How to recruit more women to your business?
It is well known that companies with more female employees, particularly in management roles, yield stronger organizational and financial performance.
Group of woman sitting around the table. / Photo: Pexels – Reference image <
The Woman Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez Toro
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However, even though the latest Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & Company shows some progress in women's representation in some companies, there is still a lot to be done.
As read on Harvard Business Review, even though female representation in the C-suite is on the rise, only one in five executive seniors is a woman today.
That is why, even though many leaders are interested in being gender diverse, there are some things they are missing out on recruiting women. Here are five:
1. Start with job descriptions
According to INC, women apply to jobs offers when they meet 100 percent of the criteria needed, while men take the risk even if they just meet 60 percent of the criteria.
In order to get more women to apply, try to select the real “must-haves” and eliminate the other requirements. Also, according to the same site, replacing gendered language with a more neutral wording has helped Johnson & Johnson get a 9 percent rise in female candidates.
For example, in its Language Matters Report, Harvard found that 44 percent of women wouldn´t apply to a job offer if the description included the word “aggressive”. So yes, language does matter and you need to make it more inclusive.
2. Share success experiences
According to the Harvard Business Review, women and men are both likely to search for the company's culture before applying to a job. When you share stories of successful women at all levels of your organization, women feel represented and are more likely to apply.
Also, putting women in leadership positions should work. If a woman sees that the C suite of a company is dominated by men, they are less likely to apply, so make sure you have powerful and talented women in important positions.
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3. Make sure to fight against sexism in the workplace
As read on Social Talent, creating a work environment with zero tolerance to gender discrimination, sexual harassment and sexism will attract more women to answer your job offers. Educate your employees about how discrimination works and make sure to eliminate bias against women.
4. Offer a generous paid family leave
According to Medium, there are still many startups that do not offer maternity benefits even though 61 percent of women in tech have said they wouldn’t work for a company without paid family leave.
Also, companies that allow employees to adjust their scheduled have a greater performance. Whatever it is, sick children, school plays, let them do it if they are getting results.
5. Equal opportunities
As read on Green House, women are being clear about what they want and need. Both men and women should have access to the same opportunities, whether it is a promotion, a salary increase or just vacations, all of them should be based on merit and not gender.
