Gender Diversity: Women in the Workforce

Gender diversity usually refers to an equitable ratio of women and men in the workplace. This does not mean you must have a 50/50 split of females to males within every position within your company. You should still hire/transfer/promote the best person for the job, however you need to plan for a fair representation of both sexes in both job roles and organizational hierarchy.

Why is it important for your company to have women in the leadership positions?  A 2016 Survey by PIIE "suggest that the presence of women in corporate leadership positions may improve firm performance." Another plus for more women in leadership positions is improved problem-solving and increased idea generation that comes from the different perspectives of a more diverse workforce - gender and race.  Leadership not only happens in corporate hierarchy, but also in teams and individual performance in every department!

Leadership is not the only place this is important.  It is important to consider the possible benefits of women in all positions.  For example, your sales department will need women since your customer base most likely includes many women.  How do you know that there are more women buyers out there?  Per Statista Demographic Report, women make up more than half of the USA current population and this trend is expected to continue.

So consider gender diversity in your recruitment and hiring process, as well as transfer and promotional opportunities.  This will set your company as a preferred place to work as you not only adhere to federal laws, you demonstrate that you value diversity in all forms.

For ideas on how to create a gender divers workforce, see SHRM article 10 Tips to Fight Gender Discrimination.  For suggestions for improving hiring processes, see article Write Better Job Postings in 7 Smart Steps.