9.1 million — the number of women-owned businesses in the U . S . in 2014 .
Women on the Rise ?
Despite having the same levels of education , working hours , and drive as their male colleagues , many women still feel they work in a man ’ s world . Why is this ? And , more importantly , what can you do about it in your workplace ?
The reality is that many industries don ’ t reflect as diverse of an employee population as they believe they do — even when it comes to women . The tech industry reflects this male-dominated situation all too well — one report shows women make up just a bit more than one quarter of that workforce . The STEM industries aren ’ t too different , with environmental and social barriers keeping women from inclusion .
Take an honest look at your business . Is your workforce one of diversity and inclusion — especially when it comes to women ?
If not , here are four ways you can adjust across the board :
ÎÎConsider benefits and incentives that accommodate all associates . What policies benefit all workers ? Provide benefits that all employees would appreciate — including greater flexibility and ability to achieve work-life balance — if you want to attract and retain great associates , especially women .
ÎÎDon ’ t overlook the subtleties — like informal systems or communications — that exist . Create an inclusive , no-fear culture that promotes everyone feeling welcome , even in a male-dominated industry . Demonstrate your company ’ s commitment to these positive values through leadership-driven initiatives .
ÎÎBe diligent about inclusion at all levels . Don ’ t just take a top-down approach to recruiting . Build a gender-diverse staff . That means promoting balanced perspectives in recruiting and hiring practices , with gender-diverse search teams and interview committees .
Î ÎCreate mentorship opportunities , formal and informal , that encourage employees to develop valuable leadership skills and provide positive reinforcement . This will not only retain employees but help identify future leaders .
Using ‘ People Analytics ’ to Your Advantage
How engaged are your employees ? It ’ s a common question . But it can be hard to gauge , especially with traditional performance reviews . With the advent of “ people analytics ” platforms , engagement can be more easily measured . Companies like Adobe are using platforms that assess employee satisfaction and productivity with frequent , short surveys . Experts behind these culture-based programs say that responding to the data — and making immediate changes — is crucial . Birchbox , for example , surveys employees regarding internal engagement quarterly and gives longer questionnaires semi-annually — adjusting its strategies accordingly . In fact , it recently changed internal communications based on benchmarks assessed through the feedback — a crucial piece of the puzzle for building cultural confidence in a growing company .
BALANCING CULTURE When building culture within , consider the pressures each gender faces and how they spend their time . Women spend :
6 + 6 MORE HOURS PER
WEEK IN HOUSEHOLD WORK THAN MEN
Ready to take your business to the next level ? Sterling National Bank can help . Contact your relationship manager at 855.274.2800 to discover ways we can financially support your business .
3 + 3 MORE HOURS PER
WEEK IN CHILDCARE
CONNECT CULTURE WINTER 2017 // SNB . COM | 9