I would like to present “Resourceful Women” a diversity consultancy from Australia entirely dedicated to the extractive industries.
I toyed with the idea of setting up a diversity/gender equity consultancy last year as I believe there is a hole/need for it in the market. I ended up not doing it. I wanted to grow the International Women in Mining Community first so I parked the business idea for now and might revisit it when the time is right.
Lucy Stocker and Kristie Young have unsurprisingly had the same idea. They said enough hearing “there aren’t experienced women for that role”, lifted up their sleeves and decided to do something about it by setting up Resourceful Women.
No wonder these ladies have been really successful since their launch last month as there definitely is a gap. They now have over 570 professional engineers, geoscientists, analysts and leaders subscribing to their fortnightly news, jobs and advice bulletins.
I would call it mostly a miscommunication between a male-dominated industry saying “your diversity idea is good but there aren’t enough women anyway” (when they are in advance of their peers who don’t entirely get gender equality/equity just yet and all the reasons for diverse teams) and the fact that there are many skilled women ready for opportunities. A lot of the work is educational, it is about changing perceptions.
I wish them a lot of success!
So without further ado let me present:
Resourceful Women
Linking Resourceful Women with smart companies
Love working in the resources industry?
We do.
Engineers, scientists, accountants and lawyers help to make up the vast array of professions in the resources industry. We work in exciting locations, on great projects and in industries that are constantly evolving.
But.
Getting into, and staying in fulfilling employment can be tough… At Resourceful Women we want that to change for all professional women.
Resourceful Women is a database of talented professional women working in, and wanting to work in, the resources industry. We supply employers committed to seeing more women in the industry with vital connections to Resourceful Women just like you!
It’s free to join!
Organisations who support diversity and the unique strengths and attributes that women can bring to their teams, subscribe to see who’s out there and what they have on offer.
This month, we bring you 7 great tips on making your diversity mix work!
One
You get what you measure! As leaders you measure safety, production, costs, headcount… How well do you measure inclusion, pay differential, retention of your best and brightest?
Two
Hold managers accountable and educate them. Are the impacts of biases (conscious and unconscious) understood? Are there women on all your teams and shortlists? Ask why not.
Three
Support flexible work for men and women. What skills and attributes could your teams be missing by rejecting flexible work? As leaders, do you trust and empower? Does the role need to be based in the office/site every day?
Four
Don’t just tick the boxes. The benefits of diversity come from enabling a wide range of thinking and backgrounds. What processes do you have in place to recruit and promote diversity?
Five
From mentoring, to establishing focus groups and giving a voice to diversity in your teams, sponsorship results in more women joining, and staying, in organisations.
Six
Quality role models. Leaders that embody diversity create an environment where up-and-comers can see a future in their organisation.
Seven
Lead by example. Leaders set the tone with safety, productivity and culture. Demonstrating your commitment to diversity will see others in your team doing the same.
www.resourcefulwomen.net
On twitter: @ResourceWomen
Lucy Stocker, ph 0419936365, email Lucy
Kristie Young, ph 0402403769, email Kristie