21. Why a 7% increase in female leaders is just the start for National Gas, Featuring Sarah Stanton

Episode Summary

In this insightful episode, Michelle Gyimah sits down with Sarah Stanton, Chief People Officer at National Gas, to explore their journey in addressing gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Sarah shares practical strategies, challenges, and successes in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within a traditionally male-dominated industry. From recruitment tactics to retention programs, this conversation uncovers the realities of driving systemic change in the workplace.

 

What we discussed:

 

• How National Gas tackled its gender pay gap by overhauling their recruitment strategy to reflect the modern workforce market through focusing on transferable skills rather than perfection. 

• How they used a combination of "stay interviews," mentorship programs, and a Women’s Development Program to address career progression barriers and boost confidence with surprising results.

• Why they have prioritised broader inclusivity—redesigning PPE for women, launching male allyship initiatives, and publishing early ethnicity pay gap reports (achieving 20% ethnic minority representation). 

• Future forecasting -find out why National Gas is expanding disability inclusion efforts and youth talent pipelines to provide systemic change.

 

Notable Quotes

• On Recruitment: "Women tend to think, ‘If I don’t meet 90% of the criteria, I shouldn’t apply.’ We honed in on 3–4 key skills to widen the talent pool."

• On Retention: "Sponsorship is about advocacy—bringing women into the room and creating opportunities."

• On Inclusion: "Simple fixes, like redesigning PPE for women, can remove daily barriers. Men often don’t realise these challenges exist."

 

Connect & Learn More

• Follow Sarah Stanton on LinkedIn.

• Explore National Gas’s DEI initiatives: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | National Gas

• Book a call with Michelle Gyimah to discuss your pay gap challenges