Promoting gender equity through action: a 365-day agenda

There is no one silver bullet for addressing DE&I at workplace, but several actions that can be taken to promote it. Read more in the blogpost.

Women’s day celebration ... why men need to get involved.

During the conversation with Christin E. Bøsterud and Magnus Kuchler other topics was explored such as gender equality in the workplace, unconscious bias, and why men should get involved in the discussion.

The first step to achieving gender equality is for men to become advocates for change. One way for men allies to support gender equality is by thinking about their own privilege. As a society, men are privileged to the degree that women are not. Therefore, men can support gender equality by asking themselves how gender inequality has benefited them and striving to give equal opportunities to women.

If we look at senior female leaders as a minority in organizations – which is the case for many companies – it’s not so effective to let the minority get together and try to solve the problem. It’s much more effective to let the majority, men, get involved and be part of the change.

How can you achieve DE&I in your workplace?

The benefits of having a diverse team are tremendous from both social and business points of view.

Diversity and gender balance in a team improve discussions, allowing for diverse perspectives and ideas, leading to innovation and better results. Additionally, team members gain a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures through shared experiences. Therefore, we need to get to know our team members – in order to properly make everyone feel included.

“When you have a diverse team, the discussions get better. The meetings can indeed take a while considering everyone has a chance to speak, but the result is impressive,” expresses Magnus Kuchler, Nordic Markets Leader and Country Managing Partner in Sweden, from his experience.

Helping others feel included has everything to do with feelings. If you are still confused, simply remember the time in your life when you felt excluded. The next time you meet a person in the office, make a habit of smiling or saying “Hi,” try to look curious to learn about them, and give your 100% when talking to someone. Being a good person in itself will create a ripple effect that will set the wheels rolling for DE&I in an organization or society.

DE&I in recruitment

Hiring practices are one of the areas in which companies can make a difference by ensuring that they do not discriminate based on gender when hiring new employees.

To do this, organizations must hire people with diverse experiences, skills and perspectives. They need to be able to look beyond their own biases and prejudices and see things from another person’s point of view.

During the recruitment process, unconscious biases can threaten to derail our chances of finding the best person for the job. Therefore, organizations must proactively ensure to equip everyone involved in the recruitment process with the best tools to achieve diverse recruitments. Also they need to make sure everyone who enters the door feels welcome and valued.

What are we doing at EY Nordic?

IWD was introduced back in 1977 by the United Nations, but organizations in 2023 still feel the need to highlight gender equality and bring this to the agenda – we are not done yet.

At EY Nordic, we carry a 365-day mindset in uplifting women’s rights and building a diverse and inclusive workplace. In each Nordic country, we have expressed an unwavering commitment to breaking down barriers and championing inclusivity across all levels of our organization through various initiatives. Here is a brief overview of some of our external Nordic initiatives.