We are proud to have been named in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women, the UK’s most highly profiled and well-established listing of employers striving for gender equality in the workplace. Run by Business in the Community (BITC) - The Prince’s Responsible Business Network, and The Times for more than a decade, the incredibly competitive process identifies companies that make gender equality part of the way they do business, working to embed it at all levels.
“We are committed to valuing all genders equally while recognising the need to tackle barriers and experiences unique to women, and I am delighted to see us recognised for the progress we have made towards removing gender disparity.
With initiatives including development programmes for our senior female colleagues, Return to Work coaching and our approach to flexible working, we have seen fantastic results in the gender split within the firm.
In 2021 we saw an increased proportion of women promoted to partner and joining as external hires, bringing our female representation at partner level up to 22% from 19% in 2019. We still have work to do and are committed to our continued focus in this area, embracing a culture that enables women to thrive.”
“I am so proud that we have been included in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women this year, which is testament to all the hard work that has been going on in the firm for the last few years. We know we still have a lot of work to do to achieve gender parity in the firm, but importantly at Grant Thornton UK we are acknowledging the challenges and working hard to close the gap within our current generation.
As a part-time working parent Grant Thornton has allowed me the flexibility to balance the demands of my family life with work that inspires and challenges me over the last six years. It’s brilliant to be a part of the work that we are doing to improve representation of flexible working in senior positions, which research shows will have a really positive impact on women in particular.”
“I have been very fortunate in my career so far to have met some wonderful women in business who are very inspiring and incredible leaders. The highlight of my journey so far has been having the opportunity to do something which I am passionate about.
I have always wanted to raise awareness about gender equality and Grant Thornton has given me the platform to do so. No one has ever dismissed an idea or deemed it as too ambitious. I have also found someone within the firm who always supports the ideas and helps promote them. This clearly reflects the culture within the firm that aims at empowering women to reach their full potential.”
“Having the space to grow a completely new team and practice at Grant Thornton has been a particular highlight for me so far. There are key women across the practice groups I work with - from partner level to our more junior members - who are driven and thriving in their roles, who are committed to helping one another achieve success and who are supported well by their male colleagues and our firm wide initiatives in this area - and this, really, is what it is all about for me.
I have seen our firm lead from the top down in recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion and promoting change, including creating a culture of agile working, ensuring female health is supported and internal engagement and education to empower women to reach their full potential. Through this we will continue to increase female representation at all levels and move from a diverse environment to a fully inclusive one.”
“Grant Thornton has been fantastic at supporting me through different life stages, such as caring for an elderly and terminal ill parent, while also balancing work life with parenthood. It has provided plenty of opportunities for personal growth through key programmes such as focused female leadership coaching. I’ve also been particularly impressed with the firm’s focus on topics like menopause and diversity and inclusion - often led with authenticity from senior board members. It really feels like the company cares about the individuals that work here.”
"Grant Thornton has afforded me a rich and diverse career over the years, allowing me to manage my family commitments and stretch me with a variety of different work opportunities, both client facing and non-client facing. Flexible working has allowed me to be present for my children at all key milestones – like currently, I’m at home to see my daughter off to school each day while she’s doing her GCSEs. And my commitment to my job and my colleagues has never been questioned.”
