Let's start at the very beginning

Shirley Chrisholm, the first African American woman elected to the US Congress, said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” It’s that kind of "can’t-keep-me-out" attitude that has taken women to the boardroom and beyond. Books like Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls chart the journeys of those who dared to go where no woman had gone before. And today, we continue to enjoy the freedoms they afforded us.

Which is why I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that in 2020, “less than half (46.9%) of all women participated in the labor force, a decrease from 51.0% in 1990”. Deloitte’s Women @ Work report showed that “51% of women are less optimistic about their career prospects than before the pandemic”.

Even as the way we work evolves, women’s careers continue to be affected by their personal life.

Global statistics show:

• Women spend an average of 4 hours and 22 minutes a day in unpaid labor. Compare this to the average of only 2 hours and 15 minutes for men. Post-pandemic, women are spending 15 more hours each week on unpaid work than men.
• 606 million women provide unpaid care on a full-time basis. Only 41 million men do the same.
• Mothers are less likely to be employed when compared to fathers and women who do not have children.

One of the core company values at my workplace, Crayon Data, encourages us to “Think data, craft experiences”. How can we use this data to ensure that we create a career experience that works for women?

I believe the first step is to acknowledge the fact that a majority of women build their career journey in a way that’s vastly different from men. We of course have outliers like Indira Nooyi and Leena Nair who have broken the glass ceiling on their own terms. To equip women to go beyond culture, economics, and familial duties needs more than just an annual empowerment workshop. It requires a tailored approach, right from the beginning of their career.

So, what ecosystem do girls and women need? We’re talking about bespoke skills that will help them come forward and aspire to learn, grow, and ace the various stages of their career. I will cover three phases that I have crossed thus far.

1. Getting ready for the real world

Like charity and most other good things, this bespoke skilling also begins at home. And much before women step into the workplace. Well-meaning parents push girl children towards “soft” BA courses or intensive MBBS or ME degrees for vanity. This is especially prevalent in the Indian context. Girls are prepared incessantly for married life. On an equal footing, they should be prepared for working life.

Encouraging girls to take part in extra-curricular activities will help them build invaluable social skills. This includes communication and teamwork. It’s also important to ensure that they can interact with the opposite gender. While it’s understandable to want to protect your girls, the fact is that when they enter the workplace, they are not going to be in a vacuum. They need to have the confidence to stand up in rooms led by men and make their voice heard. And when they do, they’ll thank their parents for equipping them with such life skills.

2. Early-career conundrums

Women usually have the most freedom in this part of their career. This is the time when organizations can encourage their women employees to explore what they are interested in, beyond the scope of their role. Trying new things can help them expand their horizons. And add a new dimension of thought to their current tasks.

In the era of remote working, this article in MIT Sloan Management Review suggests, “Explicitly pairing each new hire with a mentor ensures that [the] opportunity for growth and connection doesn’t go missing... Having a mentor [will] help talent develop personally and progress professionally.” They also recommend activities like “ask me anything” sessions with senior leaders, “mix and mingle” events with fellow entry-level hires, thought-provoking Zoom events, and “lunch and learns” with top industry leaders.

3. Mid-career musings

This is when a lot of life events tend to take place – marriage, children, spouse’s career progression... In my case, after a decade in journalism, I switched lanes to content marketing. My manager took a chance to hire me based on the potential she saw in my skills. My colleagues pitched in at every stage to ensure I knew what to expect and do on a variety of projects. One year in, I can safely say that the school of Crayon is a wonderful place to learn!?

It’s inevitable that when women take any sort of extended break, they have a sense of FOMO. Perhaps the company shifted to a new software or messaging platform. Her team might be rolling full steam ahead on a new project. Existing official policies might no longer align with what she is experiencing in her personal life. The onus is on the management to ensure that any woman taking a break for personal reasons can come back and feel comfortable and confident. By doing so, they retain not just their talent and unique knowledge, but also the loyalty of their women employees.

To paraphrase former First Lady of the USA, Michelle Obama, "No [company] can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens." That’s exactly why we need to support women to develop their skills at every stage of their career, even before they begin.

The bottom line is that most often, companies are more concerned with attrition rates, making exceptions, and changing policies. But it can be worth the “trouble”. Women in the workplace and gender diversity in general is great for the company bottom line.?

Fortune 500 companies that have more women on their boards financially outperform those with lesser women. And gender-diverse teams have higher sales and profits compared to male-dominated teams. Why would anyone say no to that?