essential for organisations if they want to be successful. He also discussed actions that companies could take to create a culture where everyone feels able to bring their authentic self to work.
Dr Hillman perfectly explains how trying to blend in can strip away the essence of who you truly are. The conflict between needing to fit in and needing to stand out is arguably present in the workplace more than in any other environment. For this reason and more, we believe in the need for genuine diversity and inclusion practices across the board.
The Gender Pay Gap
No discussion of workplace equity would be complete without highlighting the ongoing issue of the gender pay gap.
A recent study from the University of Waikato revealed that a 12% disparity still exists, despite efforts to push for equal pay for men and women. Perhaps most interestingly, only 20% of the reasons for the gap have been identified, with 80% still being considered unexplained.
Unconscious bias towards placing men in senior leadership roles is proposed as a leading reason, alongside women being less likely to push for promotions and pay rises. By encouraging women to take wider strides towards their career ambitions, and removing unconscious bias through our recruitment processes, we aim to help close the pay gap and balance the scales.
Beyond Recruitment
We’re dedicated to championing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We hope that by spreading the message of diversity and inclusion, more businesses will embrace fairer and more supportive practices.
If you want to hear more about how we work or how we can help you find a job that you love, reach out to us for a chat anytime.
