Finance
RBS Sets Target For More Female Leaders
RBS is aiming to have more than 30% female representation in the bank’s top three leadership levels by 2020. Creating more diverse teams will help support the bank’s strategy and bring clear advantages to business performance.
More than 30% of the 5,000 most senior roles at RBS are already held by women, but the bank wants to go further with a new target to ensure there are more women at the top of the organisation. The new goal is to have more than 30% female representation in the bank’s top 600 roles by 2020. The longer term aim is to have a 50/50 balance at all levels by 2030.
Creating more diverse teams will support the bank’s strategy to be number one for customer service, trust and advocacy.
Research shows that having more women at senior levels leads to better decision making, increased employee engagement, more innovation and greater diversity of thought.
Marjorie Strachan, Head of Inclusion, said: “Having a clear plan to ensure the right balance of diversity makes good business sense and is an important part of our culture.The evidence speaks for itself; research tells us that companies with more women are 15% more likely to outperform their peers.”
The new target is accompanied by a clear bank-wide plan to achieve better gender balance. HR is supporting each part of the business to focus on the things that will have the greatest impact, from how we structure our businesses, to how we recruit, develop and reward people.
Les Matheson, CEO of Personal & Business Banking, said: “We need to look at ourselves as leaders, and how we lead, to create a culture that supports everyone, encouraging and attracting women just as much as men. I’m striving for a 50/50 balance as soon as possible. By making our gender target a formal objective for ExCo, we’re making it clear we’re serious.”
