5 Strategies to Attract Women in the Workplace

In this 21st century, Gender equality is exceedingly under the spotlight, among industries. Women are profoundly shaping every aspect of work across the globe. Therefore, delivering results at an unprecedented rate in this never-ending race between Men V/S Women. Radically redefining workspaces!

Organizations, on the other hand, are evolving, plowing ahead in bridging the gender gap by eliminating gender-based barriers and supporting a diverse culture. Additionally, companies seem to be changing the way they hire and promote women, with better performance and good business. They are now more inclined towards improving women’s representation no matter the color, cast, or religion they belong to.

There would be no exaggeration to say…

… that we’ve made significant progress in pushing diversity forward, things have taken a turn for the better. Women are increasingly participating in all walks of life and their motivation is beyond comparison.

According to a study, 2019 sees the highest percentage of women in senior management on record, at 29% as compared to last year.

Still, there are many ways in which we can make the workplace a safer and more hospitable place for not only women but for people from diverse cultures.

Let’s take a look at some of these key trends:

Say ‘No’ to Workplace Harassment!

The first and foremost responsibility of the company is to ensure comfort to its female employees. Harassment of any kind should be considered as unwelcomed conduct and should be taken seriously. In short, have a zero tolerance policy!

According to Women in the Workplace 2018 report released by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org., stated that 35% of women have experienced sexual harassment at the workplace in 2018.

What should you do?

Managers, supervisors and human resources, collectively, should deal fairly when they come across any knowledge of harassment within their teams and departments. No matter how minor the issue is, all complaints should be taken into consideration. Appropriate action and prompt investigation should be in place to prevent any kind of retaliation and reoccurrence of such events.

Not only this, companies spend thousands on their creative recruitment practices. What good are these procedures, when they can’t even retain employees? That’s why, the employers have to ensure that the female employees are not facing discomfort and also, regular training should be conducted for male employees in order to explain the severity of this issue.

Having said that, it is mandatory for a company to strictly punish those who are in violation of harassment policies, in order to make a safe working environment for women.

Offer Flexible Work Schedules

Another most important aspect of attracting women to the workplace is flexible work timings. Simply adjusting their timelines, can give them an opportunity to maintain a work-life balance!

Maintaining a professional life with personal can be a bit of a challenge for women all over the world. It becomes intense when their work starts to take over their personal priorities.

Strict timings are actually the main reason that stops women from joining a company.

Be flexible!

If you want to squeeze productivity out of them, then it is your duty to give women the liberty to choose the schedule that favors them. Help them manage their time and effort, by providing comfortable working hours to your female employees. If sometimes, your company is unable to provide the required timings; pay them over-time, facilitate transport and ensure safety.

‘Congratulations, it’s a girl’

Yes, we are talking about Maternity leaves here. Motherhood brings about a lot of changes in a woman’s life!

In order to ease this growing challenge, it’s important for the companies to best support women by providing them with decent maternity leave packages. Because if you can’t support women after having a baby, you probably don’t deserve to utilize their talents to grow YOUR business!

If you want to attract top female talent to your workplace, offer them full salaried maternity and paternity leaves. As it is one of the most effective ways through which you can show concern and commitment to working women and families. Go above and beyond, in promoting gender equality and inclusion at the workplace.  

‘Yes’ to Women Empowerment

Want to attract talented and capable women to your thriving company? Then, initiate ways through which you can empower them.

Include them in decision-making procedures, provide your female employees with company perks, give them growth opportunities, offer exceptional benefits and market competitive wages and give them the tools to succeed.

Make sure that women in your workplace are appreciated and recognized for their work. Promote them as much as your male employees, show them that they are being valued, help them grow their potential and skills.

Women as Future Leaders

Women are the leaders of the future. Companies that are serious about recruiting female talent should make sure that they provide infinite possibilities for women in leadership roles.

With challenges specific to women, such as maintaining a work-life balance, pay gaps, and gender inequality, sometimes hinder their growth.  As s company, you should help them climb up the corporate ladder.

Having women in strong leadership roles is actually benefiting the companies as it brings diversity into teams and enables success.

A Long way to go…

Companies with strong anti-harassment, and equal rights policies and that have taken successful steps to address the imbalance, are progressing towards success every day.

There is so much more that companies can do for their female employees. It’s important that they focus on making small changes, only then can you attract talented women to the workplace.

What steps are you taking for the safe future of women in the workplace?