The surprising truths we uncovered in 2023

We don't know about you but we're pretty sure that there were 730 days in 2023, not 365.??It's been an action-packed year for us here at Platform55. From winning at the Diversity in Tech Awards, growing the team,?picking up the keys to our first office, and onboarding lots of new clients - we've been busy.??If you'd like to see a 1-minute recap of what we've been up to this year you can view it here.?

But onto the subject of this month's newsletter. What have we discovered during 2023, and how is this influencing us for 2024?

There's a lack of understanding about what the Gender Pay Gap is

According to the UN, it's going to take almost 300 years to achieve gender equality at the current rate of progress.? ?We've also discovered that there's a general lack of understanding about what 'gender pay gap' actually means.

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One group of senior leaders we worked with this year were adamant that no man in their company was paid a higher rate than a woman for doing the same job.? However, they were oblivious to the reality that with?9 men and 1 woman sitting around their Executive Boardroom, they didn't have equal representation across their business.??

Gender Pay Gap isn't just about comparing hourly rates or salaries, it's about representation at all levels within your business.?

If we're going to create solutions to what is a complex problem, we first need to accept there IS a problem.??

Only by opening up honest conversations with men and women?about?bias, and the real challenges that stand in the way of women progressing in their careers, will we get a?shared understanding of how we can accelerate gender equality.? ?We don't know about you but we're not willing to wait 286 years.?

Bias is well and truly alive and kicking

As former diversity officer of JP Morgan Stephen Young once said,

we're getting better at managing the elephants whilst we watch the ants walk by.

This sums up the challenge so many of us are facing.? Companies are implementing some fantastic policies around flexibility and family leave, but we're falling short when it comes to implementation due to ingrained biases we all have. For example:?

???Many people are still judged on the hours they work, not what they deliver. So "yes, you can work part-time or finish on time but don't expect to progress in your career".?

???Dads, we know we need to give you more Paternity Leave, or better still, offer shared Parental Leave. But, we also know?that only 8% of you feel comfortable enough to take your full leave entitlements.?

In 2024 we all need to get braver about calling out bias, and challenging old mindsets.? Let's start asking 'what if...'?

We're all lying about how hard it is to juggle life with work

Belonging has become a buzzword in DEI.? Yet, 61% of us feel like we have to cover up part of our identity to fit in at work.? That number is higher if you're a woman, a person of colour, or belong to a minority group.?

If you feel like you're failing, it's not because you're useless, its because you're working in a system that was never designed for you

Imagine if we could be more honest and share our experiences - be that trying to juggle a career and family life, or what it is like to be neurodiverse or live with a disability.? By sharing our experiences, we feel more connected and less alone.? And yes, we feel like we belong.??

How can we open up more honest conversations in our workplaces and recognize that we all have something in our lives that's important to us??

So, what do you think?? Are you surprised by any of these? Or do confirm your day-to-day reality?

At Platform55 We're tackling all of these issues (and more) in 2024.

If you'd like to explore these themes further and discover what they mean for you and your organization, we're running a 30-minute masterclass on the 16th of January at 11 am GMT.??

You can register for it here.? In our usual Platform55 style it'll be interactive, pacy and will get your 2024 off to a great start!?

Thanks for all of your support during 2023. Whatever your plans for the end of the year - we hope it's a great end to 2023 for you.

Wishing you all the best for 2024 - The Platform55 Team