Girl Power

Where are all the women? The data clearly indicated that women are just as effective in managerial and leadership positions as men, yet they are rarely seen above middle management. It’s one of the workplace’s greatest mysteries (Manpower Group).

Contrary to popular opinion, high achieving women are not choosing to leave the workplace to raise their children (Harvard Business Review). In fact, they are actively being encouraged to do so, by a lack of flexible working time and low chances of advancement.

However, the fact is, promoting women makes good business sense.

Diversity of Thought

It has been proven time and time again that diversity of thought leads to more innovative solutions, and collaboration between genders, ethnicities and races can only benefit those involved. 

 ‘Gender diversity in your leadership pool means greater diversity of thought, which, in turn, leads to improved problem solving and greater business benefits’, it’s as simple as that (Global Leadership Forecast). By recruiting and promoting employees from different genders, races, religions, and backgrounds, organisations can create a solid base from which to build their successes upon.

Increased Profitability

A study by Peterson Institute for International Economics found a higher percentage of women in leadership positions correlated with higher profitability in the organisation. This is not the only study to find such results, there have been a host of researchers who have found the same thing. Women in power are good for business.

Female management figures have also been shown to help craft work environments that promote increased performance and satisfaction.

Employee Satisfaction

Women managers are also more engaged than their male counterparts, according to a recent Gallup survey, which, in turn, means their teams are more engaged. Women managers with all-female teams or departments score the highest on engagement surveys, whereas all-male teams with male managers are usually the least engaged.

Female managers were also shown to be better at finding tasks to stimulate, challenge and engage their employees than their male counterparts. They check up on their employees’ progress more regularly, provide feedback and offer more praise and recognition.

Higher engagement levels are something every business should strive for, as more engaged employees are more productive.

Overall, hiring more female managers seems like a no brainer. What business wouldn’t benefit from more diversity, productivity and, perhaps most importantly, profitability. However, management is only one part of a company’s overall employee experience, and it is crucial that each and every aspect works together as a cohesive whole.

If you would like some helpful advice on how to encourage internal progression of female staff in your workplace, check out our Closing the Gender Pay Gap report, or check the Report and Resources section for more information on other aspects of your employee experience.

If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to revamping your employee experience, feel free to contact us for some helpful advice. We’re always here to help your staff work Hapi.