Ways to Support Women in the Workplace
real Strategies to Support Women's Success
This article will discuss five tangible tips and resources for leaders and companies to better support women and understand the barriers they face navigating corporate America.
Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to self-reflect on our impact as companies and employers on women’s work lives. We can see the journey of working women and have much it has evolved over the last century, but there is still work to be done. We must be curious about what it is like to be a woman in the corporate world and how we can influence change. How can we make women’s experiences more fulfilling and aspirational? How can we ensure their voices are heard and their contributions celebrated?
It is worth mentioning that not all women will share the same experience, and we will be speaking broadly in this article. Different backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, ages, races, and years of corporate experience will influence women’s experiences in the workplace.
We are working hard to ensure our opinions and recommendations are data-driven and unanimous with experts in our field. The Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey highlights the structural issues and personal experiences women encounter, as well as insight into potential solutions. Based on the research, here are the real tangible things you as a corporation can do for women in your company.
1. Compensate Them Fairly
Compensating women appropriately is the number one way to improve their experience in the workplace. We know that women do not earn the same as men on average, and we also need to remember that the pay gap goes beyond just income but wealth and benefits too. Often, even if women ask for pay increases, they may be less likely to get a raise.
Annual raises should be part of your compensation package in accordance with geographic location, inflation, performance, and years of experience. You must make sure that your team enjoys an appropriate amount of PTO and that they fully enjoy it, totally unplugging during vacation time.
2. Provide Growth Opportunities
While the number of women in executive positions grows, gender bias can prevent women from progressing professionally. Often, the things that employers seek in terms of ‘potential’ may be outdated and prevent women from moving up the leadership ladder. Similarly, job descriptions may be rigid, and women may be less inclined to apply for positions they do not feel ‘100% qualified for’. Reassessing your application and hiring process is a good place to start, and you can even ask for women’s feedback on how they may perceive the potential for growth at your company.
Employee feedback and the language used in performance reviews may not always be solely performance-based; women’s personalities are often judged more harshly than men’s. These biases, especially in male-dominated fields, can impact the validity of these performance reviews. Alternatively, managers may be nervous about being frank with women and providing direct feedback to help them progress, fearing being seen as unsupportive. Managers must be held accountable for performance reviews and consistently applying standards and similar criteria.
3. Understand Their World
While structural problems may make women’s experiences more difficult, it’s the little things sometimes. Classic sexism may not have a place in the workplace, but women taking on small tasks or office housework more often, like note-taking and agenda setting, planning social gatherings, etc., may be an example. Implementing a schedule or fair system, so women don’t pick up the slack is the simplest way to tackle this.
Next, are you comfortable recognizing microaggressions? How to spot them and, more importantly, call them out? Are you aware of the layered nature of discrimination? Older women experience gender and age-based discrimination; their ideas are often diminished, and their experiences are unrecognized. Women of color, particularly black women, may be unable to express themselves authentically without fear of being perceived as ‘the angry Black woman.’ Understanding the intersectionalities of discrimination will make you a better ally and a better leader, and understanding the nuance of women’s experiences.
4. Provide Flexibility
In a post-pandemic world, understanding the lasting impact of Covid on working women, including the pressure of the on-demand work environment, is important. Women feel their careers may be at risk if they fail to be available when needed, and unpredictable schedules widen the gender pay gap.
For working parents, we know that working moms make, on average, $0.70 for every $1.00 a working father does. This becomes exasperated when many household responsibilities still fall on women. Beyond child-rearing, women often carry the brunt of caregiving, which is why adequate family and medical leave is a no-brainer. Adequate parental leave helps everyone, mothers, non-birthing parents, and their children, and an awareness of employees’ caregiving responsibilities can bring some relief for women trying to juggle it all.
Prioritizing your employee’s mental health is a big undertaking but well worth it. Asking yourself a series of questions will help you evaluate how effective your mental health strategy is at work. Questions include, are you making mental health a priority, do your employees have access to good mental health resources, is your team aware of the resources available, and are you building a culture that destigmatizes mental health struggles? Providing resources for employees to build a sense of community and belonging is important for employee wellness. Fostering employee resource groups may alleviate some pressure and feeling of aloneness in the workplace, providing outlets for sharing and community building.
5. Address Burnout
42% of women report being burned out due to limited opportunities, lack of flexibility, and microaggressions in the workplace, but what about all the extra work?
Emotional labor often refers to the work done to regulate others’ emotions, and maybe your own, to appease co-workers or clients. It may not be obvious in corporate America until you begin to peel back the layers. Why do more women take on additional mentoring or counseling of staff? Why are more women stepping up to tackle diversity and equality issues? More importantly, what is the impact of gender expectations and emotional labor on women?
Speaking up against a toxic environment is difficult, so as a company, you need to build and reinforce a culture that supports a work-life balance, encourages team members to establish boundaries, and provides outlets so that the burden does not fall on women and minorities.
Our final thoughts
The theme to International Women’s Day in 2024 is ‘Inspire inclusion." This means that when we appreciate and respect women from all different backgrounds – like where they come from, how much money they have, and their beliefs about politics – the world gets better for everyone. When women feel like they belong and are important, they feel stronger and more empowered.
We know that true inclusion and advancement for women cannot be achieved without understanding the intersectionality of people’s experiences and how the ladder differs for everyone.
We do not have all the answers, but as a leader, you have the power to not only listen to women and become educated on what is impacting their career progression and personal fulfillment but what you can do about it. Become educated and seek resources to broaden your knowledge and help you be more prepared to tackle difficult conversations and new challenges. You will be better equipped and able to better serve the women in your company and your community.
Are you looking for more ways to celebrate Women’s History Month? Check out some recent posts!
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