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Accountancy giant PwC has banned all-male shortlists for jobs within the UK in a try to extend the variety of girls in senior roles on the agency.
It mentioned the transfer was prompted by its latest pay hole report exhibiting males on common earned 43.eight% greater than girls.
The firm mentioned recruitment was one of many areas it was taking a look at as a strategy to slender the hole.
PwC additionally plans to ban all-male interview panels and look at how "career defining roles" are awarded.
Making certain that "everybody in the firm" had entry to necessary profession alternatives resembling engaged on huge initiatives or for well-known purchasers, can be "a real game changer", mentioned PwC's chief folks officer Laura Hinton.
She mentioned the transfer was a part of the agency's wider plan to enhance the range of its workforce, which incorporates wanting on the angle of senior administration.
It additionally has a returnship programme, which inspires those that have taken a break from work, resembling maternity go away, to do six months paid work expertise.
The firm has additionally began to allocate "progression coaches"normally companionswho will work with girls and ethnic minorities staff to assist develop their careers.
The Daily Mail, which first reported PwC's choice, mentioned it was the primary of the massive 4 accountancy corporations to ban all-male shortlists.
Jill Miller, coverage adviser on the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD), mentioned it didn't have knowledge on the variety of corporations which had banned all-male shortlists for jobs, however mentioned it was changing into "more common".
She mentioned new guidelines forcing corporations to publish their gender pay gaps had elevated transparency and centered leaders' consideration on easy methods to enhance the figures.
However, many corporations had been failing to take advantage of the info that they had on their workforce, she mentioned, resembling when and why girls had been leaving the agency.
"It's important to look at as wide a talent pool as possible. Overall it's about levelling the playing field and getting best person for the job."
PwC's choice comes amid a furore over range on the Bank of England, which not too long ago appointed a male economist to its rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee regardless of a shortlist of 4 girls and one man.
The Treasury mentioned the position had been awarded on benefit.
Ms Hinton stated that hiring numerous folks at a senior stage was "a real challenge" as a result of candidates tended to be "disproportionately male".
Improving range at graduate and school-leaver ranges was simpler as a result of the agency had extra management, she mentioned.
For instance, it had discovered that male graduates tended to use for graduate placements earlier on of their college profession. As an end result, relatively than filling up their evaluation centres on a first-come first-served foundation, it makes certain every centre has a 50/50 cut up between female and male candidates.
"Little things like that can stack up against women," she mentioned.
"The challenge is making sure that at every stage in the process we are saying yes to get the right person and not excluding. The objective is to keep pushing and to encourage others to do the same."