The economic recovery for females looks bleak as the pandemic persists and the planet, especially the corporation planet, changes forever. The January US Bureau of Statistics jobs report shows that 467,000 new jobs were created in the economy. However, only 40% of these jobs went directly to women aged 20 or older. Many females have taken on care responsibilities or reduced their working hours as a result of the pandemic. There are now 1.1million fewer females working than there were two years ago. Similar to the females, many males were able to make up the labor lost due the pandemic.
Organizations should reevaluate the rewards and incentives they offer to female employees as they continue to hire and retain them. Flexibility and building leadership opportunities will go a long way in achieving gender equality and breaking down gender stereotypes that keep females behind in the workplace.
Say Goodbye to 9-to-5
Organizations need to provide flexibility for women, especially in light of the pandemic. However, the evaluation revealed that males were rated much more favorably for flexible work arrangements than females. Flexible work arrangements are important to females. They want to be able to operate wherever, whenever and however they like. Flexible work schedules, working from home, and element-time jobs are more attractive to talented women. Non-standard ways of working can help you find potential candidates and open doors to other females looking for work.
Female leadership opportunities
Studies that show the benefits of putting females in leadership roles have shown that they can be studied quickly. Females are as interested as men in leadership opportunities and promotions. According to Possessing, females who reject leadership opportunities are more likely to be interested in other causes than men. Men will usually decline a leadership role if they don’t want it.
According to Possessing, female leaders who reject leadership opportunities are often motivated by a lack of self-confidence or a skepticism about how the other women and men in the organization will support them. These concerns are often rooted in women’s instincts, unfortunately. Organizations expect females to have higher certifications than men for similar positions. Even worse, when offered a leadership position, females are often given “glass cliff” positions. These are higher stakes opportunities that have greater risk and greater chance of failure. These issues and challenges must be addressed by providers so that they can position females to achieve great results in leadership positions.
Don’t let the stereotype of gaps ruin your resume
Prahbha Kannan (Siri editor-in-chief Apple) shared her story on LinkedIn not too long ago. She spoke out about how many females are being pigeonholed into “unemployed”. “I believed that I was not eligible to return to work and perform meaningful, complex operate because of the dreaded “resume gap”. Apple offered me a chance.
Apple gave her a leadership role in a male-dominated company, even after her seven-year labor shortage. Kannan advised hiring managers and recruiters to be open to candidates with gaps in their resumes. Providers need to end the stigma associated with females who have gaps in their resumes. In January 2022, nearly one in four females aged 20 or older who were unemployed had been unemployed for six month or more. Organizations should consider females with different professions and those who want to re-enter labor market.
International Women’s Day is approaching on March 8th. I urge leaders and businesses to explore ways to support female workers. Our Center for Females in Leadership at Pepperdine Graziadio Enterprise College is dedicated to equalizing the playing field. We prepare female leaders to be effective and assist other women through mentorship.
Supporting females at work has many benefits: reducing the gender gap and pushing to equal gender pay could result in an increase of between $12 trillion and $28 trillion in global GDP. Employers that have a greater gender diversity and more female leaders experience higher earnings and employee retention, as well as greater employee satisfaction. We can all work together to break down the barriers females face, and create a society that is just by providing females with job flexibility, leadership opportunities, and ending stereotypes.
