In part one of this series, we explored how to communicate to employees on the topic of gender pay data. In part two, we look at how to ready your organisation for communicating gender pay data externally, to stakeholders ranging from investors to the media.

Think and prepare

Gender pay gaps are not a benign topic. Any discrepancy can easily become a cudgel used to criticise a company, however much the firm is doing to address its existence. However, this is not to say businesses should hide from the issue. Companies not reporting on gender pay gaps because of embarrassment only shift the responsibility for reporting down the road; they don’t remove it.

Those who are responsible for communicating gender pay data and managing the response from the public should therefore take steps to prepare for different potential scenarios.

The first step is radical honesty. Ask yourself: Do we have a pay gap in our organisation? If so, what is it? And what are the most reasonable explanations for it? Adopt an objective mindset throughout this exercise, based wholly on the data.

The second step is to develop a narrative to help explain the numbers. The old phrase – “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics” – is a good reminder of the importance of narrative when presenting data. Gender pay data needs a clear explanation, lest too much is left open to misinterpretation by external stakeholders. This is not a suggestion to “explain away” the reality inside an organisation, but to instead acknowledge that there is a reason for the existence of any gender pay gap.

The third step is to imagine the possible responses from external stakeholders. If there is a gap, large or small, what might your investors say? How might the media respond? What about your suppliers or partners? While it is impossible to control public perceptions completely, it is important for communications teams to reflect on the kinds of enquiries or feedback they may have to deal with after gender pay gap data is published.

The fourth step is to prepare strategies of engagement for any enquiries or blowback after publication. These strategies may differ by stakeholder.

For the media, it may be best to contribute an article or have a spokesperson available for interview; this shows ownership and a willingness to confront hard truths. For investors, having a succinct presentation of an action plan for addressing the gap may work best; it acknowledges the issue but focuses on next steps for building a more equitable organisation, something that may pay off financially in the future.

The goal, throughout, is for communications teams to be prepared for any eventuality and not to be caught off-guard when the data is published.

'Walk the talk'

Putting a company’s gender data into context – that is, within a narrative that describes the reality inside the organisation and outlines an action plan for addressing any gaps – is important for hedging against unjust interpretations by stakeholders. But it is also important to “walk the talk.”

A company that says it will address the causes of its gender pay gap has only addressed one half of the challenge. The other is to make sure it holds itself accountable to its promises. This latter point is particularly critical for communications teams. When an action plan is developed, who in the organisation will be affected? Who will be responsible for delivery? Who needs to buy in? What resources are required?

Companies should aspire to communicating a genuine commitment to addressing any gender pay gaps. All external communications should thus have the following characteristics:

They are realistic: Don’t overpromise! If a company is ashamed of its gender pay gap, it may be tempted to use language that suggests it will eliminate it quickly and permanently. While this is possible in principle, companies should consider what is really feasible, because over-promising and under-delivering is much worse than under-promising and over-delivering.
They are incremental: Any action plan should be incremental. It should present logically progressive and attainable steps that work towards an overarching goal. A reader should be able to immediately grasp what the company plans to do at any stage of the action plan.
They are rational: There should be reasons for every step in an action plan, which should be communicated in the context of their value: What impact will step one have? What about step two? And so on. Communicating the benefits of each step, as well as the impact of attaining the overall goal, says something about the organisation's willingness to address the issue.

The spoken word

A company may also be put in a position where it is expected to speak publicly about its gender pay gap or discuss its action plan for addressing it. Communications team members tasked with doing so should be thoroughly prepared, memorising key data points and being able to calmly explain the intentions behind any action plan and the general thrust of how it will be accomplished. This also means preparing psychologically for tough questions.

Regardless of company or country, the gender pay gap is a sensitive issue. Teams that take the time to strategise about how they will communicate any gender pay gap, both internally and externally, will find themselves much better placed to tackle this unique communications challenge with confidence and promote their organisation's longer-term commitment to gender equality.

Read part one of this article to find out more about how companies should seek to manage their internal communications on the issue of gender pay gaps.

Communications and the gender pay gap: Part two