Zurich UK advertises new roles as flexible

Insurance company Zurich UK is advertising every vacancy as a potential part time, job share or full time working opportunity alongside agile working and says the decision has led to a 25% increase in the number of women applying for jobs and a 45% increase for senior management roles.

The company is also using gender neutral language in every job advertisement. The flexible new jobs initiative was  introduced in March following internal analysis of Zurich’s gender pay gap and work with an external research agency.

The company says nearly three out of four of its employees can choose how, when and where they work. Some 11% of employees work part time, with half of these working a four-day week. Currently, 27% of senior positions at Zurich are held by women.

Zurich UK says it is early days yet in terms of being able to track hires, with just nine senior management roles having been advertised since March.

Steve Collinson, Head of HR Zurich UK, said: “We believe that a culture of ‘last in the office’ is fairly antiquated and by offering people the opportunity to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances we can open up a whole new talent pool. This isn’t just about attracting more women into senior positions, we want to give everyone the opportunity to pursue their chosen career regardless of their personal circumstances. This could range from working mums, fathers with young children, people with dual careers or those with elderly or dependent relatives. We believe that if you increase the number of part time senior level roles, it radically changes the challenges businesses face when sourcing top talent.”

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