Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab

While many believe that progress is inevitable and that it just takes time, data can show a different story. According to the 2024 Women in the Workplace 10th anniversary report by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company, when it comes to women's experiences at work, there's been almost no improvements across generations. In fact, according to the report’s authors, Lab Senior Research Scholar Marianne Cooper and Priya Fielding-Singh-Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation editor, not only are the experiences of women under 30 similar to those of women 50 and older, in some ways, they’re worse. The report highlights many key takeaways about barriers to young women’s advancement, including: ? Younger women get stuck at entry level, from the get-go. They quickly run up against a “broken rung”: Compared to men, they’re far less likely to get their first promotion to manager. ? Sexual harassment remains a significant problem. Despite younger women’s much shorter tenures, a third of them have experienced some form of sexual harassment over the course of their careers —?the same as older women. ? The next generation of men doesn’t appear to be pushing for change. While the younger women in our study stand out as the most committed to gender and racial diversity issues, younger men are clearly the least. And over the past five years, the percentage of younger men who claim gender and racial diversity as high personal priorities also declined significantly. Thus, when we believe change is inevitable, we may be prone to overlook the real issues facing women at all levels. Instead, we must identify and engage in “small wins” or doable actions that make a difference for women, their teams, and society overall. Only by working together can we truly advance women’s leadership in a meaningful way. #genderinequality #sexualharassment #womenintheworkplace2024

In honor of #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth in the US and of the land on which Stanford University sits, the Lab features this conversation with Jarita Greyeyes, Assistant Professor, Indigenous Studies at McMaster University and Lab co-founder, Lori Nishiura Mackenzie. When asked, "How do we honor Indigenous people?", Dr. Greyeyes answered, “Acknowledging where we are is the most important first step.” "Then recognize all that we have lost by not having a full education that includes Indigenous perspectives and histories and languages and worldviews in the education that we've received." Part of that education are learning from stories of leadership shared by Indigenous leaders. Here are two remarkable insights: ?? “Leadership is finding out what people's gifts are and to help them share those gifts.” ?? “As a leader, being accountable isn't just about being accountable to your own family, or your own teachers, or your own people that support you. But your accountability extends to all living things, human and beyond the human world.” In conclusion, Dr. Greyeyes shared resources where you can support and learn about Indigenous peoples and wisdom that can contribute to our understanding of history, our place, and what we can gain from that wisdom. Check out the full interview!

“Diversity is defined as ‘we’re hiring more white women.’” – Amina Johnson Many organizations value diversity to drive innovation and better decision-making, yet pressure to achieve diversity goals may not produce the desired outcomes, according to recent research by Lab affiliates Kate Weisshaar and Koji Chavez, and their co-author Tania Hutt Cabello. Their study offers insights into the ways in which diversity initiatives can fall short of their overall aims. They find that while organizations prefer hiring white men over other groups for early-career positions--as conventional theories of stereotypes and employer biases would predict--the same was not true for early-career applicants seeking upward mobility. For career advancement, white women were preferred over all other groups. Organizations value white women to achieve their diversity quotas; white women are seen as a “safe” choice for increasing diversity in white, male- dominated occupations such as tech. Companies prefer to get credit for diversification by hiring white women, who are seen as skilled at defusing tension and easing white men’s comfort, and to not hire Black employees because acknowledgement and advocacy of Blackness is often interpreted as “controversial” and “disruptive.” Due to persistent biases and stereotypes, decision-makers also worry that if they hire a Black employee who underperforms, firing them would seem racist. In this way, real inclusion of marginalized groups remains limited. Applicants who are categorized as “diverse” are reduced to a single category and othered in damaging ways, as described by Lab researchers Melissa Abad, PhD and Lori Nishiura Mackenzie in their recent Harvard Business Review article. Weisshaar, Chavez, and Hutt’s important research study demonstrates the “unevenness of inclusion”: decision-makers prefer to gain diversity “points” by hiring white women rather than Black workers. In the end, companies are privileging diversity when it seems least disruptive or most comfortable. Check out our full article about this important research study, written by Alison Wynn and Hannah Yanow, Ed.D.. #hiring #bias #diversityequityinclusion

As polarization rises, leaders are seeking ways to value the many perspectives and views within the organization. Yet, tensions across differences can affect how employees experience the workplace. Groups can offer a safe space to connect, process and find strategies to continue onward. In this post, we refer to Employee Resource Groups, Business Resource Groups, and Affinity Groups as “Groups.” Although Groups are often designed with affinity as an aim, it’s important to remember that members also present many differences. Thus, the work of making space for affinity while also acknowledging differences is critical and yet, can be challenging to achieve. Dr. Vrnda ‘V’ Boykin, Development PM at HubSpot and Lab Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, Hannah Yanow, Ed.D., recently joined forces to facilitate a conversation with Group Leads from 27 organizations. To achieve greater success, the session identified two key strategies to engage with and value differences: ? Find strength in numbers; collaborate with other Groups. Not only does collaboration build momentum, but it can also help amplify the voices of all Groups and their members. ? Build capacity to engage in respectful practices around cultural differences. This includes starting by acknowledging cultural differences. Read the full length article for more strategies and resources! #EmployeeResourceGroups #BusinessResourceGroups #AffinityGroups

Thrilled to welcome Prof. Katherine DeCelles as the Lab's inaugural CASBS at Stanford Fellow. We're excited to learn from you. Welcome!

New members bring energy, new ideas and support to Employee Resource Groups. In turn, these Groups can help employees feel a sense of belonging and support their success. Yet, keeping the membership active can be a challenge. Mentoring new members can support both employee and Group success. In this article, Erin Scharfstein, IDEA Program Coordinator, Berkeley Lab (a member of the Lab’s Corporate Program) joined forces with Lab Senior Research Scholar, Melissa Abad, PhD, to meet with Leads of Groups across a range of companies to learn best practices in mentoring new members. Key findings? For one, take time to build the Group infrastructure, including a new member intake form that lists their interests! Another great idea is to leverage Executive Site visits to make the Group experience meaningful for all members. This article is #3 in a four-article series on supporting the work of Groups. Written by Lori Nishiura Mackenzie #EmployeeResourceGroups #BusinessResourceGroups #AffinityGroups #mentoring

Exciting new paper by Lab-affiliates Christianne Corbett, Katie Wullert, PhD, Shannon Gilmartin, and Caroline Simard on racialized gendered biases in promotions. In this first-ever intersectional analysis of advancement in a US firm by gender, race, and job, the authors find evidence of an?intersectional performance-reward bias: White men are overrepresented at the top, women of color are overrepresented at the bottom, and in the technology sector, men of Asian descent are overrepresented in midlevel technical jobs and White women are overrepresented in midlevel management positions. This paper has vital implications for rectifying inequities across gender, race, and job type. #bias #performance #promotions #advancement #intersectionality #research #equity

STEM fields still lose too many top women. 76% of women with engineering degrees don't work in engineering, and 62% of women with computer degrees don't work in computer jobs, according to analysis from the Pew Research Center. And 20%?of women with STEM degrees leave within the very first year. Andrea Mohamed and John Skrentny discuss the importance of investing in attracting, retaining, and advancing women in STEM fields. In their recent Newsweek article, they describe what's holding employers back and how to improve. The article also features research by Alison Wynn and Shelley J. Correll about the mistakes tech companies make in their on-campus recruiting sessions--and how companies can improve. #womeninSTEM #retention #advancement #investinwomen

What a great New Student Orientation Week! Imagine, starting your new business Ph.D. program with a session on “Diagnosing and Blocking Bias in Everyday Interactions." That is exactly what happened at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Two of our Lab directors, Sara Jordan-Bloch and Shannon Gilmartin, led students through the 90-minute session where they reviewed the latest research on how bias chips away at strong cultures and interpersonal relationships, and what we can do to combat those biases in the moment. Students engaged in reflection and break-out groups, and identified key ways to re-think peer interactions, the job application process, and more. The session concluded with hope and excitement for the community and culture that students themselves build together every day. ? In designing and presenting this session, we thank our long-time partners Dianne Le and Joan Menees at the GSB, as well as our colleagues Lori Nishiura Mackenzie and Sarah Soule for originating these learning-centered sessions several years ago. ? #futurescholars #impact

As the pace of change accelerates, organizations need to counterbalance the fast pace with spaces of belonging that center on employee needs. Achieving this balance can be tricky. Leveraging the power of diversity and inclusion can help organizations achieve this balance. Yet the pathways are not simple. “There are multiple layers that must be undertaken for organizations to truly be diverse and inclusive,” explains Tiffany Galvin Green, Ph.D., Vice President - DE&I Strategies and Education at Exponential Talent LLC, a member of the Lab’s Corporate Program (https://lnkd.in/g_3txEnK). “Reaping the benefits of an inclusive culture requires achieving ‘small wins’ on many fronts.” “That's where I feel that Groups (ERGs/BRGs/Affinity groups) play a pivotal role,” adds Tiffany. “While Groups make space for employees with a shared identity to come together, each individual brings a multitude of experiences, insights, goals, and ideas,” explains Kristine R. Pedersen, Seeds of Change Assistant Director at the Lab. “Making room for individual Group members' contributions and needs requires Groups to hone their abilities to effectively facilitate meetings.” Read this article on smart ways to multiply the impact of Groups via meetings. The insights were gathered during a meeting of Group Leads, facilitated by Dr. Galvin-Green and Kristine Pedersen. Authored by Lori Nishiura Mackenzie and edited by Hannah Yanow, Ed.D. #ERG #BRG #AffinityGroups