Diversity & inclusion
At Simpson Grierson, we like that everyone is different.
For us, diversity is not just about the differences that you can see such as gender or ethnicity, but all things that make us different such as our social background, values, religion, thinking styles, life experiences, family backgrounds and talents. That's what makes people interesting.
It doesn't matter to us what school you went to or who your parents are. To us, there is no right or wrong side of town. Your sexual orientation doesn't matter. And if you are a mature worker, we'll embrace you just as much as we would our young guns.
What we do care about is your ability to give great client service, no matter which role you are in.
Our values say it all. We:
- put people first;
- are inclusive; and
- strive for excellence.
It's that simple.
So how does this play out in reality?
Our primary focus is to ensure Simpson Grierson is a place where people are given every opportunity to succeed on their merits.
We have numerous initiatives to make this a reality including:
- comprehensive flexible working polices for all people
- first class technology systems which allow full access to remote working anywhere
- active support of our rainbow community through our internal Pride network
- a strengths based leadership development programme
- a comprehensive wellness programme which includes monthly topics such as parenting issues and health and well-being
- paid parental leave for both men and women
While we don’t formally monitor ethnicity or nationality, we do know that we have a diverse range of employees with approximately 15 nationalities represented. We know that we have historically been a Pakeha organisation, but we respect other cultures and are committed to building cultural intelligence and diversity in the firm. In our last graduate recruitment round, we interviewed people of 12 different nationalities. And we have been doing a lot to help our people understand Tikanga and the important place of Maori in Aotearoa including Te Reo training.
We have now been awarded the Rainbow Tick and were the first company in New Zealand to attain this recognition as an organisation which embraces those of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
And you don't have to be a "young person" to join us as a summer clerk or in a junior role. We select our graduates based on their academic and non-academic achievements along with their fit with our business. Age is not a factor. In fact, we probably hire more mature students than any other law firm. Several of our current partners were mature students who joined us as summer clerks originally.
How do we measure up?
We're by no means perfect. But make no mistake, we see diversity as a critical priority and it's something we are actively working hard on.
Over half of our staff are female. Women make up:
- 30% of our executive team
- 23% of partners
- 63% of senior associates. Of these, 53% have a flexible working arrangement.
We are aiming to grow each of these populations over time.
Other firms say they care about diversity, we have the awards to prove it:
- YWCA Equal Pay Award - Silver then the Gold Award
- EEO Trust Positive Inclusion Award
- White Camellia Award to honour businesses promoting gender equality through the United Nations Women's Empowerment Principles
- IFLR Best Firm in Australasia for Diversity and Most Innovative Law Firm
- Gold Award for Gender Equality
- Silver Award for Employer of Choice
- Runner Up at the HR Game Changer Awards
- Voted the NZ firm most lawyers would like to work for by Australasian Lawyer Magazine
So come and join us and join the changing face of law firms!