Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | DECEMBER 2018 | 17 • WATER COMPANY VIEW ALISON CORNER, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, NORTHUMBRIAN WATER " Objectively speaking, it feels strange still having to talk about gender equality in 2018. But in an industry where a female business leader continued to be asked whether being a woman has held her back, we do still need to address the issue. Until people stop asking such questions, there's clearly a mindset remaining within society that means people have different expectations of men and women. "The fact remains we are in a situation where, while things are improving, much more needs to be done to achieve equality of opportunity for all, whatever their personal characteristics or backgrounds, not just on the grounds of gender. "Embracing equality isn't just good for the individuals involved, as important as that is. Diversity is vital for many organisations if they wish to achieve their full potential. Forecasts from the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership have highlighted that the water industry has a net requirement to fill 63,000 vacancies by 2027, with energy and utilities firms needing to fill a total of 221,000. "Attracting diverse talent from the widest pool possible and creating a genuinely inclusive environment, where people feel comfortable and valued for the contribution they personally make, means everyone wins. Employers get motivated and engaged people who do a great job, people enjoy their work and customers and other stakeholders directly benefit from efficiency of the business and the quality of the service and work delivered. "Outdated stereotypes and the assumptions they lead to need to be broken down – they are damaging, because they form at an early age and stay with people. A study of 400 children, conducted by three United States universities, showed girls as young as six believe 'brilliance' is a male trait. If that doesn't tell us that something needs to change in the way parents, teachers and even the media portray not only gender but all of the other sectors of society I've previously mentioned, what does? "The latest statistics from the Women's Engineering Society show a growth in the percentage of the engineering workforce that is made up of females, but only from 9 per cent in 2015 to 11 per cent in 2017. "Research studies show certain language can subconsciously put women off applying for a role but, interestingly, 'female-friendly' terms don't impact on how men see the role. A research study published in the American Psychological Association found women's style of communication is more communal, using more emotional and social words than men's style of communicating. At Northumbrian Water, we're looking at a range of ways to adapt our recruitment process to make jobs as appealing to women as to men. For example, we place a focus in adverts upon the candidate behaviours we look for, as much as technical skills, and more female-friendly language is being used. "This, along with a real effort to have gender-balanced shortlists, from apprenticeships to senior roles, and a focus upon nurturing the emotional intelligence of our leaders and demonstrating this through the use of female role models, is also playing a "Diversity is vital for many organisations if they wish to achieve their full potential" part in attracting more women into our workforce. "Research shows women really value the culture of a business and the ability to work flexibly as well as the opportunity to be involved in community work and networks, so we also put a focus upon this, through our involvement in the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) campaign. "The great news is that we have some amazing female role models at all levels of the industry and the opportunities for women to come into our sector are also broader than ever before, with entry points opening up at many stages of working life. "At Northumbrian Water, we already have a female chief executive plus four other women directors, and women in management roles – even outside of those 'support' function teams – are becoming more common. And we are seeing young women join us in roles such as maintenance and project management, which is fantastic. "We can all do something to inspire people to consider a career in water – whatever our own gender. A¡er all, we deliver the very source of life to our customers' homes. What can be more inspiring than that?" Northumbrian Water CEO Heidi Mottram with Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah and other women at Howdon WWTW for International Women in Engineering Day 2017