Break the Bias
As we close out National Women’s Month, let us begin to think of ways to allow this movement to not only be a month of celebration, but a part of our culture. What we have learned over the years is that there are groups of marginalized people, one being women as a whole group but also groups of women within separate units (e.g., Black women, Hispanic women, etc.). We have the power to change the trajectory of how women are treated within society. And we can start by breaking the bias.
Break the Bias
So what is “Break the Bias?” It is a global movement of creating a world that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination towards women. It is creating a world where women and men are treated equally, and we can value our differences. We have the power to change our thinking and break the bias within our homes, communities, schools, colleges, and within society. We even have the power to change the culture of our companies.
Of course, this will not happen overnight, but it also will not happen if we do not get started. Here are a few ways you can begin to break the bias within your company.
Educate
Education and spreading awareness are key elements. Some people are not aware of their beliefs and biased opinions. Here are a few things you can do to be a part of the movement by teaching your employees.
- Incorporate your company’s expectations of gender equity in your employee handbook.
- Create an open-door policy to allow your employees to always feel comfortable sharing any thoughts or concerns they may have regarding company policies, coworkers, etc.
- Incorporate gender bias in employee training upon hire and throughout the year. This is a great time to teach your employees about unconscious bias.
Don't Just Talk About It! Be About It!
Spreading awareness is only one step to changing the culture of your company or being a part of the movement. Implementing strategies to identify whether your training and education tools are working is a step that needs to be made.
This can be done through regular employee and department audits. Is there a balance between the number of women hired versus the number of men? Are women also being promoted within your company? This is also a great time to audit the salaries of your employees. Are there any salary disparities between men and women who share the same role within your company? If you find any problems when assessing the data for your audits, these are important conversations to have with hiring managers and anyone else who makes executive decisions.
Pay Transparency
If your city or state does not require you to be transparent about how much your employees earn, consider doing it anyway. Being open about how much your employees earn in each position can create trust between your company and its employees. And if you don’t do it, be prepared to do it as laws are constantly changing, and pay transparency acts are popping up quickly all over the US.
Mentoring
Do you offer mentorship programs within your company? Did you know that 63% of women have never had a formal mentor? Yet, 56% of organizations have a formal program for mentoring. And to top that off, 75% of women who work for a company with a formal mentoring program reported they always accept mentoring opportunities.
In 2019, women became the majority of the college-educated labor force, per a study by the Pew Research Center. So it would be easy to think that would translate into high-level roles. But unfortunately, only 6% of Fortune 500 companies have a woman as CEO. There is one commonality with C-suite females: they are products of mentoring. This is why mentoring women is so important to bridging the gap and filling more executive levels with women.
Are There Any Women in C-Suite Positions Within Your Company?
Did you know that women only account for 21% of c-suite positions? Also, according to a 2021 study titled, “‘Potential’ and the Gender Promotion Gap,” 30,000 management-track employees were analyzed where, despite outperforming men, women were 14% less likely to be promoted at the company every year due to being consistently judged as having lower leadership potential than men. This has to change!
As mentioned above, a great way of implementing the Break the Bias movement into your company’s culture is to have regular audits. During your audit, you can assess whether women and men are being fairly promoted to c-suite positions, or when a position becomes available, you can intentionally hire a woman who is qualified for the role.
Benefits of Joining the Movement
Creating a work environment where women and men are treated and promoted fairly will:
- Help break biases that stunt the growth of women
- Allow your company to flourish to higher levels because promotions will be based on work ethic rather than gender
- Create healthier relationships between women and men inside and outside the workplace
- Diversify your workplace by creating an environment where employees can thrive and safely share new ideas
There are no limits to the great things your company can achieve by building your business on a healthy foundation that’s a win-win for everyone. It’s time to break the bias and spread diversity, equity, and inclusion in all levels of your business to create a healthier society and a true belonging for each employee.
Do you need help with your audits or further guidance/support on being more diverse with your workforce? Reach out to us and we can help you evaluate and strategize to become an organization where everyone feels like they belong.