TLT reaches 33% female partnership target two years early

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TLT LLP is celebrating hitting its target of 33% of partner roles being filled by women, two years before its initial target for the goal.

TLT LLP has met its female partnership target two years early, reporting that 33% of partner roles have been held by women since the start of the financial year.

The firm said this showed its “steady progress in getting women leaders to the top of the firm”.  TLT first began working towards this ambitious goal in 2019, in collaboration with its Women’s Equality Network. Since then, the firm has substantially improved gender balance in its partner hiring and promotions with women accounting for more than 50% of partner promotions and hires in the past three years.

The strategy also falls under the work of an internal taskforce, set up within the firm to monitor progress in diversity. Alongside its work implementing key decisions such as gender-balanced shortlists and hiring panels, the taskforce reviews critical datasets relating to diversity.

Helen Hodgkinson, chief people officer, who’s part of the taskforce, said: “While our current position is promising and things are improving, we still have a way to go. We know it’s still mostly women who take the predominant amount of caring responsibilities and, with women representing 70% of our business, this is a significant barrier to improving gender diversity in our top roles.”

The taskforce has also been involved in driving diversity improvements, such as:

• enhanced menopause provision for employees;
• a dedicated pregnancy loss policy;
• a boost to the firm’s maternity and shared parental leave policy;
• a ‘ramp up, ramp down’ programme for expectant and returning parents;
• market-leading paternity and non-birthing parent leave provisions; and
• a flexible working policy.

Esther Smith, inclusion champion and employment partner at TLT, added: “It’s imperative we keep the momentum going on ED&I [equity, diversity and inclusion] and continue to diversify further to support both women and working parents, irrespective of gender.”

TLT has confirmed that a new partnership target will be created.