Half of British SMEs not ‘gender diverse’

Over half (52 per cent) of small business owners in Britain would not class their businesses as ‘gender diverse’, according to a survey of 900 managers.

Regionally, 62 per cent of SMEs in the Northwest of England said they would class themselves as ‘gender diverse’, while in the East Midlands, only 32 per cent of senior managers were satisfied with their gender diversity. 

The survey, by Close Brothers’ Business Barometer, also found a direct correlation between a business’s turnover and its high proportion of female staff. 

Neil Davies, CEO, Close Brothers Asset Finance and Leasing, said “It’s encouraging that businesses are honest enough to admit that, from a gender perspective, they aren’t diverse enough.

“Encouragingly, nearly two thirds of businesses feel steps are being taken to bring more balance to the workforce.”

The most diverse sector is the print industry, with 53 per cent of managers positive about their firm’s gender balance, followed by 48 per cent of factory managers, 45 per cent of engineering businesses, transport at 37 per cent, lastly only a third of construction feel their staff is gender diverse.