Gender Balance - We still have work to do

Building an inclusive workplace has always been important to me. But its importance found new meaning when my first child, Georgia Thomas, my daughter, was born. The doctor told me that when you become a father your heart leaves your body; I’ve certainly found that to be true over the last 21 years.

As my daughter grew up, my wife and I wanted her to feel empowered to choose her own path. There were instances where the path she chose was not easy or was previously marred by gender stereotypes —such as playing rugby rather than netball (she did both). It was through these scenarios that I practiced being an ally for my daughter and other women, and continue to do what I can in progressing gender equality and inclusion.

In addition to being a founding member of Male Allies Hong Kong (a local non-profit initiative for men committed to driving gender equality and inclusion in businesses and the community), I quickly signed up to be a member of HSBC’s Balance employee network soon after starting my current role. HSBC’s Balance employee network (with 50,000 members globally!) has offered me many opportunities, not only to connect with a significant number of our female colleagues, but also to connect with other Male Allies I can learn from and support in being champions for female colleagues in the bank. 

I wouldn’t be doing my part as a Male Ally without recognising my colleagues Sugunah Verumandy, Head of HR, Malaysia, Gitanjali Kumar, Head of HR International and Archana Chadha, Head of HR, India, who recently joined my Asia-Pacific HR Leadership team and who have accomplished so much in their careers thus far. As one of the HR leaders at HSBC, I’m also excited to be part of, and support, numerous mentorship and leadership programmes which are aimed at helping female colleagues reach their full potential—including the bank’s Accelerating Female Leadership programme as well as being the beneficiary of reverse mentoring from one of our young female leaders in Singapore. We also have a programme for women who have taken a break from work and are looking to restart their career.  

 This is why I’m particularly proud to share that in Asia, HSBC recently came out on top amongst nearly 60 international banks in Asiamoney’s 2020 Leaders for Women Survey:

·         Highest percentage of women in the workforce (57%)

·         Highest percentage of women in senior positions (35%)

·         Most graduate hires that are women (62%)

Many of you know how important it is to me that we build an equal and inclusive workforce. As mentioned in my last post, HSBC is a place where employees should feel supported to be their authentic selves. Our hiring and promotion principles ensure equal opportunities for the best candidates—regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

 However, when you look around today, it’s not difficult to spot the gender imbalance still in the workforce. We still have work to do in this space.

I’m trying to do my part by being a Male Ally, providing equal and fair opportunities for all, challenging stereotypes and being a positive change-maker wherever I have influence both inside and outside HSBC. Perhaps, if we all try to do at least one of these things, we can help our teams become more equal and inclusive. As a result, we will also become a better reflection of the customers we serve—balanced, diverse, unique and interesting.