Discussing the Gender Gap as a Woman in Leadership

Key Takeaways

• Open conversations can not only improve the current workplace environment but have an impact on the next generation.
• Blind review and hiring processes can help ensure equal pay for equal work.
• Encourage flexible schedules for both men and women to level the playing field for any employee who is also a caretaker.

Be Honest and Encourage Open Conversations

Facilitating conversations around the gender gap creates an open and honest environment in any company — no matter how diverse the company may be. In an ever-changing workplace, the advice that a female leader shares with those around her can have an impact on generations of workers to come. These conversations can also show them that it’s a good place to work as a female, further retaining employees.

It’s important to recognize that gender inequality is an issue faced by many, even as employees rise up the management chain. According to Catalyst, only about 4.8% of CEOs, and only 26.5% of executive and senior-level officials and managers in S&P^® 500 companies are female.¹

Implement a Blind Review and Hiring Process

According to Analytics in HR, by removing personal traits like gender, race and age from the evaluation process, your company can increase diversity and even revenue. This process reduces unconscious bias — or a “bias [that] tends to be unfair and discriminatory because much of the personal information that is presented is generally unrelated to his or her on-the-job performance” — giving all candidates the same opportunities.²

In addition to a blind review process, ensure that your company is doing bi-annual or annual reviews of its hiring processes to ensure unbiased candidate evaluation steps are followed — maintaining fair and honest HR processes is important.

Offer Flexibility

According to SHRM^®, the main cause for a gender gap in pay is not that men are paid more for the same work as a woman, but that they’re more likely to be promoted, faster.³

Aside from gender bias, this stems from the trend that women are still seen as the default primary parent. However, in actuality, more and more men are becoming caretakers as companies have evolved to include better paternity leave policies.⁴ Offering flexibility can be an incredibly powerful tool for closing this gap and leveling the playing field for promotions.

Foster a Culture of Diversity and Equal Opportunity

Company culture is an important factor to weave into the fabric of any business. Everyone should feel comfortable sharing their ideas and having their voices heard. There should be equal opportunities for employees to grow and reach their professional development goals. The implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives can impact the company’s bottom line by fostering the innovative ideas of your employees.⁵ Initiatives such as these help to create equal opportunity and close the gender gap.

When discussing the gender gap, whether you’re speaking with peers or reports, it’s important to make sure that your discussion stays fair, honest and results-oriented. While this is an issue that our society has struggled with for decades, it’s important to remember that the gender-related wage gap can be solved.