Expanding the talent pool

Expanding the talent poolThe formation of Property Male Champions of Change (PMCC) in 2015 was no symbolic gesture and is now making real headway in the quest to improve diversity in our male-dominated industry, says Carol Schwartz.Schwartz (pictured), who convenes the group of 20 industry leaders, says PMCC is committed to stepping up beside women to find solutions that improve gender equality – solutions that can be replicated across the industry.”The CEOs and chairs involved with Property Male Champions of Change have attacked the issue of diversity with great fervor and energy,” Schwartz says.”They are very committed to making changes and understand the imperative to recruit from 100 per cent of the talent pool, not just per cent.”Widening the talent pool is an obvious attraction for business leaders. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent gender data finds young women are more likely to be degree-educated, with 34 per cent of women aged 18-24 pursuing higher education compared with 28 per cent of young men.Women account for roughly half of all graduate positions in the property industry, however, less than 10 per cent of CEOs are female, says EY’s The next big deal is on report.Schwartz says the PMCC group is being “very proactive”, but also acknowledges that the issues faced by the industry are challenging, and the “entrenched norms” will take time to shift.”The PMCC leaders are very open to trying and trialling new ways of recruiting staff, new ways of creating flexibility for both men and women in the workplace, hosting inclusive events, and really leading by example. But we are dealing with business practices and structures that have been in place for decades, so change won’t happen overnight.”Shifting these entrenched norms is not exclusive to the property industry. The Male Champions of Change project – established by outgoing sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick – released its second progress report last week, revealing many companies across Australia’s business landscape went backwards in meeting minimum targets in 2015. Broderick advocates “targets with teeth”, whereby diversity targets are tied to financial rewards, and Schwartz is a supporter of this approach.”Call them quotas or targets with teeth, in order to get real movement we need to have certain incentives or penalties in place. And we need to understand what we are aiming for. As the old saying goes, if it is measured, it is managed.”This year, the Property Council set a 40 per cent target for women speaker’s participation in The Property Congress program. The target has been exceeded, with women accounting for 45 per cent of speakers. Schwartz says this achievement is something to be celebrated.”I encourage women to take themselves out of their comfort zones and do things they wouldn’t otherwise do – speaking at conferences, talking to journalists, undertaking radio or television interviews,” she says, adding that many “senior and successful women” don’t “put themselves forward” when they should.Other structural challenges seem harder to overcome, particularly when construction sites continue to demand long hours and high-octane leasing deals are still done over drinks at 6pm – but Schwartz is optimistic that technology will help us transform our workplaces.”We haven’t yet full absorbed the way technology has changed the world of work. Our companies are still structured along the same lines as they were 100 years ago. We need to start thinking laterally and creatively about how we work.”Activity-based working, hot desking and teleworking are just the beginning, she thinks.”The leading companies are experimenting with new ways of working, and while the transition is always difficult, I think we’ll see some of the old paradigms begin to break down. “This will not only change the way we work, but it will also open up new possibilities to more people wanting to carve out careers in our industry.”To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Property Council is offering a special discount for The Property Congress to groups of 3+ delegates, which include two or more women. Register between 7 and 13 March and your entire group will receive a $100 discount per person off the group rate. Register now.