Autumn event – round table discussion

This event, hosted by Arup, focused on how successfully our members have managed to deliver our aims. Members were asked to come prepared to share their stories, loosely based on the EQN Charter, in order to define and share the triggers for success.

It brought together professionals from various fields, including architects, engineers, planners, and surveyors, to discuss key issues surrounding gender balance, diversity, and inclusivity in the built environment.

Caroline Cole welcomed attendees and introduced the event’s agenda, which included insightful presentations from Ben Heath of Grimshaw and Magali Thomson of Public Practice. The session also featured group discussions around the Equilibrium Charter.

Key presentations:

1. Grimshaw experience – Ben Heath: Ben, Diversity Advocate at Grimshaw, shared his firm’s journey towards fostering gender balance. Grimshaw’s approach emphasised the importance of transparent recruitment processes, strategic employment, and creating project opportunities for women. Key initiatives include:

• Actively monitoring gender diversity, including the introduction of female representation in recruitment interviews.
• Establishing mentoring programmes and leadership development schemes, though acknowledging a need for more female mentors.
• Promoting flexibility through policies such as summer working hours, which 78% of staff utilised.
• Highlighting the disparity in parental leave uptake among men and women, and addressing the ongoing challenge of equitable leave policies.

2. Public practice experience – Magali Thomson: Magali, formerly of Marks Barfield Architects, now working within public practice, shared her experiences transitioning from private to public sector work. She highlighted the differences in working cultures:

• Public sector environments tend to promote trust, agile working, and flexible hours, allowing employees to manage their responsibilities autonomously.
• A key takeaway was the success of shared roles and flexibility initiatives, such as Camden Council’s “Timewise Initiative.”

Group discussions and feedback

Members participated in roundtable discussions on the Equilibrium Network Charter’s ten points, providing valuable insights into fostering gender equality in the workplace. Key themes emerged, including:

• Forward planning: Businesses need to plan for parental leave and flexible work arrangements to ensure business resilience.
• Long hours culture: A shift is needed from valuing long working hours to prioritising efficiency within core working hours.
• Flexible working: While there was strong support for flexible working, there were concerns about maintaining team cohesion when staff work remotely.

Conclusion

The event concluded with a shared understanding that gender equality initiatives benefit both men and women. Members emphasised the importance of structured relationships, trust, and empathy in driving meaningful cultural change in the workplace.

This meeting demonstrated the ongoing commitment within the industry to champion diversity and inclusivity, with all attendees agreeing on the importance of collaboration and shared learning to achieve these goals.