This informal CPD article ‘How to create a gender equitable workplace’ was provided by See Her Thrive, an organisation who support an inclusive workplace with focus on creating organisations where women and anyone assigned female at birth (AFAB) can thrive.
Research has demonstrated how creating a gender equitable workplace where everyone can thrive will improve your organisation’s reputation, recruitment, and employee retention [1]. But we know it can be difficult to know where to start! So, to break it down, here are some key questions to help you:
1. How many women vs men are putting themselves forward for promotion?
If more male employees are putting themselves forward for promotions, then ask why? Ask yourself what could you do to encourage more female employees to apply?
2. How many women vs men are actually promoted?
According to LinkedIn, Female employees can be 18% more likely than their male colleagues to be hired after applying for a more senior role [2]. But despite this, women are often underrepresented in senior leadership teams and on company boards! Assess what the situation is in your workplace and ask what measures you can put in place to encourage progression among your female colleagues.
3. Why are women leaving your organisation?
Recruitment is getting increasingly expensive, so it is really important to keep hold of your top talent! Consult your exit data to understand why women have left your company. Your findings could be gold dust and might reveal recurring themes, giving you a real insight into what changes need to be made to reduce your staff turnover rate.
4. How many women return to work after maternity leave?
This could give you a further insight into the changes you could make to improve retention of your female employees. Perhaps you could offer help towards childcare costs or a flexible return to work scheme for new mothers.
5. Do job adverts include a salary?
Jobseekers are becoming increasingly wary of companies who mask the salary in job adverts as it can set alarm bells that your current employees are not being paid fairly! Disclosing your company’s salary ranges shows honestly and can demonstrate you are committed to equality and fairness.
6. How many ‘must haves’ are listed in your job descriptions?
Women tend to only apply for jobs which they meet 100% of the essential criteria for, whereas men tend to feel comfortable meeting just 60% [2]. When advertising vacancies, really look through your ‘must have’ list and assess which points the candidates definitely do need to meet, and which ones could be nurtured as part of the role.
7. Does your sickness absence policy penalise people with cyclical, chronic or fluctuating conditions?
Remember that not all health conditions are visible, and many people who live with fluctuating conditions often experience flare-ups, meaning one day they will be their full selves but the next day they could be really struggling. Assess if your policies could be improved to support all your employees to thrive at work, such as implementing flexible hours or the option to work from home if possible.
8. Does your leadership development programme include women’s health?
It is important for everyone in leadership positions to fully understand the impact of women’s health so they know how to effectively support their female workers. This can improve productivity and loyalty whilst reducing sickness days and the risk of disputes.
9. What benefits do you offer your female employees?
Offering your employees benefits shows you genuinely care and can make you stand out from the competition, but assess what benefits you could offer which would particularly support your female colleagues. This could be enhanced parental leave, free access to women’s health apps, or a women’s network.
Now you have the areas where you could make improvements, put these into action so you can be sure your workplace is on the right track to achieving gender equity.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from See Her Thrive, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
References
[1] BCG. 2018. How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation
[2] LinkedIn Gender Insights Report: How Women Find Jobs Differently
