Addressing the gender pay gap: employer methods

Annex A: Interview Schedule

Interview Schedule

The purpose of this interview is to understand how you have been responding to the gender pay gap within [organisation name]. I will be asking questions about the pay gap at your organisation, how it is measured and monitored and the successes, challenges and benefits associated with the policies that you have or are developing to address it. If you are happy for me to do so, the interview will be audio-recorded. This will only be done to help me in making accurate notes of your views for the purpose of writing the report. It will not be used for any other purpose and will be deleted once complete. Just to reiterate that participation is entirely voluntary - you're free to choose not to answer any of the questions or to stop the interview at any point.

We're discussing with each company how they would prefer to be identified in the report. We feel that the analysis will be more informative if we can provide key context about companies such as size, location, sector and so on. However, this may mean it is difficult to fully anonymise companies who have participated in the research. We would be happy to anonymise your company in the report if this would be your preference - this would mean referring to your company in generic terms to avoid any potential identification. What level of anonymity would you prefer?]

It is also up to you how you would prefer to be identified in any reporting. For example, would you be happy to be identified by your job title or would you prefer for your views to be reported anonymously? Either way, we will give you the chance to see, double-check and modify any quotations before they are used in reporting. What level of anonymity would you prefer?

[Check they are happy with audio-recording; clarify and double-check preferred anonymity]

Do you consent to being interviewed on these conditions?

[If anonymity of a degree is sought, the terms of this anonymity will be reviewed, and the participant will be asked to explicitly consent to these terms]

Opening Question: To begin with, could you let me know a bit more about your organisation? What kind of work do you?

And what is your role within the organisation? how does it relate to the gender pay gap?

1. Measuring and Reporting

1.1 As an organisation do you measure the gender pay gap? How?

1.2 As an organisation do you monitor gender representation at senior levels of the organisation, as opposed to simply looking at the numbers overall?

1.3 Why did [organisation] decide to measure the gender pay gap? In response to it becoming mandatory?

1.4 Does your organisation provide bonuses? [If so] Have you taken steps to monitor/address the gender pay gap in relation to bonuses?

1.5 Do you think that the current reporting requirements are adequate and appropriate for your organisation?

1.6 Do you think measuring the gender pay gap has had any impact on the organisation?

2. Strategies

2.1. What strategies have you adopted to address the GPG? Which of these do you think have been the most effective?

2.2. Have you developed training or workshops related to the gender pay gap?

2.3. Has your organisation made use of flexible working arrangements? Are jobs advertised as being available on a flexible basis?

2.4 Have you made any changes to your arrangements for maternity leave? Have you thought about return-ships for mothers returning from maternity leave?

2.4. What is your approach to paternity leave? Have you developed policies around paternity leave?

2.5. Have you attempted any other methods? (such as gender blind screening)?

2.6 What proportion of employees in your organisation are part-time? Have you taken any action to ensure that part-time employees receive the same opportunities as full-time employees?

3. Enabling Change

3.1 In terms of the strategies you've discussed, what changes do you think have been the most successful? What have been the factors that have made these changes effective?

3.2. What role do you think 'culture' plays in your organisation? Has this been something you've consciously tried to change?

3.3. How important is leadership at the top of the organisation in changing the culture?

3.4. Have you been able to develop networks and role models for developing female career progression? Have these helped?

3.5 Are there any external factors, outside of the organisation, that have assisted you in addressing the gender pay gap?

3.6 What do you think of government policy efforts in this area? Do you think there is more the government could do to help?

4. Challenges

4.1. Have you identified any particular challenges in trying to address the gender pay gap?

4.2. Have you found that any of the strategies you've implemented have encountered resistance? Have any had unintended consequences?

4.3. What do you perceive as the main blockages within the organisation for addressing the gender pay gap? And are there any external factors that have exerted an influence on this?

4.4 Do you anticipate any future challenges here?

5. Benefits

5.1. Do you think there have been benefits for [organisation] in reducing the gender pay gap? What benefits have you identified?

5.2. Have you found that some of these effects cascade, i.e. one sustains the other? Or, alternatively, do some of them contradict each other?

5.3 Do you think addressing the gender pay gap makes your organisation a more attractive place to work for female applicants?

5.4 Have you seen any other additional benefits of looking at the broader picture of pay equity?

5.5 Do you see there as being any downside to the measures you've adopted to address the gender pay gap, or their consequences?

5.6 Is there anything you wish you'd known at the start of this process?

5.7 Before we close, is there anything else you'd like to add, or anything you think that I've missed?