Is your pay gap stagnating (or getting worse)? Here’s what to do about it

Let’s be honest — seeing a stagnant or widening pay gap in your reporting is tough. You’re doing the work behind the scenes, investing time, energy, and resources, yet the numbers aren’t moving the way you'd hoped. Cue the frustration, the judgement (internal and external), and the questions from senior leadership.

In this episode of the Beyond the Pay Gap Figure podcast, I talk about the reality that so many organisations face: putting in real effort but not seeing the headline results. More importantly, I share three key ways to approach the challenge that can lead to genuine, sustainable progress.

Here are the three takeaways I want every organisation wrestling with stagnant or widening gaps to hear:

1. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else

Yes, seriously.

It’s tempting to look at competitor reports and start panicking when their figures look better than yours. But those reports? They're polished, curated, and often say more about the PR strategy than the real progress being made. You don’t see the chaos behind the scenes — and trust me, I’ve seen that chaos first-hand across industries.

The truth is: comparison is not a strategy. It's a distraction. Instead of spiralling over someone else’s figure, get laser-focused on your own reality.

2. Become a data detective

One figure alone doesn’t tell the full story — but your data does.

Commercially, this matters. When you interrogate your data properly — slicing by job role, department, or region — you start to identify where your actual leverage points are. You stop throwing spaghetti at the wall with one-size-fits-all fixes and instead design targeted, commercially relevant strategies. That’s what moves the needle.

Want to know which policies need tweaking or where progression stalls? Your data holds the answer. You just need the right tools to decode it.

3. Redefine success (so you can actually see it)

We’ve been sold the idea that success = a lower headline figure, year on year. But if that’s your only definition, you’re going to feel like a failure — even when you’re doing meaningful work.

Instead, think in terms of momentum:

• Are you implementing better systems?
• Is leadership more engaged?
• Are career pathways for women and ethnic minority employees clearer than before?

These are indicators of progress that investors, boards, and your people care about — and they are just as commercially powerful as a short-term headline drop.

This is the work we do at Equality Pays

If your team is burnt out trying to chase optics over impact, or stuck in comparison mode instead of making strategic moves — then it’s time to talk.

At Equality Pays, we help organisations move from panic to purpose by making their pay gap strategy relevant, realistic, and results-focused.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode here for the full context and practical ideas.

 And if you’re ready for a fresh approach that delivers actual commercial value, book a call with me here. Let’s talk about how we can turn your stagnating numbers into real momentum.