Members of Sustainable Trading gathered for a Women’s Coffee Hour to discuss the findings of the Trading Employee Workplace Experience Survey. Hosted by BTIG in its London offices, with valuable support from Chiara Ginty, the event focused on the experiences of women in the trading industry as revealed by the report.
Attendees explored practical steps to improve workplace dynamics, emphasising the importance of turning the report’s insights into meaningful change and creating a more inclusive workplace.
Understanding the findings
The event opened with a focused introduction on the challenges women face in the trading industry, framing the importance of translating survey findings into concrete actions. Key insights from the survey, specifically those addressing issues impacting female employees, were shared to shape the discussions that followed.
1. Flexible work structures:
The survey showed a high demand for flexible work arrangements. Respondents who use hybrid and flexible working models expressed satisfaction with these work structures, describing benefits such as school pick-up rotations with their teams and reduced stress from daily commuting. While these options benefit everyone, they are especially valued by parents, particularly mothers, who rely on flexibility to manage work-life balance effectively.
2. Industry culture and female retention:
The survey revealed that, over the past five years, women in trading have left their roles at twice the rate of their male counterparts. Career progression was the most common reason for leaving across the board, but women were four times more likely than men to leave due to company culture. They cited toxic work environments or feeling isolated for being the only woman on their team as prominent reasons. These findings point to the need for firms to improve workplace culture and foster inclusivity.
3. Mentorship programmes:
Mentorship was highlighted as an important area, with 38% of female respondents having participated in such programmes, compared to just 11% of men (27% across both genders). Mentorship was seen as critical for building internal networks and to support young employees within the firm. Participants also highlighted the importance of mentorship programmes for senior-level employees, reinforcing how mentorship is highly regarded across all levels within the industry.
Group discussions and key takeaways
The women attending the event split into groups to discuss each of the three key findings in detail. They shared ideas and proposed actions to address these challenges.
Flexible work structures:
The group discussing flexible working focused on the interplay between policy and management. They agreed:
- Management plays a more significant role in enabling flexibility for employees.
- In cases where firm policies do not explicitly support flexible working, proactive managers can still create opportunities for their teams.
- Conversely, even when policies are in place, management expectations can sometimes overshadow them.
The group also recognised the value of being in the office while acknowledging the guilt some women feel when using flexible work arrangements, highlighting the nuanced and complex nature of the issue.
One potential action was the need for better education for managers about the needs and responsibilities of employees, and how flexible work structures can effectively support them.
Industry culture and female retention:
The group examining industry culture and female retention highlighted several important points:
- One key issue was the low turnover in the trading industry, which can limit career progression opportunities for younger employees.
- The group emphasised that firms must address this when evaluating their legacy structures and actively support employee growth.
- Without such support, they risk losing talent to competitors.
On the topic of workplace toxicity, the group identified management as a common root cause:
- High-performing employees are often promoted to management roles, but strong individual performance does not necessarily equate to effective leadership skills.
- To address this, firms should invest in training for employees in management positions, equipping them with the skills needed to lead teams effectively.
- This proactive approach can help prevent toxic cultures from developing at any level of the organisation.
Mentorship programmes:
The final group focused on mentorship and developed an actionable plan based on their discussion:
- Given the strong demand for more mentorship programmes, Sustainable Trading could take the lead in creating initiatives for its members.
- These programmes would be particularly valuable for smaller firms lacking internal mentorship structures or for members seeking to build connections across the industry.
Additionally, the group proposed a buddy programme as a complementary initiative. Unlike traditional mentorship, a buddy system would foster peer-to-peer connections across all levels, enabling the exchange of diverse experiences and perspectives beyond the typical junior-senior pairing model.
Driving change
The Women’s Coffee Hour highlighted the importance of collective action to address gender-specific challenges in the trading industry. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to these important discussions.
Sustainable Trading is committed to exploring the proposed initiatives and building on this momentum. Together, we aim to foster a more inclusive and supportive industry for all employees.