Beyond the numbers with Grant Thornton: Listen now
“I think diversity is something that we do naturally in our team. A long time ago we recognised there are a lot of different places that talent comes from. People from different backgrounds and life experiences. And, of course, women make up a large part of that.
“We want to keep talented people – there’s a positive knock-on effect for everyone. Therefore, enabling flexible working is a no-brainer. And flexibility is not just about women: it’s doing what we need to do to keep the best people, whether they are juggling family or other commitments and interests.”
Reflecting on how the team is now, Simon says it took time and dedication to get where they are.
“The head of our business when I started was an absolute gender diversity advocate. She encouraged us to challenge the status quo around diversity and ask ‘why not?’.
“That might sound basic but doing that over a long period of time grew momentum. And it became the culture of the leadership table,” he said.
Simon believes clients get the best advice and people working with them as a result.
“This is the reality when you have a large team with a lot of very senior women. You don’t have to think about it too much,” he said.
Another benefit of having a diverse workplace that supports its best people is the ‘stickiness’ it creates.
“We now have a whole bunch of senior females, largely working mums, in our team and no pipeline issue. Our focus is working,” he said.
There are not-so-obvious benefits of diversity and flexibility, which Simon believes are just as important. The challenge can sometimes be making sure everyone sees the value.
“By keeping the best people in your business, younger team members have access to incredible mentors who can teach them stuff they wouldn’t have otherwise. The coaching piece can sometimes be invisible but is so important. You retain the knowledge and the training you invested in your people.
“You might sometimes get the question from young team members: ‘what’s in it for me?’ They may have fewer commitments outside the workplace and can’t see the obvious benefits they also receive.
“But an inclusive workplace can translate into flexibility in other areas and reflects what society generally expects these days. It’s showing them that flexibility is more than just family commitments. It can be ‘I’ve got a sport to play or another interest I need to fit into my working life’.
Simon thinks that seeing the professional benefits of flexibility and personally experiencing the challenge of juggling a lot of outside responsibilities have shaped his view and impacted the way he works.
“There’s a Director in my team who recently went on parental leave. I am her sponsor and as we were going through her business case for the promotion she told me she was pregnant. I don’t remember a whole lot about that conversation besides saying ‘that’s great, congratulations’.
“I have since learned she was concerned it would affect or influence her promotion to Director. It definitely didn’t. In my mind, it wasn’t a factor in the process. She said to me recently how important that was to her.
“I really believe all the senior guys in our team would act the same way. It’s just the way we are, which is something to be pretty proud of I think.”
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