The Week in HR

Tackling The Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap is a persistent issue in many workplaces around the world, including Australia. According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, as of 2021, women in Australia earn 13.4% less than men on average. Closing the gender pay gap is not only a matter of fairness, but it can also improve business outcomes and increase productivity.

Here are some ways that companies can tackle the gender pay gap;

1. Conduct a Pay Gap Analysis - Conduct a comprehensive pay gap analysis to identify any disparities between the salaries of men and women in the company. This analysis should take into account job roles, levels, and responsibilities.
2. Remove Bias from Recruitment and Promotion - Implement measures to remove any bias in recruitment and promotion processes. This can include anonymous CVs, diverse interview panels, and objective performance criteria.
3. Encourage Flexible Work Arrangements - Flexible work arrangements can help to promote gender equality by allowing women to balance their work and family responsibilities. This can include part-time work, job sharing, and working from home.
4. Educate Employees - Provide education and training programs to help employees understand the gender pay gap and its impact. This can help to promote awareness and encourage action.
5. Implement Pay Transparency - Implementing pay transparency can help to promote fairness and accountability. This can include making pay scales public and providing information on how salaries are determined.
6. Set Targets - Set targets for closing the gender pay gap and hold managers accountable for achieving them. This can help to create a culture of equality and encourage action, however ensure that candidates are selected based on their skill-set!

Closing the gender pay gap requires a long-term commitment and a multifaceted approach. By conducting a pay gap analysis, removing bias, encouraging flexible work arrangements, educating employees, implementing pay transparency, and setting targets, companies can make progress in addressing this important issue.

Using Behavioural Science To Improve Engagement

Engagement is a crucial factor in employee performance, job satisfaction and retention. One way to improve engagement is by using insights from behavioural science.

Some ways that you can use behavioural science to improve engagement in your workplace include;

1. Use Social Norms - Social norms can influence behaviour. Companies can use social norms to promote desired behaviours, such as recognizing and rewarding high-performing employees, or promoting work-life balance.
2. Leverage the Power of Habits - Habits are automatic behaviours that are triggered by specific cues. Companies can encourage positive habits by creating routines that promote healthy behaviour, such as taking breaks or getting enough sleep.
3. Make Work Meaningful - Meaningful work is one of the key drivers of engagement. Companies can make work more meaningful by highlighting how employees' work contributes to the overall mission of the organization.
4. Use Nudges - Nudges are subtle cues that influence behaviour without restricting choice. Companies can use nudges to encourage desired behaviours, such as reminding employees to take breaks or providing healthy food options in the cafeteria.
5. Provide Feedback - Feedback is an important part of behavioural change. Companies can provide feedback to employees to help them improve their performance, and also provide opportunities for employees to provide feedback on their work environment.
6. Use Incentives - Incentives can be a powerful motivator. Companies can use incentives to encourage desired behaviours, such as offering bonuses for high-performing employees or providing paid time off for completing a wellness program.

Using behavioural science can help companies create a more engaging work environment, promote positive behaviours, and ultimately improve performance and retention. By leveraging social norms, habits, meaningful work, nudges, feedback, and incentives, companies can create a culture of engagement that benefits both employees and the organisation as a whole.

Comedy Time… The UFO Conference!

One day, an employee at an Australian company requested a day off because he wanted to attend a "UFO conference". The HR manager was skeptical but decided to approve the request anyway.

The day of the conference, the employee didn't show up to work. The HR manager tried calling him but he didn't answer. A few hours later, the employee finally called back and explained that he had been abducted by aliens and taken on a tour of the galaxy.

The HR manager didn't know what to say but managed to keep a straight face and told the employee to take the rest of the week off.

Moral of the Story……always expect the unexpected in HR!