Did you know that companies with women in leadership roles outperform their peers by 50% (McKinsey)? Establishing an inclusive, gender-diverse environment creates an atmosphere of trust, increased engagement, and improved business performance. Outdated profit-driven measures are no longer guaranteed indicators for companies’ market sustainability. In my experience, organizations with diverse workforces, particularly women in leadership roles, tend to have more customers, increased sales revenue, bigger profits, more market share, and increased employee satisfaction and engagement -- which means higher retention rates.
Ready to start increasing the number of women on your leadership team? Here’s what you can do today to get started!
Reach out to women currently on your team.
Find out about the experiences women are having as employees at your company. Do they feel that there are opportunities for them to advance? Have they been passed up for promotions? If so, why? Do they crave mentorship opportunities? Get the conversation started with your current employees to identify where your growth areas might be.
Look for inspiration.
Do your peer companies have good gender diversity on their leadership teams? What strategies or initiatives are they implementing? What can you learn from them? One example of a business doing gender inclusion well is the global investment firm AllianceBerstein. They created a Women’s Leadership Council that is designed to foster an environment where women can grow into leadership roles. They offer leadership workshops and a mentorship program called the Career Catalyst Program. Their company is dedicated to promoting and retaining women on all levels in their business, particularly in leadership roles. The company Novo Nordisk is also setting ambitious gender-diversity goals: they aspire to have a percentage of at least 45% women on their senior leadership team. They also have an Employee Resource Group (ERG) specifically dedicated to raising up women leaders. Many other companies are striving toward diversity and inclusion in leadership as well, so don’t be afraid to explore what similar companies are initiating!
Become an ally.
Let your company know that you’re dedicated to gender diversity on your teams, particularly in leadership. Talk about your gender diversity goals and the benefits of women on your teams. Make it known that your company recognizes the strengths that women bring to business. Ambitious women desiring to better themselves and their careers will recognize that your company is a welcoming place to cultivate their skills, talents, and future growth.
We Optimize Work helps organizations who seek resources to support their current initiatives for retention of high-potential women in the workplace and gender diversity in leadership roles. If you’re ready to implement strategies to expand gender diversity in your company, visit www.weoptimizework.com to book a call with me, or message me personally on LinkedIn to learn more. Have an optimized day!