Keyton’s Development Manager QLD, Retirement Living Samantha Collins, provides a case study on improving diversity in business.
As Australian businesses look to make further inroads to improving gender equality in the workplace, fostering diversity and female representation has been a key focus of the most recent Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reporting release in March.
For many businesses there would have been some eye-opening statistics around their female participation, pipeline and women in leadership. It’s important to highlight however companies that are doing well. One such company is Keyton.
Keyton is a leading owner and operator of over-55’s retirement living communities in Australia, with more than 75 villages comprising of 17,000 residents across the country. Keyton has over 30 years’ experience in the market and champions an ongoing commitment to creating communities and caring for residents.
As one of the few property-based businesses with a growing proportion of women in the workforce, including leadership, Keyton unpacks its multifaceted approach to enhancing female representation, and their commitment to creating an inclusive workplace across five key areas.
Area 1: A focus on Diversity from Recruitment
Keyton has undertaken a shift in its recruitment strategies, especially in attracting more women to senior roles and supporting women through all stages of their career, including parenthood and retirement. Recognising that equitable recruitment practices are integral to building a diverse workforce, Keyton implemented the following initiatives:
- Diverse Recruitment Panels
Keyton’s recruitment panels are diverse and enable fair and unbiased hiring process. This has been found to limit bias and increase diversity in Keyton’s hiring pool. These include: including actively asking candidates if they need support through the interview process to limit drop out, actively advertising and supporting flexibility options including condensed work weeks or job share opportunities, and where possible, utilise interview panels that are diverse in gender, perspectives and experiences to help make balanced and inclusive hiring decisions.
As a business, Keyton leverages technology where possible, with many interviews occurring on Teams. This method has proven to be highly effective in further reducing unconscious biases and ensuring that female candidates are fairly assessed.
- Regular Reporting and Planning for Female Development
Keyton is proactive in monitoring and promoting female development and progression. The company reports quarterly and half yearly on gender metrics and sets clear plans for advancing women within the organisation. Key components reported against include employees by role and gender, pay gap ratios, attribution of gender per village/location and exit interview insights. This transparency and regular monitoring ensure continuous accountability in ensuring that gender diversity remains a priority.
Area 2: Leadership from the Top:
One of the standout factors in Keyton’s success has been strong leadership from the top. CEO Nathan Cockerill champions gender diversity and has set a positive tone across the organisation. The Executive Leadership Team boasts majority female representation, reflecting Keyton’s broader workforce demographics.
Area 3: Flexible Work Policies:
Keyton’s flexible work policies have been instrumental in driving female participation. Recognising that flexibility is crucial for many employees, particularly for women balancing career and family responsibilities, the company offers various flexible working arrangements. This policy has not only attracted more female talent but also enhanced employee satisfaction and retention.
To understand how flexibility works at Keyton, consider Sarah Van Dyke, Head of People and Culture and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. For 14 years, Sarah has benefited from workplace flexibility, starting with three days, and evolving to a compressed four-day workweek as her family care needs changed. This flexibility allowed her to balance family responsibilities and career progression, leading to her promotion to the ELT.
Sarah emphasises the importance of discipline, open communication with managers, and setting boundaries for successful flexible work arrangements. Her tips include:
- Look to leaders: ELT members at Keyton model flexible work practices, setting the standard for the business.
- Leverage technology: use your organisation’s tools to enhance your productivity and communication.
- Build trust: ensure you establish trust with your manager, the business, and peers.
Flexibility at Keyton is not just for those in executive roles. Brie Lauer, a Village Manager and mother of two, has thrived with a flexible work arrangement for over three years. Despite the challenges of a resident facing role, she has built strong relationships with residents and peers that supported her arrangement. Keyton’s caring culture ensured she never felt disadvantaged by her flexibility needs. Brie was promoted to Village Manager after returning to work from her first child, undertook a secondment as Regional Manager, and led a Regional Compliance Reviews after her second child, further developing her leadership and business strategy skills.
Brie attributes her success with flexible working arrangements to Keyton’s positive and empathetic culture, emphasising the importance of support from your managers around different life stages.
Brie shows that having a flexible work arrangement does not mean you cannot develop your career and secure leadership opportunities. Keyton’s culture ensured she never felt disadvantaged by taking time off or having a family.
In addition to its flexibility policy, Keyton also offer employees with children in childcare a $60 a week rebate towards the cost of care. This subsidy allows parents more choice around how they work, regardless of if they are working in a part time or full-time capacity.
Area 4: B2B partnerships:
Keyton recognises the importance of knowledge sharing among the property and retirement sectors. Employees are encouraged to establish B2B relationships with like-minded businesses to share insights and collaborate on reporting. Further, Keyton has also implemented an Ageing Workforce Strategy to support its employees in transitioning to retirement. This initiative was created after identifying industry super disparities for women as they approach retirement and provides women with tools to help maxmise their superannuation for retirement.
Area 5: Community Engagement:
Keyton actively engages with external organisations and networks that promote gender diversity and education for women including the Property Council of Australia (PCA) and Chief Executive Women (CEW). By participating in industry-wide initiatives, the company not only enhances its own practices but also contributes to the broader ecosystem of gender representation.
Keyton’s comprehensive approach to improving diversity and female representation demonstrates its commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace. Through strategic recruitment practices, robust talent pipeline strategies, adopting flexibility and ongoing initiatives, Keyton is paving the way for a more diverse and dynamic business environment. As the company continues to evolve and innovate, it serves as a model for others aiming to achieve a more balanced gender workforce.