Despite the stereotypical gender roles, women are born to be leaders. That is one of the reasons why their share in leadership roles is skyrocketing. From Jacinda Ardern – the prime minister of New Zealand, to Rosalind Brewer – CEO of Walgreens, women have made their way to the top. But unfortunately, there is still a long way to go, especially in the world of business.
Even though the percentage of women hired into leadership roles has increased, many struggle during their transition. They are expected to be the master of everything without any guidance or support. On the other hand, studies show that men are given more clear expectations for success in their roles than women. In addition, men are welcomed more openly by their subordinates. The bottom line is that women do not have access to – or are not provided with, in some cases – the same opportunities as men.
This partiality hurts a woman’s ability to advance and excel in the workplace. In addition, it shatters their confidence and self-esteem. Hence, they aren’t set up to succeed even if they make it to a leadership position. All of this boils down to the fact that a significant gender gap exists in today’s world. So, how do we close this gap?
For starters, look at the organizations run by women and their policies. Likewise, encourage women in your organization to attend a women’s leadership program online to broaden their horizons. It will help them understand their role in the organization and how they can stand against the odds.
This article explores different ways in which companies can reduce biases in leadership roles. It will highlight the facts of how managers can ensure women have equal opportunities.
Below we have highlighted five ways to close the gender gap in leadership roles.
Create an open-minded atmosphere
When we discuss closing the gender gap, a crucial step involves building an open-minded workplace culture. An atmosphere that promotes acceptability means process owners, team leads, and managers don’t have any partiality toward female leaders. After all, women suffer the infamous ‘double bind.’
Conventional leadership characteristics such as authoritativeness and directiveness are often considered masculine. So, if a woman demonstrates these characteristics, she is perceived as difficult to work with or temperamental. At the same time, women are also perceived as less capable and effective if they exhibit warmth or empathy.
Having an open-minded culture can eliminate these double standards. It will allow employees to see women as equally capable leaders who have the potential to make the company achieve its objectives and goals.
Let women blend into the workplace
Often, the board of directors chooses a female CEO, but keeps questioning if she will succeed. Practically, they position women as an outlier or a token. Partners choose environments traditionally considered masculine such as sports arenas, to sign deals and make decisions. Interactions in these settings give a flavor, or work combined with leisure can lead to cooperation and mutual trust.
However, they fail to incorporate women. And when women are poorly integrated into the workplace, they cannot benefit from relationships with subordinates. Therefore, it is time that the business community becomes more considerate towards women. Instead of asking women to take up masculine activities or adjust to the atmosphere, create a gender-neutral atmosphere so that women can blend in the workplace. It will allow them to have the same level of interaction with their colleagues while being able to build trust and cooperation.
Promote fair performance evaluation
In most workplaces, a man’s performance is overestimated, whereas a female’s performance is undervalued. A man putting in late working hours to get the work done is more appreciated than a woman who finishes tasks timely. It does not affect evaluations, but hinders women’s chances of promotion. Therefore, promoting fair performance evaluation is a significant part of closing the gender gap in leadership roles.
Further, companies can remove the bias by emphasizing objectively measurable qualities. Instead of counting the hours spent in the office, consider the number of tasks completed to assess productivity. In all performance evaluations, managers must be gender-blind and beware of existing biases. Likewise, business leaders should hold managers for their evaluations to encourage thoughtful decision-making. It will motivate them to promote women based on their potential rather than past accomplishments.
Prioritize work-life balance
Many women in leadership roles get questioned about their capabilities. Few people wonder how they will prioritize their family while running a company, whereas others consider them less capable. The fact that women have to juggle work and personal life isn’t a setback. According to the labor organization report, women perform 76.2% of total hours of unpaid work. It is three times more than men, making them much more capable.
So another way companies can reduce this gender gap is by prioritizing work-life balance. Perhaps, they can come forward with childcare support or daycare services. It would be an incredible way to relieve stress off the shoulders of working mothers, helping them achieve career goals.
Manage compensation and promotions
Unfortunately, gender-based compensation disparities often start even before an employee gets hired. Even though leadership roles have a standard compensation package, leaders believe they can negotiate lower pay when hiring a female. The only way companies can level the playing field is by filtering gender. Women who bring the same level of experience and knowledge into the organization deserve equal compensation.
Similarly, promotions are another area of concern. Some companies encourage staff to apply for internal requisitions, but gendered social norms can disadvantage women. Likewise, promotions for women starting a family are put on hold, considering they won’t be able to give enough time to their careers. These assumptions can be demotivating for all women. Hence, companies must implement strict policies focusing on equal compensation and rightful promotions to eliminate all biases.
Conclusion
People have different perceptions when it comes to female leaders. Some assume women will choose family and motherhood over their careers, whereas others believe they aren’t capable enough. These perceptions build biases that hinder professional growth opportunities for women. Therefore, companies must implement strategies to close these gender gaps. They should focus on building a workplace environment that values talent, skills, and experience that goes way beyond gender. By tapping into the unique leadership skills women bring to the table, companies will be able to make better use of their human capital.