Women in utilities: Some progress, but a long way to go
This June, we celebrate the many phenomenal contributions of talented and passionate women working in the utilities sector with the inaugural Women in Utilities Awards. The achievements of these women are testament to the progress energy and water companies are making towards becoming truly inclusive places to work. But, as our exclusive industry research shows, there is still work to be done.
Women in utilities: Some progress, but a long way to go
This June, we celebrate the many phenomenal contributions of talented and passionate women working in the utilities sector with the inaugural Women in Utilities Awards. The achievements of these women are testament to the progress energy and water companies are making towards becoming truly inclusive places to work. But, as our exclusive industry research shows, there is still work to be done.
Setting the scene
Cordi O’Hara, president of National Grid Electricity Distribution – headline sponsor to the Women in Utilities Awards – introduces our research insights with reflections on the importance of leadership in driving further progress on inclusiveness.
Commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in our sector has certainly increased over recent years with barriers to entry slowly being broken down. I have seen the tangible impacts first-hand through my career, which is why I’m honoured to be taking a lead role in driving the diversity, equity and inclusion workstream within the Energy Networks Association.
Crucially, leadership has a key role to play – companies that have diverse representation across their leadership teams are more likely to attract, retain and inspire diverse talent into the sector. As the classic saying goes, ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’.
At National Grid Electricity Distribution, I have worked hard to increase and celebrate diversity across the organisation, with female representation in our senior leadership team in particular increasing from 18% to 57% since I joined. It is also positive to see so many allies championing inclusivity from across the industry.
We are at pinch point in our net-zero journey. Nurturing the mindsets of those who bring fresh perspectives and diverse insights to the table will therefore be crucial if we are to drive innovation, overcome the challenges we face, and succeed in the future as we look to accelerate the energy transition.
Our research on women in utilities
Utility Week Intelligence surveyed more than 100 female and male utilities leaders about the position of women in the sector. Here are some of the key findings, with commentary from Hayley Monks of awards co-sponsor the Womens Utilities Network (WUN), pictured right.
Does your organisation have an internal women’s network?
Yes
No
You might have thought most utilities would have an internal women's network by now. Not so. Hayley Monks, senior vice president, utilities, at WNS Global and co-founder of WUN, says her organisation often acts as the network women in the industry need. “Organisations might have an ED&I or inclusivity network that’s not specifically for women. Some of our partners say that rather than having their own network, they channel everybody into WUN.”
How highly do you rate your organisation’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, (where 1 is poor and 5 is exceptional?)
Average rating:
In your experience, do men in leadership roles at energy and water companies...
Recognise a need to address gender inequalities in the workplace?
Proactively seek to address inequalities and support the progression of female talent?
Talk about/identify with a concept of 'allyship' when addressing gender inequalities in the workplace?
National Grid Electricity Distribution says it has taken the need to address gender inequality to heart and is "working hard to increase female representation across the board". "We know that when it comes to encouraging change within employment practices, the best way to drive change is by getting it right at the beginning of the employee lifecycle," says Claudia Nicoll, people director. "We need to be focusing on both attracting and nurturing entry-level female talent."
“Equality, diversity and inclusion are hugely on company’s radars,” comments Monks. “It is part of their corporate social responsibility and environmental, social and governance initiatives, and most people recognise that a balanced, inclusive organisation is likely to be more successful.” Benefits of a good strategy include lower attrition, a sense of belonging, and people feeling more confident, she adds.
On a scale of 1 – 5 (where 1 equals not important at all and 5 equals extremely important) to what extent has mentoring played an important positive role in the development of your career in the utilities sector?
Average rating:
BFY, which is sponsoring the mentoring award at the Women in Utilities Awards, says mentoring holds "immense significance in fostering personal and professional growth, particularly for ambitious women striving to fulfil their career potential". "At its core, mentoring serves as a guiding light, offering invaluable insights, support, and encouragement to navigate the complexities of career and personal development."
BFY adds: "One hallmark of effective mentoring is personalised guidance; to be effective, this should be tailored to the individual's aspirations, challenges, and strengths. A successful mentor creates a safe space for open dialogue, actively listens, and provides constructive feedback."
“A role I am aspiring to do in the future may require a broader skillset, and where do I get it?” asks Monks. “That’s where mentors can help fill in those gaps, either by teaching or advising, or connecting you to people who can help. I think mentoring is hugely important in the workplace.”
On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 equals poor and 5 equals exceptional), how highly would you rate your organisation’s return to work policies for women who have had career breaks for maternity (or other reasons)?
Average rating:
The middling score here reflects the fact that while companies have become more progressive in the area of return to work, things could and should be much better. “I think in the last 20-plus years return to work policies have definitely improved, and we have seen improvements in maternity pay,” says Monks. “What would make it better would be to split some of that maternity pay between mum and dad. If you had a maternity / paternity pot and you could both take from it – that would take us to the next level. Returning to work isn’t easy, and I think this is a gap organisations have yet to close.”
Sarah Elias, principal at Afry Management Consulting, points out that the burden of the first year of childcare typically stills falls on one parent. "The need to fully hand over work and responsibilities puts these parents (primarily women) on the back foot when they re-enter the workplace. It sets them up to be the default parent throughout their children’s early lives: the one who nursery calls, the one who knows the schedules and dietary whims, the one who the child demands when sick, the one who has to make the decision of work or childcare again and again and again. I believe we all need to push our companies to encourage shared parental leave through fair pay, treatment and support as the first step to overcoming the hurdles faced by returning parents."
On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 equals very weak and 5 equals very strong), to what extent would you say your organisation has a strong culture of talent nurturing and development for women who join the sector mid-career from other sectors?
Average rating:
“There are things organisationally a company could do to help nurture female talent. But it’s very difficult to put in place mechanisms that are going to make a tangible difference if you don’t know what the problems are,” says Monks. “You’ve got to start by listening, and finding out why it is that women want to leave [the industry], and what would really make a difference. Often it comes back to really small things around flexibility and behaviour or conduct, or they don’t see a career route or future.”
(Recent research by WUN on unconscious bias finds a third of women are ‘quite likely’ or ‘very likely’ to leave the sector in the next three years.)
How highly do you rate your organisation’s approach to education outreach – specifically in relation to showing the accessibility and attraction of careers for women in the utilities sector?
Average rating:
Given that skills are such a crucial issue for utilities, the score for educational outreach is perhaps surprisingly low. Utilities could perhaps learn something from UK Power Networks. Liz Nash, learning and development manager, has spearheaded the company’s running of girls-only career insight days, and developed an army of STEM ambassadors where employees reach out to talk at schools and events. The 'Powerful Futures' insight days and outreach events shine a light on the range of roles available at UK Power Networks, including – but not limited to –traditional field-craft roles.
Monks says the utilities industry has a lot to offer youngsters. “Educational awareness is needed around the huge selection of really interesting and exciting jobs in the sector – it’s not just energy retail, we need microbiologists and people who are interested in wind power and other forms of renewable energy,.
"There is so much out there that is firmly wedded to the values of young people around saving our planet. I would love to see more reaching out to schools and universities and it is something we are focusing on at WUN.”
On a scale of 1 – 5, to what extent do you feel your organisation has taken effective action to ensure frontline / field roles are accessible and welcoming for women (1 – it has taken very little or no action, 5 – it has done everything in its power).
Average rating:
Monks says water companies especially have taken onboard feedback about making frontline roles more welcoming and accessible. “There is more appropriate-sized PPE available. If it isn’t available, it tends to be a problem with procurement, not because it isn’t out there.” There is an additional factor that women face which is public stereotypes that some frontline jobs are for men. “Sometimes people don’t expect to see women in these roles and have an adverse reaction to it,” she notes.
"Getting the basics right is important, and this includes ensuring that minority groups, including women, feel safe on our sites, and that we have PPE suitable for women and sanitary items in toilets in our operational settings – cabins and depots," says Claire Allcock, HR director, Northern Gas Networks.
Please indicate to what extent you agree with the following statements. 1 = Strongly disagree, 5= strongly agree
The utilities sector is a welcoming and inclusive place for women to work
I have never experienced/witnessed overt discrimination or unfairness towards women in the utilities sector
Unconscious bias is still a significant limiting factor for women seeking to progress their careers in the utilities sector
There is a lot of talk about equality, diversity and inclusion from utilities companies, but in practice it can still be challenging for women and other minority groups to identify and access opportunities
Women seeking STEM careers are likely to find other sectors more appealing to work in than utilities
Women working in frontline/field environments in the utilities sector can now expect to have access to suitable facilities and PPE as standard
It’s just as easy to get flexible working arrangements in the utilities sector as it is in any other comparable sector
Regarding unconscious bias, Monks points out that “we all have thoughts and beliefs based on where we grew up and the environment we were brought up in”. “That’s going to take a whole generation of interventions and activities to change.”
She adds: “I am very excited about the inaugural Women in Utilities Awards. When we set up WUN six years ago, the stats for women in the sector were around 15-17%, and now we are close to 30% – so we absolutely have made progress.
“I’m often asked why I am doing this when the change is small, and I say it’s a generational thing – I am doing it for my daughter’s generation. We still have a long way to go.”
