Creating Gender Inclusion In The Workplace

Despite the saying that goes “what a man can do, a woman can do better”, it seems it doesn’t apply to the business world, as there has been an unfair gender equity playing field in the workplace, which doesn’t favour the female gender.

Although women in most organizations make up half of the workforce, unfortunately, they are significantly less likely to hold leadership positions within their organizations. Research carried out by Mckinsey study, revealed that there is a huge disparity between men and women in executive roles.

Women held an average of 21% of all executive roles, but of that 21%, only 7% are in roles as opposed to staff roles which tend to have less direct decision-making power within the organization.

Reports reveal that women are complaining about the huge gender gap in the workplace and are feeling left out at work, due to the overall workplace culture that mostly favors men. Lately, there have been some global movements like; #MeToo, Encourage women, urging women to speak up against inequality in the workplace.

It might interest you to know that in 2018, Spotify was sued for gender discrimination and equal pay violation, also Walmart faced gender bias legal issues where a female worker who believed she was well-positioned to become the store manager, was overlooked, and instead the position was given to a lower-ranking male co-worker with less retail experience. Displeased with this unfair treatment, she didn’t hesitate to sue the company.

It is unfair that some organizations continue to undervalue women and deny them promotion and equal pay like their male colleagues. What these organizations fail to understand is that their organization will suffer a great loss when competent people are not given leadership positions, rather they give them to the male workers who are not even competent enough to take leadership positions, simply because they are men.

Organizations must not only see the need for gender inclusion in the workplace, they must also take the necessary steps to close the gender gap by creating a more gender-inclusive workplace.

Here are four (4) ways organizations can create gender inclusion in the workplace;

1.) Remove The Gender Pay Gap: It has been discovered that women earn considerably less than their male colleagues in the workplace, even though they perform the same role. Employers should therefore promote gender inclusion in the workplace by being transparent about the wages, to ensure that women are not receiving less than their male colleagues in equivalent roles.

2.) Skill-Based Assessments: When recruiting new employees in the workplace, it is ideal that employers use skill-based assessments when recruiting, to reduce the risk of unfair bias. If more females performed better during the recruitment process, they should not sabotage it by squeezing in males who underperformed simply because they are trying to create a balance. Employers also need to use structured interviews, where all candidates are asked the same questions, and also grade their performances using a standardized format to reduce the risk of an unconscious bias.

3.) Consideration Of Leadership Roles For Both Men And Women: It is commonly a mistaken belief that only men thrive in leadership roles, while women perform better at support roles. Such belief is unfair and flawed, which creates stereotypes in the workplace. A great way employers can promote gender inclusion in the workplace, is by giving leadership roles to deserving candidates irrespective of their gender. Women have on countless occasions proven to be better leaders in an organization.

4.) Creating An Open-Minded Atmosphere: Gender inclusion can be achieved in the workplace when employers operate an open-minded workplace policy, where women can also make decisions as well as proffer solutions that can improve organization, without feeling sidelined or overlooked. Employers should ensure to appreciate employees based on their talent and not by their gender.

Conclusion

In today’s dynamic business environment, gender inclusion in the workplace is considered to be an essential factor for the competitiveness and growth of an organization. Therefore, it is ideal that both male and female workers are treated equally in the workplace.

If a female employee deserves to be in a leadership position, such should not be sabotaged by giving a less deserving male colleague because it will stifle the growth of the organization. Women have also been proven to perform better in leadership positions, which is the strong reason why unfair bias against women in the workplace should be jettisoned.