Creating a More Equitable Workplace: The Role of Hiring Managers

March 7, 2023
-
Claire Stachniewska
Creating a More Equitable Workplace: The Role of Hiring Managers

Why Gender Diversity Matters in the Workplace

Gender diversity in the workplace has been shown to lead to better business outcomes, including increased creativity, better decision-making, and improved financial performance. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, companies with more diverse workforces are 35% more likely to outperform their less diverse counterparts. Despite this, many organizations still struggle to attract and retain female talent. In honor of International Women's Day, here are some ways that hiring managers can create a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

Ways Hiring Managers Can Create a More Equitable Workplace

Expand your candidate pool: One of the biggest challenges in achieving gender diversity is the tendency to hire from familiar networks. By expanding your candidate pool and actively seeking out female candidates, you can increase the chances of finding the best talent for your organization.

Offer flexible work arrangements: Women are often disproportionately responsible for caregiving responsibilities, which can make it challenging for them to balance work and home life. Women are more likely than men to leave their jobs to care for family members, with 25% of women leaving their jobs for family reasons compared to 10% of men. Offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or flexible hours, can help to attract and retain female talent.

Combat unconscious bias: Unconscious bias can be a major barrier to gender diversity. As hiring managers, it's important to be aware of our own biases and take steps to mitigate them. This can include using objective criteria in hiring decisions and providing training for all employees to increase awareness of bias.

Provide leadership opportunities: Women are often underrepresented in leadership positions, which can limit their opportunities for career advancement. Despite making up almost half of the workforce, women hold just 7.6% of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies. By actively seeking out and providing leadership opportunities for women, you can help to address this imbalance and create a more equitable workplace.

Foster a culture of inclusion: Women are less likely to negotiate their salaries than men, with just 30% of women negotiating their salaries compared to 46% of men. It's important to create a workplace culture that is welcoming and inclusive for all employees. This can involve providing training on diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all employees feel heard and valued, and actively seeking out and addressing any instances of discrimination or bias.

Create a More Equitable and Inclusive Workforce

In conclusion, International Women's Day is a reminder of the importance of gender diversity in the workplace. As hiring managers, we have a unique opportunity to create a more equitable and inclusive workforce. By expanding our candidate pool, offering flexible work arrangements, combatting unconscious bias, providing leadership opportunities, and fostering a culture of inclusion, we can help to ensure that all employees feel valued and supported.

Are you ready to get started? Let HiPeople Assessments give you a helping hand!