In today’s competitive world, moving up the corporate ladder is quite a tough task, regardless of gender. However, in order to ensure a positive work environment, organizations should ensure gender equality in terms of advancements, promotions, devoid of any discrimination or bias. Although gender discrimination rarely exists in organizations these days, unconscious biases often creep up and can affect our judgment, in turn, creating hindrance towards the career growth and development of women.
Creating an Unbiased and Diverse Work Environment
Organizations should establish a clear criteria about hiring, promotion, and so on, with the objective of removing biasness from the decision making process. Research suggests that more formal working criteria create better opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities to be hired. These criteria should be regularly assessed and if needed, adjustments should also be made.
Setting diversity goals in organizations is important as it results in significant business advantages. Experts suggest that after every hiring process leaders should assess how well they have done in terms of achieving diversity goals. This will also encourage the hiring/HR team to keep diversity and equality at top priority on any occasion.
Transparency
A transparent workplace provides additional advantage to women. Authorities should take the responsibility and make sure that every activity, policy implementation, major decisions and changes are done in such a way that every employee irrespective of gender is well aware of the same. Organizations should be transparent and accountable towards creating a gender neutral workplace.
Flexibility
Maintaining flexible work timings can be beneficial for companies. It will provide the employees, irrespective of gender, the freedom to work during timings of their choice. Research suggests that women earn less than men as they prefer flexible work timings over salary. Many women tend to turn down higher paying jobs due their more rigid working hours. If given the flexibility of coming to office as per their desired time, women will be motivated to participate actively in office work. Occasionally, companies can also provide women the option of work from home. As a result, they will work hard and give their best towards accomplishing the organization’s objectives.
Setting Schedules
In contrast to what has been mentioned previously, there are many organizations which cannot afford providing flexible work options to the employees. For example, women working in restaurants and retail shops can’t just work from home or go out in the middle of shift due to any personal emergency. This will increase the work pressure on other employees. So, they need to be on site at the time of work.
We all know that women are the primary parent, i.e., they take care of the child, attend parent–teacher meeting, and also perform other household chores. Accordingly, they need to plan things out and prepare their schedule. If an organization allows the employees to set a schedule, (for eg, some employees work on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and others work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday ) then everyone is in a win-win situation where the business succeeds and also women don’t have to sacrifice home and family.
Being Frank in terms of Salary
Many companies have the cultural restrictions about discussing each other’s salaries. Companies consider that pay is confidential information and it is rude to discuss about it. As a result, no one discusses about their salary. Companies should promote such a culture where employees feel free to discuss about their salaries. This will create a healthy work environment where no one is cheated by unfair salary and are rewarded appropriately for their dedication.
Organizational openness will reduce the prevalence of gender pay discrimination because this can happen only behind closed doors. If before joining a company, a woman comes to know how much other people already working there in the same position are earning, it will be beneficial for her. She would realize whether the company is offering her sufficient salary. Eventually, she will be able to decide whether she should take up the job or not.
Things should be made Equal but not the Same
It is very important for managers to treat every employee, whether male or female, in an identical manner. Philosophies like if women get 5 medical leaves, then men should also get the same amount of leaves, works in pre-school. Such methods don’t work in companies. If a woman asks for a more flexible schedule, the management should provide them with the same. They shouldn’t deny them a flexible work schedule just because their male counterparts don’t have one.
Management should consider the situation of all the employees. If a woman has valid reasons to ask for relaxed work timings, then she should be provided the same. This also goes for men, where based on their situation, the management can grant them the permission to work on timings as per their convenience.
Every individual, whether men or women, wants to work for good companies. Any company can stand tall among its competitors and make a mark in the industry provided they have dedicated, efficient, and satisfied employees who deliver their best and take the company ahead towards growth and prosperity. Providing equal opportunities, benefits, and exposures to men and women at workplace can not only contribute towards the development of the employees, but for the long-term growth of the company as well.
