Can you set gender equality targets and still hire the bet person for the job?
By Sandra Lewin | Sponsored by Howden Gender Balance Group
“We hire the best person for the job.”
It’s a statement you’ve likely heard, and possibly said yourself. It sounds fair, logical, even admirable. But in rooms where hiring decisions are made, how often is “best” shaped by unconscious bias, existing workplace norms, or a risk-averse culture?
At a recent roundtable I hosted, one of the most debated topics was this exact tension: Can we pursue gender equality through targets and still claim to be hiring on merit? Or are those two goals always in conflict?
The truth is, we can, and we must, do both. But it takes intention, clarity, and sometimes uncomfortable honesty.
Targets vs meritocracy
In our men’s and women’s roundtables, participants discussed this question. Some expressed frustration at gender-based hiring targets:
👉 worrying they “tick boxes”
👉 make people feel like they’re only there to “fill a quota”
👉 make feel like they are not allowed to apply for a role as they don’t fit the ‘gender criteria’ even if they are the best person for the job.
Others argued passionately that without clear goals, we revert to old patterns.
🔹 One senior leader shared:
“If your leadership is 90% male, and you’re not doing anything specific to change that, don’t be surprised if it stays that way.”
🔹 Another participant raised a concern:
“How do I know if I got the role because I was the best, or because they needed a woman?”
And yet, data tells us something important:
McKinsey’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report found that companies with higher gender diversity at senior levels were 25% more likely to outperform their peers financially.
But representation doesn’t just happen. It requires strategy. A recurring point across all three roundtables was this 👉 targets are not about lowering the bar, they’re about fixing the ladder.
The challenge with “best person for the job” thinking
Let’s break this down. When we say “best,” we often unconsciously think:
👉 Someone who looks like previous success stories.
👉 Someone with uninterrupted career progression.
👉 Someone we feel “comfortable” with.
That comfort is often based on familiarity rather than competence.
Consider these two candidates:
Which one is more likely to be perceived as a future risk due to potential parental leave?
Spoiler alert: bias doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful.
So, can you set gender equality targets and still hire the best person for the job?
Yes you can 🙌
Achieving gender balance and hiring great talent aren’t mutually exclusive. But it requires shifting how we define, search for, and evaluate that talent.
Here’s what you can do.
Practical tips to achieve gender equality targets and ensure the best person gets the job:
🔸 1. Redefine what “best” means
Is the job spec measuring performance or just familiarity? Challenge whether each criterion is essential or just “how it’s always been done.”
E.g. Does the senior manager role really needs three GCSE’s?
🔸 2. Use targets as a directional tool, not a final score
Targets create awareness and urgency. They signal that representation matters. But they must be paired with robust hiring processes that guard against both bias and tokenism.
E.g. Challenge your pipeline. Are you getting diverse candidates that have relevant experience? Are you seeing the same names in all your applications?
🔸 3. Standardise interviews and evaluation
Use consistent questions and scorecards to reduce bias and increase objectivity.
Don’t let “gut feel” lead the way.
E.g. Be mindful of small talk as it can boost your unconscious bias. Focus on topics that will not give away things like home, experience, etc. Weather conversation is always great option in this scenario 😃
🔸 4. Diversify hiring panels
Different perspectives lead to better decisions. A mixed-gender, mixed-experience panel will surface different strengths in candidates.
E.g. Diversify where you source your talent from, a great source for a talented women pipeline is in Pink Book 😊
🔸 5. Educate for awareness
Unconscious bias training isn’t a silver bullet, but it helps decision-makers pause before making assumptions, especially in moments where “risk” becomes a factor.
E.g. Discuss with your teams what works for them, don’t make training a tick box exercise.
🔸 6. Measure progress transparently
What gets measured gets managed. Share your gender diversity goals, and be honest about the challenges. Inclusion thrives in cultures of trust, not secrecy.
Note: Don’t forget to measure your retention. Attracting talent is one thing but retention is key.
It’s not about lowering the bar
It's about raising the floor so more people can step into their potential.
Gender equality targets aren’t a threat to meritocracy. They’re a challenge to outdated systems that define “merit” too narrowly.
And when we broaden that lens, we don’t compromise quality, we reveal it.
