Peoplebank: Awarded for efforts in gender equality seven years in a row

Peoplebank, a part of Chandler Macleod Group of an RGF Staffing company and leading talent solutions provider in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), has always been committed to providing employees with an inclusive workplace, flexible policies, and equal pay. The company values diversity, and has developed initiatives that aim to eliminate unconscious bias in hiring processes.

Some of the company's most successful initiatives have been events targeting women in technology. In 2016 and 2017, to raise awareness around gender inequality in APAC, Peoplebank hosted a forum event called "Next 100 Women in IT," where women interested in pursuing careers in IT networked with over 80 mid- to senior-level industry leaders.

The events were well-attended and appreciated, but Peoplebank wanted to do more.

Later in 2017, Peoplebank team members discovered an industry study with revelatory numbers: only 29.7% of business leadership roles all over the world were held by women. In the IT sector, women held only 9% of leadership roles. The Peoplebank team was motivated to find a new approach to addressing gender discrepancies in technology. Networking events weren't enough; women needed a space to talk openly about their journeys to inspire others to become leaders. Two participants in Peoplebank's internal leadership program, Virginia Dinh and Stephanie Zuniga-Maher, petitioned to turn the "Next 100 Women in IT" forums into career development events where women in IT could discuss the challenges they've overcome.

In 2018, Peoplebank hosted the first "Women Leading IT" event, where women interested in pursuing careers in IT networked with over 80 mid- to senior-level industry leaders, including UTS Insearch's Head Of IT, Sarah Chaloner; Rabobank's Head of IT Systems, Alexa Glynn; WGEA's Executive Manager of Engagement, Kate Lee; and LinkedIn's Head of the ANZ SMB team, Reika Phung Dzupinka. The event featured discussions around gender biases in hiring and fostered a new community of women in IT who would support each other's career development.

In recognition of the event's success, Peoplebank was named a 2019 Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) by Australia's Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). Peoplebank has received the title seven years in a row, and in 2019, Peoplebank was the only recruiting company that qualified.
Since merging with Peoplebank, Peter Acheson, CEO of Chandler Macleod Group, has noticed positive changes among internal teams: "We found our gender-diverse business units are more highly engaged, deliver improved financial performance and exhibit strong team cultures."