British Retail Consortium launches gender diversity initiative

The British Retail Consortium is partnering with Timewise, the flexible recruitment specialist, to launch a new initiative to drive gender diversity in retail to support retailers’ efforts in improving talent attraction and retention.

The retail industry is the UK’s largest private sector employer, employing around three million people, with flexibility cited as one of the top reasons to work in retail, according to British Retail Consortium research, approximately two-thirds of these employees work part time and the majority of whom are women, and it is hoped that this new flexible job design programme will help career progression.

The aim of the initiative is to tackle the problem that part-time workers, particular women, are being held back from progressing their careers and raising their earnings, from fear of losing that flexibility in their working hours. The scheme follows research by the British Retail Consortium that revealed that 65 percent of part time retail employees stated that they would want to progress into a managerial role if they could maintain a flexible or part time working pattern.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of British Retail Consortium, said:“As the largest private sector employer in the UK with around three million people working across retail and wholesale, the pay and progression of our staff is incredibly important to us.

“Our Retail 2020 research revealed that flexibility is the second most important reason to work in retail, but in some cases this is a trade-off which may hold some people back from fulfilling their potential or optimising their pay.”

Dickinson added: “It is important that these part-time workers are able to progress within organisations when they choose to and we’re working in partnership with Timewise, to support retailers with the task of delivering these opportunities in flexible ways. Such collaboration is important to ensure retail remains an attractive industry to work and grow in.”

Emma Stewart, joint chief executive officer of Timewise, commented: “With a post-Brexit labour market in sight, robust flexible working strategies where jobs are designed with their people in mind, is what will create a win-win situation for UK retailers – from being able to attract the best possible people, maximising the skills of their existing talent, ensuring career progression, and addressing challenges such as low productivity and gender equality.”

The programme has been piloted by Timewise over the last 18 months with five retailers: the John Lewis Partnership, Tesco, B&Q, Cook, and Dixons Carphone.