We still have miles to go in the creation of inclusive workplaces
PremiumProgress has been made but pandemic setbacks and persistent biases tell us we can’t afford to rest
Studies show that companies with women in leadership roles are more engaged in initiatives around gender equity, pay equity and employee engagement, and are also perceived to be more ethical and honest. Yet, the disappointing reality is that the gains we’ve been celebrating around gender equity—both social and economic—have got significantly scaled back during the last few years.
Challenges brought to light by the covid pandemic: The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021 highlighted that the pandemic has increased the time it will take to close the gender gap on its index from 99 to nearly 136 years. Not only have we seen a decrease in employment across sectors, the effect on women and other marginalized communities has been disturbing. Moreover, women have found themselves struggling to manage work and the pandemic-spurred impact at home. In many households, women are the primary caregivers, and ‘living at work’ plus parenting responsibilities have forced many to opt out of the workforce. In addition, we heard from organizations that calls made to their call centres for domestic-violence support increased by over 60% from the year before. Women who were able to escape a toxic home environment by going out to work or socially found themselves stuck under lockdowns.
I’ve been reminded of my privilege often in the last two years that while I’ve had the support of a large multinational corporation to work from home, small businesses led by women have had to face financial strain and shutdowns, directly impacting the economic stability of families. It’s not that men don’t face similar challenges, but research points to a disproportionate impact on women’s health, mental well-being, economic independence and social capital. The areas we’ve been working on have taken a setback and a commitment to do more is needed more than ever.
How organizations can address these challenges: Globally, the past few years have shown that external events can heavily influence how someone shows up at work. The challenges experienced by employees during the pandemic highlight that true inclusion requires companies to acknowledge an individual’s unique circumstances and provide the best possible resources. The journey towards building inclusive organisations starts with having teams that have people of all backgrounds and abilities.
In today’s talent market, people want to work for companies where they can see themselves represented in leadership and its corporate values align with their personal values and ambitions. When women feel empowered to lean into their strengths, they can lead with authenticity, innovation and decisive strategic thinking, and are often more engaged in societal progress while building inclusive companies. The value addition of women in leadership roles is now largely understood.
Creating an environment that constantly empowers women employees to share and leverage their unique perspectives and experiences for growth is a must. To make this happen, as we do at Twitter, it is important to apply an equity lens across moments that matter, including recruitment, onboarding, pay transparency, learning and development, and ensure that we are cultivating a truly inclusive environment all across.
Managers and teammates play an important role in instilling psychological safety within their teams, where not only women but other employees from under-represented communities feel comfortable speaking up and sharing their concerns and feedback. The flexibility provided by working from home (WFH) is a net positive for women and also for some other under-represented groups in the workplace—especially in Asia. For example, new ways of working mean that people with disabilities now have access to WFH opportunities that were not on the radars of companies earlier.
However, companies must also acknowledge that there are social systemic barriers and unique challenges that individuals might face, given specific aspects of their identity. For inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) strategies to have an impact on the outcomes we want, companies need to ensure that they are tackling these systemic challenges and also guiding employees towards more inclusive behaviour. Both are crucial and difficult. Personal biases (conscious and unconscious) are hard to eradicate, and systemic changes take time.
There are also some internalized self-limiting beliefs that might hold women (and those of other under-represented groups) back from accessing the same opportunities. Research shows women negotiate less, ask for promotions at a lower frequency than men and have a higher sense of ‘imposter syndrome’. If a company wants to do more for gender equity, they can help provide support and resources, ensure equity in policies that impact career growth, and cultivate a culture that fosters true belonging.
We can #BreakTheBias by learning about biases, being aware of when/how they show up, and taking steps to mitigate them. Collectively, we’ve got work to do in creating a truly inclusive culture across sectors. We’ve made steady progress, and as businesses, our work doesn’t end #UntilWeAllBelong.
Preet Grewal is head of inclusion, diversity, equity & accessibility (IDEA), Japan and Asia Pacific, Twitter
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