Jaguar Land Rover Earns A Place in The Times Top 50 Employers For Women List

Jaguar Land Rover has been recognised as one of the leading companies in the UK for women employees by achieving a place in the Times Top 50 Employers For Women list.

Inclusion in the list is a reflection of the significant progress made by Jaguar Land Rover in attracting, developing and retaining women employees within its organisation.

High Calibre Women Employees

Jaguar Land Rover has developed a comprehensive approach to attracting and developing high calibre women employees.

This includes highlighting the company's apprentice and graduate recruitment schemes to potential candidates, creating a special leadership development programme for women helping them maximise their potential.

Jaguar Land Rover has also introduced a series of work/life policies which have helped to create an inclusive culture for women, which include flexible working options and workplace nurseries at two of its major sites.

Women's Leadership Programme

One of the key initiatives introduced by Jaguar Land Rover to help women employees succeed within management positions is the Women's Leadership Programme. Developed in partnership with SEMTA - the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies - the programme provides management grade employees with a full support package including individual development training and leadership workshops.

Since being introduced in 2009, 124 women have participated in the programme. The content is not just aimed at helping individuals gain promotion, but it is also designed to allow participants to analyse what they want from their careers.

Members of the programme have also been trained as assessors and have been involved in apprentice, graduate and experienced hire recruitment to ensure that the company benefits from the knowledge and experience these managers bring to the business.

Women Apprentices

In 2011, Jaguar Land Rover is recruiting 104 apprentices, across a full range of trades within engineering and manufacturing, and the company has ensured the positions appeal to both male and female candidates. Details about the apprenticeship programme have been targeted at local schools and colleges attended by girls increasing awareness among a female audience.

Jaguar Land Rover has Graduate and Undergraduate programmes which provide an important element in the effort to attract high calibre individuals into the organisation and develop future talent. Recognising the value of diversity, the company sets out to make the programmes equally attractive to male and female students.

Graduate recruitment fairs and university visits feature a good representation of current women employees, such as those involved in the Women's Leadership Programme.

To support this and other recruitment activity, the content and design of Jaguar Land Rover's recruitment website have been updated in line with feedback received from a focus group with external female engineers to make sure it appeals to both men and women.

Attractive Work/Life Policies

To help create a more inclusive culture for women employees, Jaguar Land Rover has implemented a series of work/life policies which make the workplace more attractive to women.

A range of flexible working options, such as job sharing, part-time work, working from home and variable hours, are available to all employees, with managers being encouraged to recognise and support these arrangements.

To further support parents with young children, the company has established workplace nurseries at its Gaydon and Solihull sites.