Should diversity programmes like Aspire be common place in the financial services industry?

Claire Brunning, Deputy Area Director, Corporate Banking at HSBC, gives us her insight into her journey through the Aspire programme which is exlcusively aimed at females who have high progression prospects in HSBC.

Earlier this year, I found out that I had successfully been selected for a national talent programme in HSBC. The programme is called Aspire and is exclusively for females that hold senior positions and have been recognised as having the potential to progress. Each candidate is assigned an external coach and attends regular meetings and workshops focused on various development areas throughout the year. 

My selection for this programme prompted a healthy debate between my friends and family about whether this approach to encouraging diversity is effective and appropriate. The Aspire programme is one of a number of initiatives that HSBC run to boost diversity in senior positions - the bank has committed to achieving a 50/50 split in senior positions at HSBC UK by 2020.

So do we really need this type of positive discrimination?

After all, there isn't a similar development programme for aspiring men in the organisation.
When considering this,  I looked into a number  of the reasons  why women don’t progress, in order to explore whether such an approach is effective.

1. Women are less likely to believe they are ready for a promotion or put themselves forward for opportunities.

There have been a number of studies exploring the difference in mind set between men and women when considering new roles and promotions. Women tend to focus on the one or two areas of a potential role where they feel they lack experience. As a result, women see this as a barrier to applying in the first place. In contrast, men focus on the skills that meet the criteria and have confidence in their ability to adapt to the one or two they don’t meet.

This difference in approach often means fewer women put themselves forward for promotion or apply for new roles. The Aspire programme focuses on providing women with the opportunity to discuss and explore their core skills, which of these are transferable, as well as reviewing potential roles and providing support through the application process.

This programme is about encouraging the talented women at HSBC to excel, which in turn will mean more women applying for more senior roles - putting themselves forward without having to be approached or asked to do so.

During my own experience of the programme, I have seen an incredibly strong network develop throughout the Aspire Group where, as a collective, we share our experiences and contacts and prompt ideas and thoughts around different roles and approaches. We support each other through interview preparation and coach each other on how to deal with difficult conversations and situations. A number of women in the group, including myself, have progressed to new roles and I am in no doubt that the Aspire programme has helped to accelerate a number of these progressions.

2. There is unconscious bias in all of us

Research tells us that reminding women of stereotypes undermines their performance and confidence. Harvard University undertook a study with two groups of women – with the first group they simply asked them to complete some questions, with the second they asked them to answer some questions but also reminded them of their gender. The first group outperformed the second group by some margin.

At some point, most working mums will have heard the phrase: ‘I don’t know how you do it!’ or ‘She’s fantastic – especially when you realise that she’s a working mum too!’. This is called benevolent sexism – comments that not only include a compliment but also reinforce a stereotype. This is often driven by our unconscious bias.

Overt sexism in the workplace has become a taboo and has diminished hugely. However, this is often replaced by the more subtle sexism that emphasises that the 'norm' is for women to be the dominant carer for their children. Unconscious bias is something we all need to be aware of. Even people who we regard as hugely supportive of the diversity agenda can slip up.

I have my own unconscious bias - my mother was a hugely successful doctor and my parents operated as a true partnership regarding the family and work, I didn't grow up with traditional roles being emphasised. As a consequence, it was natural for me to want both a career and a family and not see them as mutually exclusive.

By raising awareness of unconscious bias within our organisations and using diversity programmes to promote this awareness and provide tactics for addressing it, such as ensuring gender diversity on interview panels like at HSBC, we can move towards greater equality.

The Aspire programme raised the issue of unconscious bias. It challenged us to think about our area of the business and where we could influence and raise awareness of the issue. I am, as a result, far better at spotting unconscious bias when it occurs and call it out wherever I can in order to raise awareness.

3. Long hours versus efficient hours

Many women that consider applying for senior roles often cite the fear of the longer hours expected of them if they are successful keeps them in their current role. Whether a reality or not, there is still a strong perception that in order to be successful and hold more senior roles you must be able to work long hours – which is not very compatible with managing home commitments. Often, a lack of female role models in senior positions mean it can be hard to find examples that reassure those in this situation.

Often being successful and managing to excel in the face of tight working hours isn't highlighted or celebrated. Interestingly, the Aspire group began to realise that many of us, including me, were doing exactly that and weren't necessarily standing up as strong role models. Most of us were working flexibly, managing our work/life balance quietly under the radar. As a result, many of us have taken the decision to be more vocal about our working patterns.

In my new role I have been more vocal about my working pattern with the team. I have also encouraged a single father who was struggling at times, to share his childcare commitments so that we could help structure his working week around them. The impact this has had on this individual is incredible and shows very clearly that it isn't just the women in the organisations that need support around feeling able to work flexibly.

In my opinion, the following are a few important aspects to consider for any diversity initiatives:

• Ensure that the ‘talent’ aspect is maintained. There is nothing more devaluing or demotivating than being part of a programme that is not set on high standards – it must be about merit and not gender. The role of the programmes is to raise awareness and aid development – not to promote individuals just because of gender. If organisations start to fall in to this trap, many years of progress could be undermined.
• Keep in mind that male talent still needs to be nurtured and not overlooked as a result of a drive towards more women. Involve them and make them part of the journey. This will help ensure the whole organisation is embracing talent and not just diversity.

 
 
My experience so far of Aspire is hugely positive - the network, development opportunities and sharing of experiences has been invaluable and has certainly made a difference to my progress this year. I'm looking forward to the next chapter and seeing the positive results of greater diversity within HSBC.