Ever since Covid 19 emphasized the importance of mental health and well-being, there has been a constant and renewed focus on employee’s health. Though organizations must keep their focus centered on the bigger and tangible issues like the gender pay gap and women empowerment in the workplace. But the authentic and real changes come only from a comprehensive and strategic action plan that goes through different aspects of women’s workplace experience. At a time when organizations are undergoing massive internal and external transformations, it is vital for Chief Human Resource Leaders to maintain a gender balance in the diverse teams and improve collaborative work environments.
Bringing such substantial changes into the system requires the Chief Human Resource Leaders to take the lead and transform work culture, improve operations, streamline processes, handle hidden prejudices, and focus to instill healthy attitudes and mindsets. A diverse range of employees gives organizations financial privileges as well as enhances productivity, innovation, decision making, and customer relationships. But to maintain consistency and equity in such a diverse workforce it is vital for HR leaders to identify the role that gender parity places in organizational success.
Prioritizing Gender Equality Within An Organization: Start With Addressing The Existing Issues
One in four women had experienced an anxiety attack within two weeks compared to one in seven men – making a remarkable difference of 81%.
Recent research from the University of Exeter business school shows that COVID-19 has arguably a bigger socio-economic impact on women as compared to men. There’s not just one reason behind such disturbing figures but a number of factors like the sectors women are more tend to perform in, thus causing redundancies, and women occupied with more family duties during the lockdown period causing mental health issues.
Organizations can prioritize gender equality within the workplace by
● Being consciously inclusive
● By creating a work environment that promotes emotional and mental well-being
● By encouraging female talent and women leadership
By doing so, an organization can ensure that the disproportionate impacts we see on the women in our social culture do not need to be unavoidable.
Removing the Gender Pay Gap
A key step to demonstrate if an organization is serious about women leadership and empowerment is by placing its focus on the removal of the gender pay gap. Companies must set the criterion and understand whether the steps and strategies implemented are truly making a difference. Because at the end of the day action speaks louder than words and there is still a long way for organizations to go improve gender parity.
Retaining the female employees
People are the most integral part and play the primary role in an organization’s success. Each employee irrespective of their gender should be valued for their contribution and support to integrate their work and life priorities.
A great way to improve the work experience of female employees and giving them a voice in the firm is to create a women’s network group and foster networking and personal development. Such networks provide women a platform where they can feel fully supported, valued, and independent to voice their opinions. This can also help organizations recognize the priorities and demands of the female workforce in order to retain them. But being consciously inclusive is all about understanding each employee’s unique situation and not just of females. So, organizations must create a foundation to learn about the individualized needs of employees including managers conducting regular check-ins with their people.
Moving Forward
Organizations must look for ways to increase future engagement and interest of female staff. They must establish a gender-diverse senior leader panel and make use of gender-neutral language throughout the workspace. Ultimately a business dedicating to diversity should be unwavering but agile.
