Effective date: 20 Aug 2024
Applies to: All employees, contractors, interns, and candidates of hippist AI
Owner: COO (Plan Lead)
Approved by: Founding Team
1) Purpose & Commitment
hippist AI is committed to building a fair, inclusive, and high‑performing workplace where gender equality is embedded in how we hire, develop, pay, lead, and build products. As a company co‑founded by a woman, we recognize the responsibility and opportunity to model equitable practices and outcomes across the tech and creative industries.
Our goals:
- Ensure equal access to opportunities, pay, and leadership.
- Create a safe, respectful environment free from discrimination and harassment.
- Reflect diversity in our teams so we build better products for everyone.
- Meet or exceed leading standards (e.g., EU programme expectations) for a public, resourced, monitored GEP.
2) Scope & Definitions
This plan covers gender equality for all employees, contractors, interns, and candidates at hippist AI across the entire employment lifecycle (attraction, recruitment, onboarding, pay, performance, development, promotion, retention, exit) and workplace conduct.
Gender includes women, men, and non‑binary/gender diverse people. We adopt an intersectional view recognizing that gender interacts with other identities (e.g., ethnicity, disability, age, caregiving, socioeconomic background).
3) Governance, Roles & Resources
- Executive Sponsor: CEO/Founder
- Plan Lead: COO (accountable for delivery, reporting, and updates)
- People & Ops: Drives implementation across recruitment, pay, performance, leave, and training
- Team Leads: Responsible for inclusive team practices and fair decisions
- All Employees: Expected to uphold this plan and Code of Conduct
- Resources: Allocated annual budget for training, audits, and tools; time set aside for managers and HR to implement actions
Review cadence: Quarterly progress review; full annual refresh each August.
Public access: This plan will be published on hippist AI’s website and shared with staff and partners.
4) Baseline & Data
We will collect and track gender‑disaggregated data (respecting privacy laws):
- Workforce composition by function, seniority, contract type
- Shortlist/interview/hire rates
- Pay bands, compa‑ratios, equity grants
- Performance ratings, promotions, training hours
- Parental leave uptake & return‑to‑work rates
- Attrition and exit reasons
- Harassment/complaint cases (anonymized)
2025 Baseline Audit: Complete by 30 Sep 2025. Findings will calibrate targets set below as needed.
5) Targets & KPIs (2025–2026)
Targets are company‑wide unless stated; will be updated post‑baseline.
A. Recruitment & Hiring
- Balanced pipelines: ≥ 40% women and ≥ 5% non‑binary candidates in aggregated annual interview pools.
- Structured hiring: 100% of roles use standardized scorecards and at least one trained interviewer on bias‑aware interviewing.
- Inclusive job ads: 100% of postings run through inclusive‑language checks.
B. Pay Equity
- Annual pay audit: Bi‑annual audits (Apr/Oct). Close unexplained gender pay gaps to ≤ 3% per comparable role/level within the next cycle.
- Offer parity: All offers reviewed against internal bands before issue.
C. Development, Promotion & Retention
- Performance & promotion parity: No statistically significant gender variance in ratings or promotion rates, year over year.
- Mentorship: 100% of women and non‑binary employees offered mentorship/sponsorship options.
- Training: Min. 6 hours/person/year of inclusion & leadership training.
D. Leadership & Decision‑Making
- Leadership mix: Target ≥ 40% women in team lead/manager roles and ≥ 35% women among senior management by Aug 2026.
- Boards/Committees: Where applicable, ensure gender‑mixed composition.
E. Work–Life Balance & Caregiving
- Flexible work: Access to flexible hours/remote options for all roles where feasible; ≥ 90% positive score on flexibility in annual survey.
- Parental leave: Gender‑neutral policy with paid primary/secondary caregiver options; target ≥ 85% return‑to‑work within 6 months with tailored ramp‑back.
F. Safe & Respectful Workplace
- Zero tolerance: 100% of staff complete anti‑harassment training within 60 days of start and annually thereafter.
- Multiple reporting channels: Maintain anonymous and named options; all cases acknowledged within 48 hours; resolved or action‑planned within 30 days.
G. Product, Marketing & Ecosystem
- Inclusive imagery & language: Creative and product workflows include checks to avoid gender stereotypes.
- Supplier diversity: ≥ 10% of annual vendor spend with women‑led suppliers where available/fit‑for‑purpose by Aug 2026.
6) Policies & Practices (What We’ll Do)
6.1 Recruitment & Hiring
- Write inclusive job descriptions; list only must‑have skills; share salary bands.
- Use structured interviews with role‑specific scorecards and 2+ interviewers.
- Require at least one gender‑diverse candidate per final interview slate where available/feasible.
- Source proactively from women‑focused communities and schools.
6.2 Pay & Rewards
- Maintain transparent bands by level/role; review offers for equity and internal parity.
- Run bi‑annual pay and equity‑grant audits; correct unexplained gaps in the next cycle.
- Publish company‑level pay equity results internally each year.
6.3 Growth & Promotions
- Calibrate performance ratings across teams to reduce bias.
- Provide tailored development plans; offer mentorship/sponsorship for women and non‑binary employees.
- Advertise all roles internally with clear criteria and timelines.
6.4 Leadership & Representation
- Identify high‑potential women/non‑binary talent for stretch projects.
- Ensure panels, committees, and external representation include gender diversity.
- Encourage speaking, publishing, and community roles; fund specific coaching where impactful.
6.5 Work–Life, Health & Safety
- Flexible hours, hybrid/remote options, and no‑meeting zones where practical.
- Gender‑neutral parental leave; paid family/caregiver leave; gradual ramp‑back options.
- Provide accessible facilities and reasonable accommodations.
- Annual wellbeing days and EAP access (or local equivalent).
6.6 Anti‑Harassment & Conduct
- Clear Code of Conduct; annual training; manager refreshers every 12 months.
- Confidential reporting channels: direct manager, People Ops, executive sponsor, and an anonymous reporting form.
- No retaliation; documented investigation procedure; publish anonymized learnings.
6.7 Product & Marketing
- Add inclusion checks into creative briefs and QA.
- Avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes in visuals; diversify models and scenarios.
- Solicit feedback from diverse users and creators; run periodic bias reviews of datasets and prompts where applicable.
6.8 Procurement & Partnerships
- Track supplier ownership data; include women‑led businesses in RFPs.
- Evaluate partners on their own DEI practices when material to the engagement.
7) Action Plan (2025–2026)
| Action | Owner | When | KPI | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publish GEP on website & share internally | COO + Comms | Sep 2025 | Live URL, staff briefing complete | – |
| Complete baseline gender audit | People Ops | Sep 2025 | Baseline report delivered | – |
| Implement inclusive JD & salary bands template | People Ops | Oct 2025 | 100% roles with bands | – |
| Launch structured interview scorecards + training | Hiring Managers | Oct–Nov 2025 | 100% trained interviewers | Training hrs |
| First pay equity audit & corrections | COO + Finance | Oct 2025 | Gap ≤ 3% per like‑for‑like | Adjustment pool |
| Mentorship program for women & non‑binary staff | People Ops | Nov 2025 | 100% offered | Minimal |
| Anti‑harassment annual training | All Managers | Nov–Dec 2025 | 100% completion | Training |
| Flexible work & parental leave policy refresh | COO + Legal | Dec 2025 | Policy published | – |
| Supplier diversity tracking | Ops | Q1 2026 | Baseline % captured | – |
| Leadership pipeline review & targets | Exec | Q2 2026 | Targets met/updated | Coaching |
8) Monitoring, Reporting & Transparency
- Quarterly dashboard to executives; annual summary to all staff.
- Publish an external GEP Progress Note each year (non‑sensitive data).
- Employee survey includes gender‑cut views with safeguards for anonymity.
- Use data to refine targets; communicate changes transparently.
9) Confidentiality & Data Protection
All data collection and reporting adhere to applicable privacy laws and internal data protection policies. Reporting will use minimum group sizes to protect anonymity.
10) Grievance & Support Channels
- Direct manager and People Ops
- Executive sponsor (CEO/Founder)
- Anonymous reporting form (hosted internally)
- External ombud/advisor (if needed for escalation)
- No retaliation—ever
11) Budget & Tools
Annual line items for: training, audits, coaching, inclusive‑language and pay‑band tools, job board credits for women‑focused communities, and external mediation if required.
12) Review & Versioning
- Quarterly implementation review; annual plan refresh each August.
- Version control maintained by COO; changes logged and communicated.
Appendix A — Inclusive Hiring Checklist (Excerpt)
- Role outcomes and level/band defined
- JD run through inclusive‑language checker; “must‑haves” vs “nice‑to‑haves” split
- Transparent salary band included
- Diverse sourcing channels listed
- Structured scorecards prepared; interviewers briefed
- Candidate experience survey enabled
Appendix B — Pay Equity Audit (Excerpt)
- Compare like‑for‑like roles/levels; control for tenure and performance
- Flag gaps >3% for review; correct in next comp cycle
- Publish anonymized, company‑level outcomes internally
Appendix C — Annual GEP Report Template (1‑pager)
- Workforce snapshot (gender by level/function)
- Hiring funnel summary
- Pay equity outcomes
- Promotions & leadership representation
- Training completion
- Parental leave & flexibility metrics
- Harassment/complaints: cases, resolution times (anonymized)
- Actions completed & next‑year targets
Statement from the Founders
hippist AI was co‑founded by a woman, and we believe women’s leadership is a competitive advantage. This plan turns that belief into measurable action. We hold ourselves accountable to building a company where everyone can do their best work and thrive.
Founding Team & COO
hippist AI