When we create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, everyone benefits
These days, companies are all focused on creating a more gender balanced and inclusive workforce. Meaning, they are working hard to promote women’s leadership, hire more women, and make sure women are well-represented across the board. Companies are keeping tabs on their progress by publishing regular reports and are always looking for ways to bring more women into workplace. To make sure they don’t miss out on any qualified women, companies have implemented hiring mandates and sometimes even quotas to meet their gender representation goals. It is all about promoting gender equality and creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
So, while I’m all for improving the gender balance in companies, I cannot help but wonder if we’re approaching it the right way. I mean, shouldn’t diversity be a natural outcome of a culture that values inclusion and equity? Instead of just focusing on the numbers, shouldn’t companies be taking a closer look at how inclusive and equitable their culture really is?
It is no secret that women are just as competent, ambitious, and capable as their male counterparts. But what sets them apart (and I’m not saying “less than”) are certain life stages and societal norms that can make the workplace navigation a bit more challenging for them. Motherhood and primary caregiver roles at home can add to their responsibilities and create more challenges in their career progression. But here’s the thing: Women are more likely to thrive in workplaces that are sensitive to their unique needs and challenges. A culture that acknowledges and supports women through all stages of life is key to retaining and advancing female talent in the workforce.
Doing so is really not that complicated. Companies just need to understand that women need a little extra attention, care, and support at certain stages in their lives. That means providing robust maternity policies that support women during both, the pre-maternity and post-maternity periods. It also means offering special policies for elder care and child support, because let’s face it – balancing work and caregiving would a challenge for anyone. Also, this kind of support shouldn’t be limited to women alone. Men share equal responsibilities when it comes to caregiving, and they should be entitled to adoption and paternal leave too. When companies prioritize policies and benefits that support all caregivers –regardless of gender, everyone wins.
Okay, let’s talk about something else that’s just as important: The way companies talk about women internally. Do they refer to everyone as “him” in mass emails, or are they mindful of gender-neutral language? Are most of the characters in your branding men? And if one of your female colleagues takes a maternity leave, are you worried that it’ll negatively impact your team’s performance? These biases and negative attitudes can create a toxic culture for women, and it’s important for companies to be aware of them. After all, even if you manage to hire more women, will they want to stick around in an environment that doesn’t value or support them? It’s something to think about.
Chief Human Resource Officer
HDFC Life
It’s time to take a close look at all our policies and make sure they’re truly inclusive. That means examining everything from compensation ratios to promotion numbers and asking ourselves if there’s anyone out there who’s being left out. At the end of the day, the only bias that companies should have is – a bias for talent.
If we can foster a culture of inclusion and equity – one that truly values diversity, then word will spread quickly. And before you know it, women will be lining up to join our teams, instead of us having to resort to quotas and mandates to achieve diversity. When we create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, everyone benefits.
