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COMPLIANCE AND CULTURE FOR CHANGE Governments around the world are introducing legislation and asking firms to become more transparent around the gender pay gap, ethnicity pay, fair and equal pay for equal value. Here in the UK, businesses with more than 250 employees must report their gender pay gap on an annual basis to all of their stakeholders, as well as on a publicly available government equalities reporting portal. This can be troublesome for those that are lagging on equal pay policies as they run the risk of losing out on top talent when unattractive statistics are published. However until recently it was difficult to extract the data required to report gender pay gaps.
we can even embed changes and make adjustments a part of the process.” She went on to say that partnering with large ERP providers can add value to their customers. “ERP providers, like Oracle for example, see the advantages of working together with a start-up developing new technologies around fair pay,” she said.
the public arena, which is empowering people from various backgrounds, including the female pool, to embark on careers in the technology industry. “We’re seeing that clarity and widespread appreciation of the benefits of a diverse workforce is prominent across the sector, leading to greater support to ensure that the changing workforce population is equipped to thrive in industries that are predominantly male dominated. This is happening handin-hand with businesses that are also transforming culturally so that the working environment is more inclusive and offers greater flexibility, as well as opportunities for clear and equal progression,” she said.
HELEN ARMSTRONG SILVER CLOUD HR
ZARA NANU GAPSQUARE
These days, many HR software vendors include data analytics software to allow organisations to pull the data into one dashboard; Cascade for instance, has added a reporting module which is designed to allow clients to calculate the figures required for the gender pay gap reporting regulations. “Diversity and inclusion can be very political and emotional issues,” said Dr. Zara Nanu, CEO at Gapsquare. “There are constant debates about the role of quotas, targets, positive discrimination, and parental leave. This can often mean that issues remain unsolved. When done correctly AI can put the right data driven recommendations in front of decision makers and 70
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The technology is one way to turn the issue around, there are certainly options available to implement. But change won’t happen if there isn’t the recognition and buy-in from the industry. When Helen Armstrong, managing director at Silver Cloud HR spoke to ERP Today on this issue she said that solving the gender pay gap in the tech sector – or any sector for that matter – is far from straightforward. “HRIS (Human Resources Information System) vendors have worked hard to incorporate gender pay gap reports into their systems with software that integrates HR and payroll. GapSquare and Curo, for example, both offer instant insights into pay gaps with inbuilt analysis into the causes with data-driven recommendations for change. But there must be an appetite for change,” she said. Irene Papantoniou is a marketing executive at JamieAi, a recruitment firm that combines human and AI-powered processes to connect data professionals with employers looking for new talent. She believes that initiatives being deployed around the diversity topic are bringing greater transparency in
IRENE PAPANTONIOU JAMIEAI
C
oncluding that a cultural shift towards more equality is a profitable one, Papantoniou said: “It’s widely acknowledged that diverse workforces pave the way for incredible levels of innovation, and ultimately business growth in the ever-competitive industry. Without a doubt, cultural change combined with technological advancements will be the way in which companies can best tackle this issue. Whilst we’re already seeing exciting things taking place across some businesses, it’s not widespread enough to eliminate the issues altogether. In our opinion, education and awareness is the way to go in order to tackle the issue at its roots.”
