International Women’s Day 2022
International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 is a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
More employers realize the value of an inclusive work culture, excellent benefits, development opportunities, flexible work practices, and rewarding career opportunities can have on their business.
When employees feel their work is rewarding and meaningful, they are more likely to go the extra mile to help your business succeed.
Here are a few ideas for activities to help forge an inclusive workplace where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated:
Holding or promoting an event to celebrate the achievements of women on your team.
Launching a program such as an Employee Resource Group (ERG)
Invite an inspirational speaker to talk about their life/career journey
Fundraise for a female-focused non-profit such as Dress For Success
Download IWD Zoom backgrounds or create and share your own
Choosing the right employer can significantly help a woman's career and improve her overall wellbeing. With global talent shortages, it is critical to harness all potential talent. Getting a true sense of an employer is key to deciding to accept an offer for candidates.
Be prepared
When interviewing women for a position at your organization, be prepared to discuss workplace policies, practices, and support. Even if a candidate does not overtly ask, you can be sure she is reading between the lines to learn more about your culture.
Be proactive and discuss the improvements you have made towards the employee experience. What development opportunities and flex work practices do you offer to help women thrive in your workplace?
The IWD foundation has identified a set of criteria for organizations to be considered prime employers. Prime employers are organizations that:
Demonstrate executive leadership commitment to gender equality
Embrace a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Forge a female hiring pipeline from early career to executive level
Value and support flexible working arrangements
Provide formal avenues to address any concerns of bias
Monitor progress and outcomes from diversity initiatives
Demonstrate your commitment to advancing opportunities for women. Other steps to take could include:
Post open jobs internally and externally and include details on benefits, flex work, and development opportunities.
Conduct a fair pay audit to ensure women are paid fairly for their contributions.
Embrace flex, job sharing, or part-time work to attract more female candidates.
These actions will help you attract and retain your employees and become an employer of choice.
To address these topics and others related to HR Consulting, OD and Recruiting, reach out to info@futuresense.com.
If you have questions about HR, contact us today at info@futuresense.com.