Understand the 5 steps for successfully implementing gender equity in your company
A quick internet search for “women in leadership positions” shows that most of the content refers to the low percentage of them in management positions, the difficulties encountered, and the importance of increasing this proportion.
But the purpose of this insight goes far beyond that. Talking about the challenges and benefits of gender equity is critical to raising awareness. Recognizing the advances already achieved not only encourages future generations of women, but also recognizes the merit of each one who has already arrived there.
In a survey conducted by LinkedIn with its own user base in the United States, it was noted that Gap between the percentage of female employees and the percentage of female leaders within the same sector remains relatively stable between 2001 and 2007. This indicator reflects the decline throughout a woman's career. However, starting in 2008, we began to notice a subtle but progressive decline. We could associate it with reasons such as the more diversified renewal of leadership after a high number of dismissals during the 2008 crisis, as well as the establishment of organizations and associations aimed at Gender Equity. UN Women was founded in 2010, for example.
Regardless of the reasons, the fact is that companies with greater diversity in their leadership positions obtain better financial performance. Providing fair and meritocratic conditions to attract and promote men and women guarantees these companies advantages in competing for talent and improving the quality of decision-making. The consolidation of the trend of increasing women in leadership positions demonstrates that female empowerment is not only a desire, but also a reality.
And how are they getting stronger?
First of all, we can say that the characteristics associated with the female gender have recently become more valued in the labor market. This does not depend on people's gender: men can have feminine characteristics and vice versa. Interpersonal relationships, resilience and sensitivity are currently valued aspects and can be attributed mainly to the evolution of new generations, who seek purpose, greater exchange between people and are more sensitive to more human issues, such as diversity.
The leaders, men and women, who were able to shape their attitudes to this audience were more successful in inspiring young people and engaging teams, starting to leverage more consistent results for organizations. And it is indisputable that many professionals began to be more valued and recognized by their peers and superiors, which contributed to their professional rise.
In addition, actions to raise awareness and encourage female empowerment not only impacted the vision of society as a whole, but also on women's perception of themselves. “The exchanges of experiences with other women throughout my career helped me to see my own potential and to be the protagonist of my professional growth,” says Visagio partner and advisor, Ana Paula Langsch.
And how do you get there?
Below are the 5 steps for successfully implementing gender equity development within your company.
1. High Leadership Sponsorship — all for the cause
Senior leadership must be responsible for promoting and directing gender equity. Only with the genuine interest of leading men and women will this approach be incorporated into the company's processes and culture; thus, adopted by all employees. Having a formal agenda or committee with the participation of senior leadership members to discuss the topic and monitor indicators guarantees better results.
2. Indicator Monitoring - what is not measured is not controlled
To identify areas with gender inequality, organizations need to regularly measure indicators on the topic. Once measured, the results must direct actions to address the root causes of the problems. Some examples of indicators are:
A. Gender ratio in hiring
B. Gender ratio by level
C. Gender ratio on the Board
D. Average promotion time by gender
E. Difference between women's and men's performance evaluation
F. Difference in average evaluations by criteria between women and men
3. Attraction and Development of Women — together we are stronger
Based on the analysis of the results of the indicators, actions must be addressed with a focus on attracting, retaining, and developing women. As an attraction strategy, companies must position themselves as a brand that promotes equity. Recruitment and selection talks focused on the female audience and content dissemination, as well as videos and a dedicated area on the site, demonstrating your policies to achieve this objective are some ways to consolidate this position. The creation of forums for debates on the topic and the implementation of mentoring programs encourage women to assume positions dominated by men, in addition to engaging the organization as a whole for the cause.
4. Combating Unconscious Bias — recognize to include
The path to developing a more inclusive and diverse work environment requires us to question our own prejudices when making decisions. It is important to review recruitment and evaluation policies, in addition to implementing training on unconscious biases for men and women, so that we challenge some stereotypes about current jobs, basing the deliberations on meritocratic criteria.
5. Flexible Environment — adapting to new realities
Companies must adopt more flexible work policies so that their employees, both men and women, can balance their professional schedule with personal issues. Work model Part Time and Home-office are examples of practices that can be implemented.
Actions to promote the empowerment of women in the labor market are closely associated with the inclusion of a gender equity agenda in the company and the establishment of a real culture of meritocracy. The results that the company has with the development of female leaders go far beyond an indicator of gender equity. Developing these leaders brings a variety of thoughts to decision-making and inspires the team by demonstrating that everyone has the same opportunities.
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About the authors
Ana Paula Langsch She is a partner at Visagio, a specialist in organizational restructuring projects, management model implementation, process reengineering and strategic planning. He worked in the energy, mining, oil & gas, education, retail, health and construction sectors. She is one of the leaders of the Visagio Gender Equity Committee.
Giovanna Nogueira She is a partner at Visagio, a specialist in projects focusing on management models, process engineering, organizational restructuring and the implementation of a shared service center in the mining, oil & gas, financial, manufacturing, mobility, pulp & paper and telecommunications sectors. She is one of the leaders of the Visagio Gender Equity Committee.
Marcela Pinto She is a Visagio partner, a specialist in supply chain management projects, decision-making support system development, management model, and implementation of a shared service center in the mining, financial, manufacturing and oil & gas sectors. She is one of the leaders of the Visagio Gender Equity Committee. Monique Mattos Vimercati is a partner at Visagio, currently assigned to the Australian office supporting the internationalization of the Visagio group. He has extensive experience in project management and change management, leading projects related to transformations and procedural improvements, supported by the implementation of automation tools and systems, in the mining and oil & gas sectors.
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