1. Innovative Models for Workplace
Diversity: Gaining Gender
Equality in the Organisation
Liz Ryan | Director, People & Culture
Maddocks
24 May 2011

2. Who are we?
 Law firm
 420 people across Sydney and
Melbourne
 55 Partners
 EOWA – Employer of Choice for Women
for past 7 years
 Won Fair & Flexible Award from Victorian
Government for 2 years

3. Our Strategy
 To be the best law firm to work
 To be the law firm of choice for clients
in our chosen sectors

4. Challenges for us
 Experience significant change and
growth
 Increase in the complexity of issues
due to changing demographics of the
workforce and the demands of clients
 Managing flexibility

5. Challenges for us Contd.
 Responding to client requirements
 Living our values
– Integrity
– Stewardship
– Collaboration
– Innovation
– Diversity

6. Our approach to achieving gender
equality at Maddocks
 New CEO forms an Equal Opportunity
and Diversity Committee as a Sub
Committee of the Board
 Our workforce data is analysed
 A paper prepared by EEO & Diversity
Committee for the Board
 Female Partners are invited to address
the Board

7. Issues addressed in paper to the
Board
 Why an increased gender balance at Partnership
level is important
 What government and private corporations are
doing
 An overview and analysis of our Policies
 An overview of Learning and Development
framework
 An overview of our Performance Management
system
 An analysis of work allocation

8. Paper to the Board addressed Contd.
 Career progression
 Issues specific to Women
 Barriers to progression
– systems, structures and the billable hour
– how partner contribution is valued
– the biological clock
– Issues around practice building
 Summary

9. The most significant action to
achieve gender equality
 Lead from the top
 Outstanding leadership from our
Chairman and CEO

10. Commenced with a pilot group
 The engagement of a Diversity
Consultant
 Interviews conducted with the senior
team and senior females
 Report prepared and communicated
 Focus group and one on one coaching

11. Unconscious Bias
 What assumptions do we make about
others?
 What we found?
 What can we do to avoid it?

12. Flexibility
 Who wants it?
 What prevents it being successful?
 How to manage it?

13. Retaining Talented Women in the
Workplace
 Remove systemic obstacles
 Barriers will be different for each
organisation
 Encourage a culture of inclusiveness
– Important for women, the firm and
generational diversity

14. Retaining Talented Women in the
Workforce
 Have gender neutral policies in place to
support the workforce
 Understand and promote the value that a
diverse workforce adds to the business
and the bottom line

15. Strategically supporting a Work /
Life balance for successful careers
 Understand the individual and what they
need
 Have transparency around careers and
what needs to be achieved
 Educate managers and staff
 Promote the value of Team
 Have meaningful conversations

16. Innovative Models for
Workplace Diversity: Gaining
Gender Equality in the
Organisation
Liz Ryan | Director, People & culture
Direct 61 3 9288 0516
liz.ryan@maddocks.com.au