Women’s equality has come a long way since the beginning of the millennium. As a society, most of us now know that this is a fight that we must keep fighting, in order to ensure that women are earning the respect that they truly deserve. Gender inequality can come from many things in the workplace, sometimes employers may not even realise that they are a part of the problem by doing what they are doing. Despite the efforts of many of us throughout the years, there is still a gender pay gap across the world, with some places counting the gap at up to 50%. This is a truly shocking state of affairs, and we must combat this, in any way possible. Read on to find out what we can do better to promote women’s equality.
Increase the shortlist number when recruiting
Gender inequality starts right from the beginning of the entire recruitment process. Recruiters sometimes have this view that as soon as a female employee’s CV comes in, or one with a feminine name, then they will not fit in with the ethos of the business as it is predominantly male orientated. However, this is a presumption, and you should never presume that someone will never fit in with the business simply because you don’t think they would. You never know what kind of personal background they have, meaning that their personalities will most definitely not fit into what you have assumed them to be. An easy way to combat this is to create an informal shortlist that is longer than what they would usually create. Studies conducted, showed that by increasing the shortlist by just 3 candidates, the ratio of women to men increased and allowed women a higher chance to be selected for the role.
Remove the gender pay gap
Although we would love to believe that there aren’t any issues within our system, however, this just simply isn’t the case. As of 2020, it was revealed that women across the world were earning 20% less than men in the US. Although this is an increase from what it was previously, there has to be more done about this. What employers can and should do from the get-go, is to be extremely honest and upfront about the wages on offer and if there is any difference between men and women, there must be an incredible justification. You should always encourage both males and females to negotiate their wages, but make sure that there is a pay bracket in mind to stick with gender equality rules.
Use skills-based assessments
Skills-based assessments are encouraged throughout the recruitment process, as it is a quick, efficient and easy way to deter any sort of discrimination. If your potential candidate smashes all of their assessments then you know that they are the correct fit for your business. The assessments have to be the same for all candidates and nothing can be jigged to suit certain applicants. Similarly, if you are a recruiter, you should ensure that most of the interviews you undergo follow the same structure with the same questions. This is a fantastic way to estimate any sort of bias within potential successful candidate selections.
Have women mentor men
Although this may seem like a strange tip, this is something that your business should encourage from the start. Mentoring in the workplace is one of the best things you can do to increase staff morale and business relationships. If you have asked a female employee to mentor and help a male employee build up their skills, then it allows them to realise that any subconscious feelings they may have that a woman isn’t as good at her job as a man, gets thrown straight out the window.
Make work-life balance crucial in your business
Work-life balance has become extremely crucial, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic meaning that people were forced to manage their lifestyles around their homes. However, what people found was that they actually enjoyed the flexibility of being able to spend time with their families and still get their work done. A big reason for gender equality comes down to the fact that women are expected to look after their newly-born children and employers don’t believe they can do this and work. Working from home or flexible working means that this argument isn’t valid. As an employer, you should really think about incorporating this into your business.
Contact Recruiting Talent
Recruiting Talent is a company that will fight for women’s rights all over the world. We are fortunate enough to be based within an industry that strongly advocates for women’s rights and treats everyone as equals. Contact us today to find out how you too can join this amazing industry.