Pay Transparency, Flexible Working, and Courageous Career Conversations - Key to Closing the Gender Pay Gap

Closing the gender pay gap? It's going to take more than box ticking policy changes—it calls for a full-on rethink of how we approach work, leadership, and supporting employees. Flexible working, job sharing, and those "courageous" career conversations have their place, but my latest poll last week, made one things crystal clear: pay transparency is the real game-changer.

The Persistent Gender Pay Gap: Why Transparency Matters

Here’s some shocking stats that came out of the Women in Work Summit . The gender pay gap remains one of the most pressing challenges in the workplace. Women, on average, earn 15% less than men, and the disparity increases over time. By the time women retire, they often face a 40% shortfall in their pension pots and 5-10% lower lifetime earnings. The gap is most pronounced for women aged 50-59, who experience nearly four times the pay gap of those in their 30s.

Although there are efforts to promote equality, the lack of transparency in pay continues to hide discrepancies, keeping women from knowing their true earning potential compared to male colleagues. Transparency brings these issues to light, making it easier for companies to take corrective action.

Pay Transparency: A Game-Changer for Equity

Pay transparency isn’t just about publishing salaries; it’s about creating a culture where pay equity is prioritised, evaluated, and communicated clearly. When organisations make their pay practices open and transparent, they ensure accountability, reduce biases, and create a more inclusive environment.

But what does pay transparency look like in practice?

• Regular Pay Audits: Companies should conduct frequent audits to assess gender pay disparities and address them directly. This allows leadership to make informed adjustments and ensure fair compensation across all levels.
• Clear Salary Bands: Publishing salary ranges for roles helps employees understand where they stand and ensures hiring decisions aren’t based on negotiation skills—which often disadvantages women.
• Open Conversations About Pay: By encouraging employees to ask questions and discuss their compensation, companies create an environment of trust where inequalities can be addressed without fear of repercussions.

Flexible Working and Job Sharing: Supporting Work-Life Balance

While pay transparency is a foundational step, flexible working and job sharing remain crucial strategies for retaining women in the workforce and helping them thrive.

Flexible working—whether it’s staggered hours, compressed schedules, or remote work—provides a lifeline for employees juggling caregiving responsibilities, health challenges, or other personal commitments. By allowing individuals to customise when, how, and where they work, businesses can attract and retain top talent.

Job sharing, particularly for women over 50 or those returning parents after a break, is another innovative solution. It allows two professionals to share one full-time role, offering work-life balance while maintaining career progression.

Courageous Career Conversations: Building Trust and Engagement

Even with transparent pay practices and flexible working options, there’s one element that ensures companies retain their talented workforce—courageous career conversations. These open, honest discussions between managers and employees are vital for understanding individual aspirations, identifying personal challenges, and addressing “niggles” that might affect job satisfaction.

Why are these courageous conversations so important?

1. Exposing the Real Issues: Courageous conversations can uncover issues and insights which might be difficult recognise unless they have been talked through, like burnout, caregiving, or health challenges (hello, menopause!) that could be holding someone back. Get ahead of these and you’ll avoid disengagement or, worse, a career flatline.
2. Building Trust: Talking openly isn’t just about checking a box; it shows employees that leadership actually cares. And when people feel valued, they stick around and they’re more engaged.
3. Personal Growth: These chats give managers a chance to offer support that actually matters whether that’s flexible work hours, it could even be a couple of hours for lunch so you can get your exercise done in the daylight, mentorship, or a new training opportunity. It’s all about helping employees grow their careers while balancing their personal lives

Making Career Conversations and Transparency the Norm

Organisations looking to close the gender pay gap must combine pay transparency with a culture of open, courageous career conversations. Practical steps to foster this culture include:

• Regular Check-ins: Managers should have regular one-on-one meetings with team members to discuss career goals, pay concerns, and any personal challenges that might affect their work-life balance.
• Safe Space for Open Dialogue: Employees need to feel confident discussing remuneration, career progression, and personal circumstances without fear of negative consequences. Training leaders to handle these conversations with empathy and discretion is key and a culture of psychological safety is key.
• Commitment to Equity: Beyond conversations, companies must take concrete action by addressing pay discrepancies, offering flexible work options, and providing equal opportunities for growth and development.

The Importance of Representation in Leadership

While pay transparency is critical, addressing the structural barriers that women face in leadership roles is equally important. Currently, women make up only 35% of management positions and 25% of C-suite roles. Companies must prioritise gender representation in senior leadership, as studies show that gender-diverse teams and boards lead to better business performance. Those with just one woman on the board can experience growth of up to 15%.

What Can Organisations Do?

Our recent LinkedIn poll asked the community what they believe is the most impactful step organizations can take to reduce the gender pay gap:

• Increase pay transparency: 55%
• Bias-free hiring practices: 14%
• Career development and retention programs: 22%
• Equal parental leave policies: 10%

It’s clear that pay transparency is seen as the most critical step, but companies should also focus on bias-free hiring, robust career development programmes, and equal parental leave policies to create a truly inclusive workplace.

Conclusion: Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Closing the gender pay gap requires action on multiple fronts—pay transparency, flexible working, and job sharing are part of the solution, but to fully support employees, companies must also foster open, courageous career conversations. By encouraging transparency and building a culture where employees can discuss their needs and aspirations, organizations can make meaningful progress toward a more equitable, inclusive future.

How does your organisation approach pay transparency and career conversations? I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences—feel free to share them in the comments.

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Call to Action: Let's have some courageous career conversations with your employees and find out what's really going on and where they can step up, down or sideways in the future. It's time to lead with transparency.