If there’s one website most of us rely on daily, it’s the Bureau of Meteorology. The Bureau provides information, forecasts, services and research relating to weather, climate and water to Australians everywhere.

The Bureau has a proud history – it has been in operation for more than 100 years – and today employs around 1,600 staff to deliver these essential services.

Historically, the Bureau has been a male-dominated organisation. During the 1970s and 1980s, historian David Day observed the Bureau aspired to ‘strict impartiality’ between male and female applicants. But few women held leadership positions, and proposals for women to take on observer roles at weather stations were met with resistance.  

Fast forward to 2018 and a concerted effort to progress gender equality and diversity, led by the CEO and executive team, has seen some impressive steps forward.

This follows an extensive diagnostic process Diversity Partners led for the Bureau at the beginning of 2017. Through interviews, focus groups, and data analysis, we identified ways to accelerate progress towards gender equality. 

We talked to people at all levels across all states, and reviewed pipelines for hiring and succession to come up with key actions – some immediate, some longer-term.  We then worked closely with key stakeholders to develop the Bureau’s Gender Equality Plan, launched in October 2017, and Diversity & Inclusion Commitment. 

Since then, as part of an implementation phase, the Bureau has held workshops for leaders and provided resources for hiring managers to recruit fairly and objectively. It’s now closer to that ‘strict impartiality’ in hiring and promotion processes, as awareness of. unconscious bias is much higher.

The results are encouraging. At the beginning of 2017, as we began the diagnostic process, the gender composition of the Bureau’s workforce was 30% females. It’s now 34%.

The percentage of women in senior leadership (SES and EL2U) increased from 28% (as at June 2017) to 31% (June 2018) and the percentage of women in STEM is up from 26% to 28%.

The Bureau’s Diversity & Inclusion Statement is a key component of the Gender Equality Action Plan and is now visibly displayed in head office and regional offices throughout the country.

‘The Bureau strives to be the model of an inclusive culture where diversity of thought and background is valued. This provides better outcomes for our people, customers and the Australian community.’

The statement has four key commitments:

·       developing and promoting an equitable, respectful and inclusive workplace culture where our people are engaged, are valued for their uniqueness and feel they belong; 

·       bringing together people with different backgrounds and ways of thinking, which helps drive better decision-making, innovation and overall performance; 

·       ensuring we recruit from the broadest talent pool, reflective of our customers and the communities with which we work; and 

·       supporting the use of flexible work arrangements at all levels to enable our people to balance their personal and professional commitments. 

The Bureau of Meteorology’s progress shows what can be achieved when a comprehensive and rigorous approach is taken, involving everyone from senior leaders and front-line employees. It shows the value of setting metrics and conducting regular reviews. 

And it highlights the importance of connecting diversity and inclusion efforts to the values, services and customers of one of Australia’s most important organisations.

Source: David Day, The Weather Watchers: 100 Years of the Bureau of Meteorology, 2007.