Framework overview
The WISE Gender Equity Framework was developed collaboratively with partners in industry, academia and EDI. The framework aims to help WISE member organisations achieve our purpose of increasing the participation, contribution and success of all women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
We can accomplish meaningful change by working together to remove gender bias, to increase the number of role models in the industry, and to level the playing field for women wanting to progress in STEM.
How it works
The new framework consists of five pillars that encompass all aspects of workplace diversity and inclusion: data, attraction, progression, retention and engagement. Specific EDI topics are grouped together within these pillars, to represent an overall approach to EDI management and development for both corporate organisations and academic institutions.
The five pillars
The five pillars are representative of the employee journey and fundamental EDI touchpoints at both corporate and academic organisations. The areas that sit underneath the overarching pillars are comprehensive, logical and provide and easy to understand route to best practice in all areas of EDI
Data – measure your progress towards gender equity
Data is fundamental to any successful EDI journey. Everything you do should be underpinned by data so you can measure our progress and clearly see the impact our outputs are having. Data helps to better understand the people who make up an organisation. If you don’t have the right data, it’s incredibly difficult to effect any meaningful change.
Attraction – inclusive recruitment of top talent
The recruitment cycle is the first step in tackling the lack of diversity within our industry. With attraction we look at how to reach underrepresented groups and ensure that organisations are reflective of the society we live in. Having an inclusive recruitment process is the first key step in attracting the right people and welcoming the very best talent to the STEM workforce.
Progression – eliminate barriers and promote opportunity
Welcoming the right people is just step one, it’s important that you support your employees at every stage of their career and life. It’s essential that you are providing clear and fair opportunities to develop and progress women within the workplace. This involves removing barriers and providing support to access these opportunities. This will maintain an inclusive culture and ultimately support attraction and retention.
Retention - nurturing individuals
Retention looks at how to keep your employees happy, by meeting their needs and ensuring their success. It’s important to look at fairness and equity at all levels, ensuring policies and processes support all employees and create a sense of belonging within your organisation.
Engagement – putting words into actions
For EDI to be successful, it’s essential that everyone within your organisation sees the significance of the role they play and are engaged with the journey. Inclusive leadership is essential, so you need buy-in, inclusion and responsibility at every level.
Data collection
As part of the framework we have two diagnostics which aim to give a more full and complete understanding of the reality and perceptions of EDI progression within your organisation.
The first is the HR diagnostic. This is designed to be answered by a HR or EDI professional with full knowledge of policies and processes in place to support employees. It offers a comprehensive overview and gives a baseline data set that provides insight into where your organisation stands and what areas need to be improved.
We highly recommend completing this annually, to provide a comparative data set which can be used to monitor and assess your progress year-on-year. The HR diagnostic is included within our active and online WISE memberships, and active members will receive a more comprehensive report.
The second is the employee diagnostic . We suggest you try to engage as many employees as possible to complete this – giving a greater depth of understanding of the perception and experience of EDI within your organisation.
This employee diagnostic comes at an additional cost to your membership package, with the option to have a comprehensive review of the results with a facilitated workshop.
If you’re already a member and would like to know more about our Gender Equity Framework, please get in touch with our customer engagement team.
If you’re currently not a member of WISE, and would like to explore membership options please get in touch via the enquiry form below