Diversity & inclusion

Gender equity is everyone’s business

We are passionate about achieving equity, removing barriers and elevating the experiences of women and gender diverse people throughout all stages of their careers.

We developed our Gender Equity Action Plan (GEAP) in 2021 in response to the recognised need to achieve and maintain gender equity at all career levels.

An initiative of the GEAP, our Gender Equity Network (GEN) strives to support women and gender diverse people. GEN builds a strong network of members and allies working together to create awareness and understanding, promote conscious inclusion and strengthen the pipeline of diverse talent for leadership roles.

Everyone is welcome to join GEN as either a member or an ally.

What we do

• Seek to understand the experience of female and gender diverse team members
• Educate our people to minimise unconscious bias in work practices, professional progression and recruitment
• Create female networking initiatives
• Set ambitious gender targets
• Invest in leadership capability through our Inspirational Leadership Program, Accelerated Development Program & Women in Leadership program
• Provide industry leading, gender-neutral parental leave
• Enable flexible work arrangements to support you to work how, when and where is best for you
• Provide domestic and family violence support

Our achievements

• Australian Women in Security Awards Finalist Best Place to Work (2024) 
• Family Inclusive Workplace Certified 2023/2025
• Employer of the Year Women in Finance Awards (2022)
• Recalibrate Gender Equity Awards Finalist (2022)
• Diversity Council of Australia Certified Inclusive Employer 2023/2024
• Silver Employer Status by Pride in Diversity in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (2022)
• Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Victoria Gender Diversity Organisation of the Year Finalist (2022)

Supporting you to bring your whole self to work

Grant Thornton uses the acronym LGBTQ+, which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and (+) identifying other gender identities and sexualities not explicitly identified in this acronym, such as Asexual, Gender diverse, Queer or Questioning.

We are committed to creating a culture and environment where everyone feels welcome, valued and celebrated in how they choose to identify. Through education, advocacy and our employee led network (PRISM), we aim to raise awareness of issues faced by LGBTQ+ people at work and in our communities more broadly.

Our PRISM network of LGBTQ+ team members and allies promote a respectful, supportive and equitable culture and work collectively to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ inclusion both in our workplace and broader community.

Everyone is welcome to join PRISM – as either a LGBTQ+ member or an ally.

What we do

• Create a safe environment for LGBTQ+ people to seek and provide support, share lived experience and feel belonging
• Celebrate and recognise LGBTQ+ days of significance including PRIDE, Mardi Gras, IDAHOBIT and Wear it Purple Day
• Provide ongoing LGBTQ+ focused resources and supports for our team and awareness learning opportunities and resources
• Empower a community of visible allies at all levels
• Use regular engagement, inclusion and pulse surveys to receive direct feedback and inform actions
• Collaborate with other network groups to amplify impact and engagement

Our achievements

• All gender bathrooms and change rooms in all offices
• Pronouns in email signatures for all team members
• Dress for your Day initiative to ensure all team members can dress to match their identity
• Explicit support for LGBTQ+ people in number of key organisational policies and guidelines
• Diversity Council of Australia Certified Inclusive Employer 2023/2024
• Annual Workplace Equality Index Awards Silver Employer 2022
• Annual Workplace Equality Index Awards Bronze Employer Award 2021
• Annual Workplace Equality Index Awards Bronze Employer Award 2019

Recruitment support

We recognise that the recruitment process can be very challenging for the LGBTQ+ community and that for transgender and gender-diverse individuals it can be full of unique challenges and complexities.

If you are considering an opportunity with Grant Thornton and would prefer to have a confidential chat about your individual needs or support please contact:

Yvonne Faulks, Head of People & Culture Operations 

or

Natasha Caflisch, Diversity & Inclusion Manager

Recognising and valuing our nation’s heritage

We recognise the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land where we live and work. We value and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and their heritage as a proud part of our shared national identity. We also acknowledge that we have a responsibility and an important role to play in reconciliation and closing the considerable gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.

Grant Thornton has a strong track record over 45 years of delivering a range of high-quality services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients as well as government agencies and the private sector and delivering services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, corporations and communities.

What we do

• Encourage a broader understanding and respect of the unique cultures, histories and customs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Support our team members to build more meaningful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and business partners
• Embrace appropriate protocols such as Acknowledgement of Country in our work practices
• Support more than 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients nationally
• Identify broader employment opportunities and pathways within Grant Thornton for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Each of our local DAWN (Diversity At Work Now) committees have a First Nations champion committed to supporting our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
• Our RAP Working Group (RWG) implements our timeline and drives internal engagement of our RAP
• Our Indigenous Advisory service line specialises in administering class actions and supporting native title and cultural heritage bodies
• Support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart on both internal and external communications
• Champion National Reconciliation Week activities and NAIDOC celebrations

Our achievements

• Established our specialised Indigenous Advisory service line specialising in administering class actions and supporting native title and cultural heritage bodies (2017)
• Grant Thornton Foundation three year national charity partner of Streets Movement – an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community development organisation, which provides programs, pathways and opportunities for the disconnected, forgotten and wayward, helping them re-engage with opportunity, education and community (2018)
• Commissioned 5 Indigenous Artists from across the country, Nathan Patterson, Cedric Varcoe, Tully Button, Bundjalung Sean and Shane ‘Yondee’ Hansen, each creating artworks that are displayed in our offices around the country as a commitment to and continued recognition of the importance of Australia’s immensely rich First Nations histories (2019)
• Appointed by the Federal Court, Grant Thornton administered the payment of $190 million in settlement monies to over 12,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their families affected by the Stolen Wages practices in Queensland (2020)
• Made formal commitment to reconciliation through the Reconciliation Australia RAP program (2021, 2022, 2023)

Read more here about the launch of our RAP and access a copy of our Plan.

Embracing cultural, religious, racial and linguistic diversity

Our people come from a wide range of cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds, and it’s important to us that we promote and celebrate the value of embracing this diversity. Your unique perspective brings value to our teams and our clients.

By embracing this diversity and understanding experiences of inclusion in the workplace, we better support our people, serve our clients and contribute to the communities that we live and work within.

What we do

• Celebrate Harmony Day and Cultural Diversity Day
• Are a corporate member of the Asian Leadership Project to provide additional networking and development opportunities
• Currently formalising our Cultural and Racial Diversity pillar and Action Plan

Empowerment through employment

Ensuring we can attract and retain people of all abilities is important to growing a workforce that reflects the broader community.

We are committed to continuing to remove unintended barriers throughout the employment life cycle at Grant Thornton, increasing disability awareness and confidence and ensuring our workplace and services have dignified access and are inclusive to all.

We are striving to create an environment where you can:

• define yourself through your ability rather than any perceived disability
• feel comfortable to share your challenges and be supported and included when requesting adjustments.

What we do

• Attract and retain people of all abilities to grow teams that reflects the broader community that we live and work within
• Encourage diversity of thought, experience, innovation and problem solving to grow our business and services we provide for our clients
• Participate in the Australian Network on Disability Access and Inclusion Index to better understand, identify and remove unintended barriers within our systems, policy, processes
• Currently developing our Disability Action Plan to ensure a consistent and sustainable approach to disability inclusion

Our achievements

• Australian Network on Disability Silver Member (2022–2023)
• Diversity Council of Australia Certified Inclusive Employer 2023/2024

Need some help applying or participating in the recruitment process?

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible for anyone who wishes to apply, and we warmly welcome applications from applicants who have a disability or identify as neurodiverse. 

Should you require any adaptations to the recruitment process or need any additional support from us to help you perform at your best, we encourage you to select the option when prompted in your application form. A member of our Talent Acquisition team will then be in touch with you to discuss your preferred method of communication, how we can support you in your application and your individual circumstances.

Alternatively, you can get in contact our Talent Acquisition team at any stage of the recruitment process at gttalentscouts@au.gt.com.