The call for more women in executive positions is more than just trying to meet a quota. It is a call to progressive leadership and company culture. The BrighterMonday survey on the current state of the workplace showed that there are more men than women in senior positions.
While most companies are used to the idea of men taking lead in departments and sitting in boards, there is a whole new experience of women taking on management that most companies are missing.
Below are reasons why you should consider encouraging more women into leadership in your company.
Brings Diversity to Life in Your Company
Diversity and inclusion is a phrase present in most company value lists. However, the situation is usually not as represented. Gender diversity has been said to be key to company success. It is about making use of the best resource to maximize on the company’s potential. This means removing all existing and presumed hurdles that might hinder a group of people from achieving their maximum potential.
Create a Balance in Company Leadership
More gender diversity in the workplace will translate to more productivity and creativity in the workplace. This report by Morgan Stanley asserts that a company with a gender-balanced management has better decision-making and representation. This translates to a higher employee engagement and satisfaction levels.
Promote a more Inclusive Culture
You do not have a company culture until you have lived it. For a company to encourage more women into leadership it needs to create an inclusive culture. A good way to create a culture that encourages inclusion and equality is to improve the hiring process. Hiring should be based on academic qualifications and experience without bias. Salaries should be based on the market rates rather than someone’s salary history. Such an environment creates a level playing ground where anyone with the competence gets recognised.
Reduces Cost of Turnover
Employees do not like working for companies they feel are inflexible. Companies that are open to change and are flexible fosters diversity, which in turn supports employee engagement and retention. When levels of attrition are reduced, the company saves on hiring costs like advertisement, interviews, on boarding and training.
Women Make Better Managers (According to Research)
Gallup analysed 27 million employees over four decades and concluded that female managers in the workplace outperform male managers in areas like employee engagement, commitment and being generally enthusiastic.
Female managers are said to have better people skills, are bolder, more ambitious, confident, and possess a stronger presence as well as challenge status quo.
This means a company keen on creating an environment that encourages any qualified employee into areas of leadership; is likely to have a rich mix of skills and traits. After all, who are we to argue with research?
