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People stuff

Achieving gender balance at work   

Gender balance is something that happens over the long term and the real challenge, especially for SMEs, is the practicalities, how do you achieve?

These are good starting points:

1. Start with what you have and then improve
2. Offer flexible working - it is not only women who needs. There is stigma attached to men taking time off work to look after their children. Flexibility is a critical career enabler to retain talent.
3. Ask your employees what they value and listen - these can provide a platform to build an appropriate reward strategy and targeted benefits, so you get the most value out of your investment
4. Lead by example - the senior team needs to show flexible working/flexibility in practice so that employees can relate, showing being "human", taking holidays etc.

Keep it simple but visible: whatever you decide to offer, ensure that it is available to everyone and is communicated fully to the whole business.

If you need, The People Alchemist is here to help .