Recognising and Valuing Female Talent in Sheffield: some facts and figures

1. Recognising and Valuing Female Talent in Sheffield: some facts and figures Dr Helen Richardson Professor of Gender and Organisation h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

2. Starting Point Companies with the most women in leadership outperform those with the fewest Women are creative and talented entrepreneurs Women are the solution not the problem Sheffield needs to recognise and value its talented women h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

3. Agenda Women at work in the UK British Labour Force survey - women and men at work in South Yorkshire The state of Sheffield What is to be done? h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

4. Women at work in the UK • Women dominate low pay and low grade work, job segregation prevails: • Women work in the 5 ‘C’s’: catering, cleaning, caring, clerical, cashiering • Lifting heavy weights scores is valued whereas lifting heavy people is regarded as caring work and not valued. Doing ‘dirty work’ scores highly but not so when working ‘with human vomit, blood and faeces’ • Women are missing from the ‘top tables’ of power: • 17.3% FTSE 100 directors are women; 7 have all male boards • There are 143 women MP’s (22%) • The UK is 18/27 of OECD countries on 5 key indicators of women’s economic empowerment including equality of earnings with men and proportions in f/t work h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

5. Economic activity in South Yorkshire(data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, October-December 2012; 1420 adult individuals (16-65) who usually reside in South Yorkshire) h.richardson@shu.ac.uk Equal numbers of men and women employed 82% men and 64% women work in the private sector – over twice as many women than men work in the public sector Women work mainly in admin, education, health, hotel and restaurant sectors Men work mainly in manufacturing, construction, transport and communications Equal Proportions in banking, finance and insurance

6. In South Yorkshire h.richardson@shu.ac.uk • As you go up the hierarchy of better paid roles, women dominate the lower end • There are twice as many male managers and directors in the region than female • Part time work: • 86% of male workers are full-time • 57% of female workers are full-time - 43% work part-time

7. The state of Sheffield 2013 (sources: An economic growth strategy for Sheffield consultation draft 2012; www.citiesoutlook.org and Sheffield First Partnership: ‘State of Sheffield 2013’) http://www.citiesoutlook.org/summary/sheffield Sheffield’s private sector has a lower density of jobs using high level skills than other cities – about 75% do not employ graduates and have no plans to do so in the next 3 years 2:1 ratio of public to private sector employment Primarily an SME economy 8% manufacturing (6% UK) Business, financial and professional services (21%) UK 23%; Leeds 26%; Manchester 28%). Knowledge intensive employment (12%); Manchester 25%; Leeds 21% Women are paid on average 9.6% less than men for doing work of equal value Significant growth of creative and digital industries – becoming an important hub 2 excellent Universities with talented and motivated graduates h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

8. The state of Sheffield: prospects in ‘austerity’ Unemployment has risen for men and women since the recession. By 2010 male unemployment had levelled off but for women there has been a steady and continuing rise In the private sector there is a higher gender pay gap (24% compared to 17%) Low paid jobs are paid at a lower rate in the private sector Under-employment prevails and zero contract hours is increasing Cuts in services impacts on poor families especially women h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

9. What is to be done?(particular acknowledgement to the Fawcett Society report 2013) We need some urgent and ‘joined-up’ thinking to utilise rather than waste or lose the knowledge and skills from Sheffield City Region Protect and improve levels of pay and forms of work – a ‘race to the bottom’ strategy will not help the local economy Widen access to job opportunities at every level for women and in male-dominated sectors - the magic 30% The region needs to address the way men and women work for certain industries and in traditional ways - embrace flexibility and family friendly ways of working Address the power and pay gaps In the HE sector fully accountable Equality Charter marks (e.g. Athena Swan) appear to be making a positive difference h.richardson@shu.ac.uk

10. I asked our female alumni what message they would give to employers in terms of recognising and valuing women Our voice is often ignored – the gift of active listening is precious Don’t pigeon hole women WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE – IT’S TOP NOTCH AND WILL BLOW YOUR SOCKS OFF We bring a different perspective to decision making Don’t prohibit women from achieving a family AND a successful career and you will gain access to a group of highly talented, driven individuals who can make significant contributions to your organisation Recognise the passion, power and dynamism that women can bring to all aspects of business Women can often get the job done in difficult and sensitive situations Assess performance in a non-gender specific way i.e. one that doesn’t always favour males Mixed male and female environments work better and if you always recruit to the same spec your business may not get the talent and new skills to keep up Look at the person not the gender h.richardson@shu.ac.uk