How does gender equality affect you at work?

The stagnation of gender diversity in the workplace

Workplace gender equality is achieved when people are able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities regardless of gender.

Australia, along with many countries worldwide, has made significant progress towards gender equality in recent decades, particularly in education, health and female workforce participation.

However, I recently found an interesting report by McKinsey, which highlighted that we still have a long way to go.

The research showed that gender diversity has stalled this year, despite the fact that women, “continue to surpass their male counterparts on education, ask for pay-rises and promotions at the same rate and stay in the workplace for as long”.

While it suggested certain methods to combat this, I think that we need to look at this from the most basic level. Men and women are different, not only physically but also mentally. So perhaps women need to be given different options to have a voice.

Giving women a voice

As the report outlines, if you are the only woman in a male-dominated meeting or environment, you might feel like a minority, but will you be given adequate chance to contribute? It can be argued that in this setting, male camaraderie might give the guys a level of confidence to speak out and be heard.

I spoke with Susan Miles, Senior Change Analyst at Telstra Wholesale, who also has a passion for this topic. She was kind enough to share her own experiences and offer some valuable advice.

So here is Susan's take on it, along with 3 key ways that employers can encourage equal opportunities for men and women, bringing out the best in your team…

1. Denounce favouritism and offer opportunity to everyone

“Communication is a practiced skill, and we all need the opportunity to be 'match ready'. Think about the next time a presentation is needed. Do you pick the 'best presenters' or do you open the opportunity for those interested in taking on the challenge? I saw a recent example during a tradeshow for a major corporation. For one project, they chose their two most experienced (male) presenters and asked them to present a 20-minute talk, 30 times over the course of a day.

For a different project, they called for volunteers and had those 8 people present 4 times each. They also offered these volunteers rehearsal, speaker notes and opportunity to 'buddy up' and present with a partner. All the presenters had different levels of confidence when they started, but guess what? All 8 were hitting it out of the park by the 3rd and 4th presentation!

The first project still has two very practiced, experienced people to present… the other - well they now have a pool of candidates to present at any time! Oh, and the volunteers were 50% male and 50% female.”

2. Direct your meetings so that everyone can speak

“When you invite people to a meeting, is it only to 'speak at them' or do you truly want a diverse range of voices and opinions to address the problem at hand? Asking people to 'speak up' in meetings might only get your loudest, most confident voices heard.

A wise team leader I once worked with created an environment and space for everyone to be heard in meetings. There were quieter people she knew needed time to share their input, so she would guide and direct the meeting to give them each a contribution.

My team and I certainly appreciated this style, and I loved how when we were ready to move on in the discussion she said: “Wait… [so and so] is just starting.” Which was followed by absolute gold!”

3. Use technology to create an online forum so everyone can share their opinion

“It's true that technology can provide channels that better meet diverse styles of engagement and managers can also set the tone and forum for voices to be heard. For those who may find themselves in a minority due to culture, gender or experience, it can often be a challenge to be heard above the loud chitchat in a usual meeting room.

In which case, tools like Yammer and Yam Jams, Menti.com, Confluence etc. are great for levelling out the playing field, and offer a platform for those who are more confident in the written word.”

What are your thoughts on gender diversity in the workplace? Have you noticed a halt in progress this year, as the research states? I would love to hear about your experiences and feedback.

Find a link to the McKinsey report below:

https://womensagenda.com.au/leadership/workplace-gender-diversity-has-stalled-new-mckinsey-research-reports/