Inclusion is the Key to Retaining Female Employees - Patricia Golden Webb
While we have seen an increase in women entering the workforce over the past few years, we are recently seeing an increase in women quitting the workforce. Why? Women are experiencing extreme feelings of burnout. In addition, the lack of an inclusive work environment is making it difficult for companies to retain female employees. It is important to hire women, but it is more impactful and productive to include them in important, meaningful decisions of the company. I recently read an insightful article published by PR Newswire titled, Women are Leaving Their Jobs at Faster Rates Than Men; Inclusion is the Key to Curb This Exodus.
In a survey of more than 4,500 women across seven different countries and all levels of organizations, only 25% of women responded saying they feel fully included in the workplace. Focusing on inclusion creates positive differences in both attracting and retaining women workers across all industries. According to Bain & Company’s studies, “women who feel fully included are 11 times more likely than those who do not to be promoters of their companies, a key indicator of employee engagement and company results.” On the contrary, women who do not feel fully included are three times more likely to quit. Based on these findings, it is evident that creating an inclusive work environment is critical for both women and the company as a whole.
“To weather the impacts of the Great Resignation, it is critical for employers to get a deep understanding of their organization’s talent — in this case women — by listening to their stories and incorporating the nuances to increase their feelings of inclusion and, in turn, enabling them to thrive.” Behavioral enablers that can help increase inclusion for women include empathy and having more open and honest conversations. The article highlights three ways an organization can overcome complexity and create a more inclusive work environment:
- Start with C-level commitments: Important decisions made for the company take place at the C-level. It is critical that this level of the organization has a strong commitment to making improvements and is communicating these changes to the entire organization.
- Understand intersectionality: Companies need to avoid the common mistake of viewing women as a whole. There are several different groups of women and you must take into consideration different factors that makeup women — race, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, etc. By applying intersectional lenses to your organization, it ensures your actions will effectively increase inclusion for all groups within the greater group of women.
- Focus on behaviors that increase inclusion for women employees: “Companies should embrace the value of growth opportunities and feedback for all, train leadership and others to recognize biases, sponsor women throughout the organization, and show them clear career paths.”
We have come a long way to increase the number of women in the workforce. But now we must use these numbers to create meaningful differences in the workplace. The key to doing this is creating inclusive environments that welcome the ideas, perspectives, and skills of all women.
You can read the original article here.
