A business with a strong record of diversity and equality in the workplace is more likely to tap into the female workers seeking a career with a business that has real opportunities for promotion and development. Workplace diversity is not simply acknowledging differences such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender or expression of religion and sexual orientation. Many people think about gender as referring to men and women, but the definition can also be expanded to include physical sex, assigned sex, gender identity, gender role, gender presentation, and perceived gender. More challenging and robust decision making, Increase in the attraction to a wider talent pool. In recent decades we have seen a shift in beliefs and men and women are now thought of as equals. Despite doing better in education; women are over three times more likely to work part time; are less likely to progress in work; generally work in lower paying industries and occupations; and have lower pensions wealth.*. Diversity is another workplace topic that is top of mind for companies trying to be more inclusive and accommodating of individual differences. Sexualizing women has also become unacceptable and against the law. Employers and workplace legislation has changed and discriminating against women is no longer accepted. Progress toward parity remains slow. Gender diversity in the workplace makes teams more successful because these diverse teams can better predict the wants and needs of a diverse customer base and find solutions to problems that otherwise might stymie a mono-gendered team. Gender Diversity most commonly refers to an equal ratio of men and women and frequently in the news you will read stories about gender diversity in corporate boardrooms and other areas traditionally dominated by men. Diversity at workplace is a common occurrence workplace nowadays. All Rights Reserved. Mursal Hedayat Contributor. In 2017, 25,000 sex-based discrimination claims were filed. When young women needed to work, they were often given part-time or low responsibility jobs. Post a job opening for your organization at EmployDiversity.com with a just a couple clicks. Personalities These differences, for example employees’ talents, are less obvious and require the organization’s effort and pr… © Copyright Skills 4 2020. It involves positively And go to EmployDiversityNetwork.com to read helpful articles and resources for Diversity Managers. When an organization has a strong reputation for gender diversity, it will attract top calibre women candidates. 2. In Western Europe, only 17 percent of executive-committee members are women, … Companies who work to increase the gender balance in the upper quartiles can expect to benefit from: *HM Government, Gender equality at every stage : a roadmap for change. Why Gender Diversity in the Workplace Matters When your company considers a gender diversity program, you want the program implemented to do much more than meet the legal guidelines established by federal and state laws. There were als… 4100 Park Approach Thorpe Park Leeds LS15 8GB. Women who chose to start a family, frequently have their career’s disrupted by maternity leave, childcare and part time working. Businesses with an inclusive culture are significantly more likely to have a lower turnover rate to to increased morale and equality. will also be essential. To further illustrate the role gender bias plays in the office, we’ve gathered a number of statistics related to diversity and gender bias in the workplace: 42% of women experience gender discrimination at work. What is diversity in the workplace? Diversity in the workplace refers to an organization that intentionally employs a workforce comprised of individuals of varying gender, religion, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, and other attributes. It might feel as if women’s presence in the workplace is a given, but globally, despite making up 50% of the population, women generate just 37% of GDP. “ Let’s see why gender diversity in the workplace matters and look at a simple game plan for making it work in your work environment. How well the workplace embraces cultural diversity may result in greater profits by attracting consumers who support companies with diversity and inclusion initiatives. There are also certain fields like engineering, sciences, and math that have struggled for decades to attract and retain women. Gender in the workplace is often talked about in the context of pay equity and the #metoo movement. ... and gender-diverse companies are 21% more likely to earn more revenue. Women continue to trail men in overall workforce participationand in representation at the professional through executive levels. The main aim of gender diversity is to equate the ratio of men and women in the workplace. First and foremost, it’s important that all leaders in the firm are behind the mission. Some employers have also seen gender diversity (and diversity in general) as a strategic opportunity. If your company isn’t diverse, you’re missing out. Historically, fewer women worked because their priorities were taking care of the household and raising children. Gender Diversity is a key focus area within the D&I Strategy, which is committed to the empowerment of women. It can improve financial performance. Here are some of them. Companies in the top 25% for gender diversity on their executive team were 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the bottom 25%*. If you have here because you have been researching ways to take your business forward, improve staff development and increase office productivity then a key area that can be improved upon is that of gender diversity. It’s not always well known that girls generally perform better at school yet in their working lives is it frequently the case that they earn less and occupy less leadership positions than men. *HM Government, Gender equality at every stage : a roadmap for change. Men will apply if they are 60 percent qualified, whereas women will only apply when they are 100 percent qualified. However, only 56% women share the same views. In recent years, there has been an influx of women in the workplace. Organizations have changed their hiring practices to achieve gender diversity requirements and meet cultural expectations. Making your workforce more balanced between genders isn’t just a nice-to-have – rather, it’s a real driver of superior performance that all business leaders desire. Most efforts progress by inches, but companies that take a new tack to address unconscious bias and build a more inclusive workforce could turn the tide on gender issues. Also referred to as “Gender Equality”, incorporating this work culture in organizations will be an add-on to the company’s bottom line results. Our overall D&I Strategy also focuses on strengthening our LGBTIQ+ community, harnessing our cultural diversity, supporting our multigenerational workforce and being an accessible workplace … Corporate boards are dominated by men. Employers assumed that they were likely to quit when they got married or had children. With a gender diversity policy, you are opening up your business to more talent that would otherwise have been overlooked. Few employers were willing to invest in hiring and promoting women when so few stayed in the workforce long-term. Gender diversity in a work place means that men and women are hired at a similar and consistent rate, are paid equally and are given the same working opportunities with the same promotional opportunities. In this modern age of digital advertising, social media and other ultra fast communication tools, news travels fast. Reducing gender gaps in labour market participation, Science, technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) qualifications and wages, could increase the size of the UK economy by around 2% or £55 billion by 2030*. Diverse work forces have been proven to outperform ones that aren’t. There were also widespread cultural beliefs that women cared more about their family than work and that they were less capable than men. The case for gender diversity is compelling, but McKinsey research—including a new report, Women Matter 2016: Reinventing the workplace to unlock the potential of gender diversity—shows many companies are struggling to ensure women are represented fairly in top management. An equal opportunities environment in the office can self promote and increase ambitions in the workplace. In a recent diversity study by Mercer (titled When Women Thrive Businesses Thrive)based on 178 submissions from 164 companies in 28 countries covering 1.7 million employees, Mercer explores this issue and proposes solutions. Why you need gender diversity in the workplace 1. diversity and inclusion, Workplace Diversity, Inclusive Workplaces, diversity management, Diversity Training, Gender Diversity, Inclusive Workplaces, Inclusive Workplace Culture, Diversity in Tech, Gender Diversity in Tech, Gender Pay Gap, Gender Equality, Gender Discrimination in the Workplace, Gender Bias, gender discrimination, Gender-neutral bathrooms, Gender neutral language, gender-inclusive work environment, Diverse Professionals, diversity and inclusion, diversity, Inclusion policy, 5 Tips for Healthcare Recruitment Video Interviews, Holiday Company Party Do’s for Diverse Professionals, 6 Benefits of Starting a Home Business in Retirement, Optimizing Tech for Seniors in the Workplace, Integrating Seniors into Your Workplace: The Challenges and Opportunities, Top 5 Gender Diversity Apps for the Workplace, 5 Tips to Smoothly Integrate Millennials into the Workplace, How to Address Equal Pay Issues in the Workplace, Language Discrimination: What Employers Should Know*. In the workplace, the topic of gender diversity is often discussed in the context of corporate boards and certain occupations. Additionally, men earn an approximately 24.1% higher base pay than women. Gender diversity is an umbrella term that is used to describe gender identities that demonstrate a diversity of expression beyond the binary framework. Diversity In The Workplace Is Now More Critical Than Ever. Gender diversity is not the responsibility of one individual; it’s an issue that every member of the company needs to engage with. Talents 3. Few employers were willing to invest in hiring and promoting women when so few stayed in the workforce long-term. If women have a sense that there is a chance to progress thanks to equal gender representation in senior roles then it can vastly increase productivity and positivity which can filter through the rest of the office. Employers need to prevent gender discrimin… The call for greater diversity in the boardroom and beyond hasn’t yet yielded significant change. Gallup’s study proves that diversity is actually key to successful and robust teams. Some of the most common industry areas that see a dominance in male employees over female is in computing, engineering, medicine and science. There’s no question that the equitable and fair treatment of men and women is the right thing to do. It is also something you cannot avoid. First, we have the protected characteristics, such as race, age, gender and sexual orientation. Having a gender-diverse workforce will be a critical requirement for any organization in the future; however, diversity related to abilities, race, culture, religion, traditions, etc. Gender diversity in the workplace is becoming a major factor in many ways; not only does it help new employees determine whether or not they want to work for the organization in question, but there are several other positive effects that organizations can take advantage of if they make gender diversity in the workplace a priority.. And secondly, we have all the different: 1. The imbalance of men and women in certain positions and occupations is not a new issue. To ensure this is the case, companies must foster a culture that embraces gender diversity. Diversity in the workplace leads to a plethora of … Opinions 5. In the past, women were paid less than men, but the Equal Pay Act has changed that. To come up with a workplace diversity definition, we have to think about all the different characteristics that employees (could) have. Gender diversity, as it relates to a work environment, means that men and women are hired at the same rate, paid equally for equal work, and promoted at the same rate. An organization that has the same opportunities and expectations for men and women is doing the right thing from both an ethical and business standpoint. Three key facts emerged from Mercer’s data: 1. This is supported by another study that shows that men are 30% more likely to be promoted to a managerial position than women. In fact, studies have suggested that women earn only 80% of what their male counterparts do. Research has shown that diversity in the workplace drives employee productivity, engagement, and satisfaction. For many gender diverse people, the concept of binary gender – having to choose to express yourself as male or female – is constraining. So, when you hear about “gender diversity” in the workplace it is referring to the equitable distribution between genders across positions and occupations. Current female hiring, pro… Top leadership positions like President, CEO, and COO are rarely occupied by women. However, a workforce that consists of different races, religions, ethnicities and gender can produce both positive as well as negative effects. Organizations are required to provide men and women with equal hiring and advancement opportunities. Diversity in the workplace means that a company employs a wide range of diverse individuals.. The imbalance of men and women in certain positions and occupations is not a new issue. Since 2003, EmployDiversity has been helping employers connect with diversity professionals through its online employment service. Whilst women make up around 40% of the global workforce, only about 5% of those are in CEO and upper management positions and even then, annual salaries or men in similar positions are not equal. When young women needed to work, they were often given part-time or low responsibility jobs. An equal opportunities environment in the office can self promote and increase ambitions in the workplace. Historically, fewer women worked because their priorities were taking care of the household and raising children. It can increase profitability as a company and decrease staff turnover. There are 5 key benefits to implementing a gender diversity policy in your business Increased positivity in the office. By eliminating or ignoring female employees within the workplace, your business would be loosing out on a significant talent pool, one with unique attributes that only female workers can bring to the boardroom table. The future of diversity at the workplace will be affected by technological advancements and the millennial mindset. Employers assumed that they were likely to quit when they got married or had children. Whilst most of us agree that in order to have a fair and productive working environment, an equal balance of men and women is required, more commonly than not, this is not the case despite the modern age that we live in.