Willmott Dixon’s ambition to be one of the most diverse and inclusive places to work in the built environment has seen it included in The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality 2024 guide.

Willmott Dixon came through a rigorous selection process to join a select group of companies included in this prestigious list, which recognises those firms taking the best industry-leading initiatives to make gender equality a priority in their workplace. For Willmott Dixon, these initiatives include:

• Setting the challenge to have gender parity across all management levels by 2030 – something nearly achieved among management trainees
• The establishment of an award-winning Women’s Leadership Programme to develop a new generation of women leaders

• Focus on inclusive work environments on construction sites including changing rooms, tailored workwear for women and period dignity facilities
• Supporting agile working with a homeworking allowance that’s not pro-rated for part-time staff (the majority of whom are women)

Currently, 32% of Willmott Dixon’s workforce are women, compared to 24% in 2018, the year the company announced its gender parity aspiration. In 2023, 53% of its management trainee intake were women, taking the number of women trainees to 46%, compared to 27% in 2018.

Willmott Dixon’s award-winning Women’s Leadership Programme is also providing an important leadership pathway. Since its launch in 2021, 52% of women who have completed the programme have been promoted or progressed their career in a different role. The company intends that over 100 women undertake this programme by 2030.

Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality

The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality is the UK’s most highly profiled and well-established list of employers taking action and making gender equality part of their business strategy. While progress has been made to reduce inequalities in the workplace, gender inequalities still happen in UK workplaces, especially in times of economic disruption, such as the aftermath of the pandemic and the rise in the cost of living.

Read the article in The Times

Business in the Community (BITC) has been running The Times Top 50 for 14 years as part of its Gender Equality work, which focuses on equality for all genders and those who do not identify as a gender. The organisations that feature in its list have taken a proactive approach to stamp out inequalities in their workplaces by creating action plans to address disparities ranging from pay to progression.

Applicants were assessed on the work they do to remove gender inequalities in the workplace, including flexible working, family friendly policies, pay, reward, and progression at work.

Graham Dundas, chief executive of Willmott Dixon:

“We are delighted to be named as one of the UK’s best companies for workplace equality. Enhancing diversity at Willmott Dixon is a long-held company value. Our future growth and success depend on recruiting the very best people from a wide pool of talent across all sections of society. Our drive towards achieving gender parity by 2030 across all management levels is an important element of this.

“Therefore, appearing in The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality provides a key benchmark for the progress we are making, as well as underlining our strong commitment that people from all backgrounds should enjoy a rewarding and successful career working for us, a ‘career of a lifetime’ as we refer to it.“

Charlotte Woodworth, Gender Equality Director at Business in the Community, said: “Being named as a Times Top 50 employer for gender equality demonstrates Willmott Dixon’s commitment to driving a more equitable, inclusive world.

“But while the employers who made the list are doing great work prioritising gender equality, there is still more work to do. From addressing pay disparities to better supporting those with caring responsibilities, many employees, women among them, still face barriers to finding employment and progressing in their careers. It is every employer’s responsibility to play their part in reducing and removing gender inequalities from the workplace, and research shows this isn’t just the right thing to do, it also makes business sense.”