As we gear up to celebrate International Women's Day, it's crucial to reflect on the significant role women play in the workplace. Beyond just diversity quotas, women bring invaluable perspectives, skills, and leadership qualities that drive organizational success. However, despite the proven benefits, many organizations still struggle with retaining and supporting their female talent. Let's delve into why women make great leaders and explore strategies to retain them in the workforce.
How Women Manage Gendered Norms at Workplace?
Navigating workplace dynamics can be particularly challenging for women, who often face a double bind of being perceived as either too soft or too tough. Research shows that successful women leaders adeptly balance demanding high performance while also demonstrating care and empathy towards their team members. They project authority when necessary while also fostering collaboration and inclusivity.
Women in the Workplace & Workplace Wellbeing
Considering the balance they bring into their roles, the presence of women in the workplace not only enhances organizational performance but also contributes to overall workplace wellbeing. Studies indicate that environments with higher percentages of women are associated with increased job satisfaction, organizational dedication, and meaningful work. Additionally, women's presence correlates with lower rates of burnout, highlighting the positive impact of gender diversity on employee wellbeing.
3 Things Women Want in a Workplace
1. A Sense of Purpose Beyond the 9-to-5:
For women, a job isn't just about punching in and out. Many women express a desire for work that goes beyond mere tasks, something that feels like a calling. This encompasses roles that align with their personal beliefs, offer opportunities to make a difference, and strike a balance between professional and personal lives. Providing such purpose-driven roles can significantly enhance job satisfaction and employee retention.
2. Embracing Flexibility in Work Practices:
Flexibility isn't just a perk, it's a necessity for many women juggling multiple responsibilities. Whether it's paid time off, healthcare benefits, or the option to work remotely, flexibility ranks high on their list of priorities. Particularly for women with families, having the freedom to adjust their schedules and work environments can make all the difference.
3. Creating Genuine Leadership Pathways:
Women are just as ambitious and eager for leadership roles as their male counterparts. However, they often face unique challenges and barriers in pursuing these opportunities. While men may turn down leadership positions due to personal preferences, women's decisions are often influenced by concerns about qualification, support, and the fear of failure. Organizations that actively dismantle sexism and create inclusive leadership pathways not only attract top female talent but also retain them for the long haul.
Inclusion at the workplace is about taking everyone forward together. Women, just like men, are seeking challenging opportunities that empower them to succeed in their careers and it is the responsibility of organizations to provide them with an inclusive and bias-free environment. While equal opportunities are important, they alone are not sufficient for true inclusion. Organizations must approach inclusion through the lens of ‘Intersectionality’, recognizing that every individual has a unique starting point and that programs must be tailored accordingly. To improve gender ratios, a reliable strategy is to focus on women's career advancement at all levels. At Pitney Bowes, we prioritize the development of in-demand skills and provide access to a range of learning and development platforms for women to upskill themselves and unleash their true potential.
Our new Explore, Engage, Empower, (EEE) Program is a 4-month learning journey designed with a vision to create a group of empowered women at PB, collaborating across business units. The EEE program is created keeping in mind the different aspects of the career journey that women should focus on. These also form the topics for each of the learning sessions and support the group to collectively enhance both their technical and soft skills.
Another impactful program that we have is our Motherhood Program, Mayeri 2.0, that offers a bouquet of benefits that celebrate motherhood and offer avenues for women to help them achieve work-life integration during Maternity and beyond. We also ensure that maternity breaks do not impact women’s development and growth at Pitney Bowes. Our 'Mayeri Policy' offers a host of benefits, including on-demand nutritionists and counsellors, designated buddies and female mentors, flexible work arrangements, crèche facilities close to office premises, and an annual subscription of leading parental magazines.
What Organizations & Leaders Can Do To Retain The Women?
- Offer Meaningful Work Experiences: Organizations should provide women with opportunities for work that aligns with their skills, interests, and values, allowing them to feel fulfilled and engaged in their roles.
- Provide Flexibility in Work Arrangements: Picture a scenario where a working mother can attend her child's school event without worrying about missing a crucial meeting. Leaders can make this possible by offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible schedules.
- Ensure Equal Opportunities for Career Advancement: Organizations must ensure that women have equal opportunities for career advancement, recognizing and rewarding their talents and contributions regardless of gender.
- Active Mentorship and Sponsorship: Leaders should actively mentor and sponsor talented women, providing guidance, support, and advocacy to help them succeed and advance in their careers.
- Advocate for Gender Parity: Leaders have a responsibility to advocate for gender parity in pay and opportunities within their organizations, challenging systemic biases and promoting fairness and equity.
- Challenge Gender Biases: A workplace where diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords but integral parts of the organizational culture. For example, leaders can implement unconscious bias training programs to raise awareness about gender biases and encourage behaviors that support diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Promoting a culture of respect and equality allows people to be their true selves openly at work, and that goes a long way in fostering collaboration, creativity and teamwork. An inclusive work environment not only enhances ethical standards but also strengthens competitiveness, serving as a cornerstone for a company’s success, driving innovation, collaboration, and contributing positively to the community. In short, diverse teams outperform.
At Amdocs, diversity and inclusion are engines of innovation and creativity, advancing our company’s business goals, and positively contributing to the communities in which we live and work. Despite progress, women are still far from equal in the world we want to create, so our commitment to closing the gender gap is more important than ever.
As an equal-opportunity employer, we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Our strategy for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion focuses on three pillars: increasing representation through inclusive hiring practices, fostering inclusion, and belonging through awareness-building, and implementing pay equity measures.
We are seeing good progress, especially in our tech roles. From software testing with a remarkable female representation at 45%, to product managers and owners where women shine at 35%, their contributions are setting new standards for inclusivity. We’re dedicated to continuing our journey to equal representation. The responsibility lies with all of us, men and women alike, to challenge stereotypes, break down barriers, and create a more inclusive workplace that benefits us all.
As we celebrate International Women's Day, let's reaffirm our commitment to empowering women in the workplace. By recognizing the unique contributions of women, addressing gender biases, and implementing inclusive policies, we can create environments where all individuals, regardless of gender, can thrive and succeed. Together, let's build a future where women's leadership is celebrated, valued, and supported in every workplace around the world.