Montagu Evans are pleased to report on submitted figures for this year’s gender pay gap reporting.
We have made some important progress in the last year. Our new diversity and inclusion steering group led by Partner, Chris Keen, comprises of eight surveyor through to Partner roles reporting directly to our senior management team. With the full support of the Partnership, they are leading the way on positive changes around the issue of gender pay across the business.
Addressing gender balance with a ground up approach is where we are making the most progress:
- Our process for recruitment and promotion has been reviewed and changed. 50% of our graduate intake next year will be female and more women have moved into senior roles, such as Associate, where salaries and bonuses are higher.
- Our maternity package has been improved, including six months at full pay which puts us ahead of many other Partnerships. We will shortly introduce improved paternity packages, maternity coaching and associated services to support return to work and career progression to a senior level.
- We have achieved the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark and we are part of industry organisations including Real Estate Balance and the BPF’s Diversity Champions Network, among others, where we are sharing progress and learning from others on where we can make substantial changes.
The more immediate challenge is at the highest level of the Partnership and this is where the figures show how much work there is still to do. In short, we have more male partners this year than last, largely as a result of recruiting external candidates in particular growth. This needs to improve, and the process for fair and transparent recruitment is under review with the introduction of an “Admissions Committee” whose responsibility will be to manage and challenge the process.
Rob Bower, Managing Partner, said:
“The progression of women in our firm is key to Montagu Evans closing its gender pay gap and is an area I am particularly focussed on as part of a wider drive to better diversity.
“We have been open that this will take time to achieve but the changes we have been making are already starting to take effect. The number of women in our business has increased over the last three years, as has the number of women staying at Montagu Evans and progressing their career with us.
“A greater challenge is reflecting these changes at the senior levels of the Partnership. Over 30% of our board is female, providing senior role models within the business. A number of very talented women are also on the Partner track and we expect to see promotions coming through from next year onwards. We are very keen to attract female external candidates too and are already getting feedback that our commitment in this area as well as the firm’s culture overall is helping to make the business more attractive to everyone. This approach has already led to our first 50% female graduate intake for 2019.
“There is still a huge amount of work to do and we are confident that what we are doing now and in the coming years sets the right course for the business and our people long term.”