Deloitte reported under the government’s regulations for a second year last summer. While our second statutory report showed a mixed picture, with some movement up and some down, we knew that some of the steps we were taking to address gender balance in our organisation might have a short-term adverse impact on our statutory reported number.
This year, we also issued our second ‘total earnings gap‘ which reflects the gap for our organisation as a whole, including equity partners, who are not included in our statutory report as they do not receive either a salary or bonus. Our mean and median total earnings gaps have both reduced.
We have long been clear with our people that we are working hard to change the gender balance within our firm, but we have been equally clear that doing this will take both time and a relentless focus.
This focus, which is led from the top, has enabled our employees to fully embrace agile and flexible working arrangements, as well as ensuring that our culture is always inclusive, and is underpinned at all times by respect. It has seen us introduce programmes that, alongside our approach to culture, make a real difference; critically, we have also changed processes in our career life-cycle that were possible barriers from a gender balance perspective.
The results are starting to show, both in terms of an increase in the number of women who join us, and a decrease in those choosing to leave.
Our gender pay gap is driven solely by a lack of women in senior positions in our firm, and we firmly believe that all the steps we are taking will change this.
Emma Codd is managing partner for talent at Deloitte