For most of history, the workforce has been male-dominated. This stems from old ways of thinking that women and men are not equal beings. In recent decades there has been a huge push to bring equality to the workforce, where both men and women get equal pay for equal work and have the same opportunities to advance.
The main problem that women are having is they are still being undervalued, underpaid, and overlooked for promotions and higher-up positions. This needs to change, and there are many ways it can be done.
1. Hire Women at the Top
It all starts at the top of the leadership at any company, and executive positions are still mostly held by males worldwide. Again, this relates to the old ways of thinking, plus the inequality that still exists. Times have changed, and the typical image management and executives have to change with it.
As it is still difficult for women to get equal opportunities for promotion, it’s time to start hiring them directly for these positions. The leadership of a business will directly influence the makeup of the employees, the diversity, and the overall atmosphere in the workplace. Male-dominated leadership typically does not advance equality in the workforce, and something must be done.
Having women in the top leadership positions will affect the entire company and help create more diversity and equality in the workforce. It is proven that change starts from the top of a company, so having a woman in charge will spark this change and trickle down through the entire business.
2. Technology Promotes Innovation and Diversity
Before the rise of computer technology and the internet, hiring employees consisted of collecting applications, conducting interviews, and hiring. This could lead to a lot of applicants potentially being overlooked due to things such as human error or bias. With advancements in technology, especially artificial intelligence, this does not have to happen anymore.
With some positions receiving thousands of applicants, it would be virtually impossible to be fair and impartial throughout the process. AI technology helps this by taking out the human factor and combing through all the information for you. With it, you can ensure that your selection pool is as diverse as possible, leading to better hiring decisions and equality in the workplace.
Just don’t forget to turn your VPN software on when letting AI sort through so much sensitive information. After all, when it comes to sensitive information, encryption is a must. Even non-profit organizations can use a VPN to protect their data in transfer. A VPN free trial is a great way to learn more about cybersecurity and protect your information. Check a VPN free trial here.
3. Look at Skill Sets for Hiring
This next step ties in with the previous one, as before the tech existed, it was difficult to give everyone a fair shot. To ensure you are hiring the right person for the right job, regardless of gender, you must base it on their skills. Technology can process all of this information for you.
If you are reading through hundreds of resumes and CVs, it will be difficult to assess each applicant’s skills for the job. Artificial intelligence is a great tool to sort through all of this information and show you the right candidates for the job. You can also combine this with other factors to ensure that the hiring process is completely unbiased.
If you hire based completely on skills, there is going to be no gender bias, and it will ultimately lead to more equality in your workplace. Taking out the human factor as much as possible is one of the best solutions to adding diversity and gender equality, as artificial intelligence will go based on the raw data.
4. Encourage Employee Referrals
While this is certainly not a new concept, employee referrals can be a great resource to hire new talent for your business. This is especially true for employees who are known to be exceptional workers, as they will be looking to improve the company. With this, you must look to get referrals from employees on the same page with equality.
Offer incentives for employees to refer to their family and friends they think would be right for the company. You can look to the employees who are currently part of the diversity movement, as they will most likely have referrals to improve it. By offering incentives, you give them even more reason to come forward.
You Can Always Do More
In the workplace, diversity and gender equality are always going to be a work in progress. It is not something that can be absolute or perfected, just consistently improved over time. There will always be ways to make your business more diversified, and it is on you to put in the effort to make it happen.