Successful organizations have female representation

Throughout the long, tiring months of the pandemic, women really stepped up to the plate. Yes, they fulfilled their roles and met their caregiving obligations. But they also overcame the harrowing pressure of the moment to do way more (way more, specifically, than their male counterparts). They helped their teams succeed and contributed their share in furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. They are also more likely to be allies than men. All this and more has been reported in a?study Mckinsey conducted in 2021.

The same Mckinsey report revealed that companies with 30% more women executives were more likely to outperform those with fewer women executives.?The performances of these companies that understand the value of hiring women speak for themselves.

However, many organizations have still not fully tapped into the potential of women employees in the workplace. Most fail to acknowledge and reward their female employees for their contributions; along the way, risking losing the very leaders they need right now.

What women bring to the workplace

Women make up for 39.2% of the workforce globally, and employee engagement and retention is directly linked to the hiring of women in the workplace. In fact, gender diversity helps in attracting more talent. Here are a few more advantages of having a higher number of women in the workplace:

·???????Increased job satisfaction

·???????Increased organizational dedication and engagement

·???????Reduced burnout

·???????An enjoyable work culture

While hiring more women has a positive impact on an organization, leaders need to ensure that it isn’t just a token action. Women have to be represented intentionally to reduce the gender gap and increase growth potential of employees as well as the organization.?

Women representation in leadership impacts organizations

Women were withheld from pursuing roles of leadership for a long time. Often labelled as “emotional”, they were assumed to be unfit for bigger, more “rational” responsibilities. Many organizations have missed out on talented employees due to this internal, unconscious bias. But the future may not be as grim anymore as we continue to notice positive developments taking place in organizations with women leaders.

Women leaders have a command over their employees yet stay in touch with them to help them perform their best at work. How do they do this?

Supportive Development

Employees with women leaders feel more supported in their career and their professional growth. Added support by leaders motivates them to excel in their field and improve their skills, increasing their work output and improving work performance.

Managing Pressure

Many employees with women leaders experience reduced burn out. Women leaders are more mindful of the workloads their subordinates are bearing, and thus more practical when it comes to delegation.

Clearly organizations benefit from women taking up leadership roles but only a few women receive opportunities for the same. To bridge this gap, organizations need to ensure that not only current women leaders are supported, but also that they prepare other women employees to lead in the future.

Actions organizations can take to support women in the workplace

To retain gender diverse employee talent, organizations haveto contribute towards their development by supporting them. Here is how they can do that:

Providing equal opportunities

Providing all employees with equal opportunities to get raises, incentives, promotions and develop their skills is an effective way to support women professionally.

Access to resources

In order to take advantage of the efforts made by their organization, women should be provided with adequate resources in terms of both funding and staffing. This is required to ensure that they are able to meet their goals in a timely manner.

Flexibility at work

Many women may sometimes require a more flexible approach towards their work to maintain work-life balance. At times of chaos and lack of balance, women should be encouraged to operate remotely through virtual team meetings and online work spaces when required.

As we continue to explore the impact of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, all factors indicate positive growth. So why not continue building a leadership pipeline to set ourselves up for success??