Introduction
We celebrated International Women’s Day just a few days ago, but in reality we as a society should honour the incredible women around us all year long.
Over 40% of the global workforce are women. And while women truly hold the power to create and achieve, they’re not always given an opportunity to do so. In this article, we’ll talk about women in the workplace, discuss the most recent data on the topic and explore ways in which we can contribute to a fair labour market for all.
Women at work: representation and career growth
McKinsey and Company have recently published their 10th anniversary report on Women in the Workplace. The report is an in-depth overview of the progress made so far in America, as well as a hopeful look 10 years ahead into the future.
Results show a steady increase in the number of women in senior leadership, but it admits a sad truth: at this pace, in order to achieve parity for all white women and women of color in America, we’ll need 48 years. For the last 10 years women have been consistently showing their ambition and commitment to their jobs. Companies, on the other hand, are demonstrating a decline in their commitment to diversity.
Promotion for women at work
Turns out women are underrepresented from the beginning - they’re less likely to be hired for entry-level roles than men. Later on in their careers, when they’re near the first promotion step, we keep on seeing the same pattern - for every 100 men promoted to management positions, we have only 81 women.
When it comes to women in senior positions (VP and SVP levels), there’s progress, however fragile it may be. However, the main driver for the increase in representation is not necessarily because more women were promoted, but because the number of "line roles" (which men held more of) decreased.
Women’s progress in C-suite levels is even more delicate - the primary reason women’s representation increased is that companies have added a new staff role and were more likely to hire a woman rather than promote one. At the end of the day the progress made still leaves a bitter taste - women are simply held to higher standards than their peers.
In addition, companies have scaled down on offering career advancement programs with content tailored for women.
Women’s experiences at work
The workplace has not become better for women - their work experience remains more or less the same as in 2015. McKinsey and Company admit this is the area of least progress across the 10 years of this study.
Race and gender continue to be a barrier to advancement with 36% of women believing their gender has played or will play a role in missing out on opportunities. Age is another critical factor - with 22%, women are almost twice as likely as younger men (12%) to field unwanted comments about their age.
And it only gets worse - women are more likely than men to have their competence undermined at work and deal with comments and actions that put their expertise and judgement to the test. These forms of disrespect are called microaggressions.
What can employers and employees do to promote fair recruitment and career advancement for women
In fact, more companies now promote inclusion, but employees’ behavior remains largely the same. Less than half of employees take key allyship actions - for example, only 28% of women and 11% of men recognize microaggressions against women.
In order to achieve a work environment where women feel safe and empowered, we must start as early as the pre-screening process.
Skill-based hiring can contribute to fair recruitment
A skill-based approach in hiring is one where hiring decisions are taken based on the skills candidates have and the skills a role demands. It creates a transparent job-matching process that turns out to be beneficial for both employers and workers.
nPloy has always been encouraging skill-based hiring. With its AI-powered algorithm, nPloy makes it easier for recruiters to pick candidates based on different criteria such as experience, education, location and salary expectations. nPloy encourages companies to proactively source talent and let AI help them find the right person for the job, regardless of their gender.
Candidate anonymity for fair recruitment
Candidate profiles on nPloy are anonymous. Recruiters only see a professional CV in the candidate database. If they see fit, they can invite the candidate to apply by sending them a Match request. It’s only after the candidate approves the request that personal data such as name, age, gender and photo is shared with the company.
Anonymous profiles contribute to a fair recruitment process where skills matter most. It gives an equal opportunity to all, helping candidates feel more confident and safe while employers can continue with their unbiased hiring efforts.
Conclusion
Achieving equality and fairness for everyone in the workplace might sound like an utopia today, but it’s important to remember that every effort towards it counts. We must not lose momentum, keep pushing further and keep supporting each other.
Today feels like a good day to remember a quote by Maya Angelou - “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”
FAQs
Why is there gender inequality in the workplace?
A few factors contribute to gender inequality in the workplace. Women are underrepresented from the start, with fewer opportunities for entry-level jobs compared to men. As they advance, fewer women are promoted to management positions. Women also experience microaggressions and biases that undermine their competence and expertise. In addition, gender, age and race play a role in limiting opportunities for women, making the workplace environment more challenging for them.
What is the biggest barrier to gender equality?
The persistent bias and microaggressions that women face are among the biggest barriers to gender equality in the workplace. Another major issue is companies' lack of commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts, leading to slow progress in closing the gender gap. Without systemic change in hiring, promotion, and workplace culture, true gender equality remains difficult to achieve.
