WINNER
Women in Leadership Programme, Equans
Sponsored by: Moston
When Equans investigated key challenges in the business back in 2021, it carried out a diagnostic exercise looking at recruitment, performance and promotion data, and gathered employee feedback through listening circles.
The exercise revealed the promotion rate for men was 70% but just 30% for women.
So Equans created the Women in Leadership Programme to improve gender parity by developing female talent while creating a safe space for them to build their confidence and progress their careers through targeted leadership development.
Created in partnership with its women’s network and learning and development team, Equans is supporting 95 women across two cohorts with the aim of feeding future talent pipelines by retaining more internal talent and attracting external candidates.
The programme is aligned with Equans’ broader business objective to empower women to progress their careers, foster authentic leadership, confidence, and self-acceptance, while improving leadership capabilities and enhancing retention.
Results achieved
In numbers:
- 16 women have been internally promoted or changed roles
- 9% increase in female new starters
- 4.5 out of 5 score from line managers on the programme’s value to the individual and team
- 100% of participants report better skills, knowledge and confidence
- £730,000 saved by using the apprenticeship levy funds
- 92% retention rates for those on the programme (compared with 85% for women across the whole UK organisation)
- £104,000 saving on recruitment costs from retaining employees and supporting their career progression
- 11 award nominations for Equans Apprentice Awards in 2023-2024
Additional wins:
- Improved gender pay gap figures
- Increased representation of women in senior management
- Boosted their productivity and performance ratings
- Improved leadership behaviours
- Supported women in the programme with their career ambitions
- Learners reported increased exposure to senior leaders
Lessons in best practice
Involving line managers ensures a comprehensive approach to development, aligning individual growth with organisational goals.
Aligning the programme with gender balance has improved gender pay gap figures and increased women’s representation in senior management.
Senior mentorship has resulted in increased exposure, enhanced confidence, and improved career ambitions for those in the programme.
Maintaining personal development plans (PDPs), which combine psychometrics for professional development and learning journals to track progress, is hugely impactful.
Promoting a self-directed learning culture through digital learning and online resources reinforces the message of employee development at all levels of the business.
Key quotes
- “Empowering women in leadership isn’t just about breaking glass ceilings, it’s about creating an equitable workplace, amplifying voices, and cultivating a force that transforms challenges into opportunities,” says Jessica Hanwell, talent and DE&I manager and Women in Leadership Programme project lead, Equans UK & Ireland.
- It’s important to recognise that when seeking to develop and empower the advancement of women in leadership, we need to deploy a targeted offering, which allows women to explore the unique challenges they face and to do that in a safe space and involve women and their line manager/sponsor,” Pam Wright, chief human resources officer, Equans UK & Ireland.
- “It’s a fabulous opportunity and a great platform to learn and develop. I would certainly say take a look at your workload, ensure you have a supportive manager or mentor, and the space and time to dedicate to it,” Charlotte Rossiter, account manager, Equans UK & Ireland.
Seizing the initiative
Jennifer Bone, business improvement manager, Equans UK & Ireland: “The programme has acted as a ‘springboard’ to my career aspirations. It has been extremely challenging at times and it has certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone, however, it has all been done within a safe, open and supportive environment, where I have been allowed to explore who I really am and how I can improve my leadership skills.”
From the judges
“A great initiative, especially in this industry. Equans has supported a large number of women and are seeing great results from the programme.”
“Great to hear about the impact the programme has had on participants’ careers and how it has increased their confidence.”