Are you a female-forward company?
Why “family-friendly” is not the same as female-forward.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s estimated that around 43% of skilled, professional women leave the workforce after starting a family. In just 2020 alone, close to 2 million women left their jobs for various reasons—with a large subset being women of color, who truly are bearing the brunt of this “she-cession”.
These staggering statistics unfolded during a time I was personally experiencing the qualms of new-mom life along with the pains of pandemic worry. Shortly after having my first child, I was faced with the difficult decision to leave my full-time position. While I knew it was the right move for myself and my family (at the time I was juggling various appointments for my baby while also acting as a medical advocate for a parent facing a stage-IV cancer diagnosis), it was challenging to accept the reality: I am leaving behind a budding career at 29 and my future career path remains uncertain.
Yes, I had plenty of support. Yes, I was privileged enough to stop on my own terms. And yes, I had financial security. However, the dilemmas remained the same. Should I be leaving my newborn 9+ hours a day? Is giving up 30-50% of my salary for child care worth it? Will a potential employer question my time-off? Should I take a full-time, on-site position during the height of a pandemic? And—most importantly—am I sacrificing motherhood for the sake of professional opportunity?
Ah!!!
These were real, serious questions that kept me (and countless others) up at night. A couple of times, I came close to accepting roles that, in all truthfulness, were right for my career but not right for me. These opportunities, while I’m thankful, came at a cost. I started to imagine a working world where women would not have to choose between parenthood and their careers, and, in true Carrie Bradshaw fashion, I couldn’t help but wonder what a female-forward culture could look like.
We’ve all become far too familiar with the age-old discussions on wage-gap and gender inequality, but unfortunately the workspace has not adapted and sustained a culture where working women—with families or not—can actually thrive. To be a female-forward company, it takes much more than claiming a “family-friendly” environment and providing lactation rooms (although hats-off to companies who’ve made those steps). Employers need to make some major shifts to create realistic—not just enticing—opportunities for women.
Below I’ve outlined four ways companies can lay the ground-work:
1. Revisit and re-write policies
Acting as a roadmap, policies can offer clarity, guidance, and best practices. By incorporating female-forward actions and language to their playbooks, companies can clearly establish workplace expectations and commitments, which can ultimately impact culture and decision-making. Perhaps you amp-up your benefits and perks, such as offering child care stipends, mental health benefits, Milkstork, or paid family leave. Or, try enhancing your interview policies. Often times, women cannot find childcare at the drop of a hat. In response, companies can offer virtual interviewing options or flexible interview time slots. Whatever policy is reviewed, remember to include input from women at different levels of your organization and be sure the policies can offer true impact and benefit.
2. Dedicate resources to inclusivity
If 2020 has brought anything to the forefront, it’s been the need for more actionable DEI initiatives. It’s imperative for companies to act now in order to prevent an unraveling of progress. It’s not enough to merely hire more women. Today’s standards and environments have changed; therefore, companies must put in the effort to promote and retain women. Combating the biases women face at work is essential to making this happen. Research shows that workplace bias contributes to women being passed over for jobs and promotions, making them also more likely to resign or remain out of the workforce. Companies can combat bias against women in several ways, but some great places to start include female focus groups, pay equity reviews, training for managers, and hiring for a DEI position (preferably at the leadership level).
3. Create a sustainable, flexible environment
While this may be the most difficult policy to implement, its benefits are far-reaching and highly sought after by various levels of talent. Reports have shown that women who have flexible work arrangements are more likely to be productive, have higher levels of ambition, and be happier overall. It’s also a great way to attract skilled women back into the workforce, making it easier and more attractive for them to balance home and professional commitments without the guilt or embarrassment of having to negotiate for it (yep—been there, done that). Flexibility isn’t a one-size-fits-all policy; however, there are varying levels and definitions ranging from discretionary time off policies to flexible start and stop hours for the workday. Alternative working arrangements can be a big win-win for employees and employers alike, but be mindful of equity and inclusion when developing these programs. The more creative and thoughtful companies are with flexible environments, they more likely they will achieve success and attract top talent.
4. Invest $ into career development and personal support
No, I’m not just talking about your “Women’s Wednesday Book Club”. No offense, but we can all do better than that. Reading Lean In over lunch isn’t going to kick-start a female-forward culture. Companies need to level-up and implement programs and trainings that can offer real, relatable, and tangible value for women at all levels in their career. Develop an internal or external mentoring program. Offer trainings or lunch and learns on managing work-life balance, reducing stress, or increasing productivity. My new favorite? Create a return-to-work program for skilled women looking to re-enter the workforce (read more here). Talk about the perfect pipeline!
Like any good thing, creating a female-forward company takes time and investment. Now is the time for companies to not only help reverse the damage created from a global pandemic, but to truly promote opportunities and equity for women and families that are 21st-century-approved. As I said to a good friend recently: maybe we really can have it all.