Gone are the days when women are stuck inside the household to focus on childrearing and household chores. Women today are more empowered and determined to make a mark for themselves, especially in the workplace.
In the past, women are do not have access to higher education, thus leaving them unqualified for high-paying occupations. They were limited only to low-paying jobs and were still paid lower if given a task same as that for the men in the workplace. It was only in the 20th century that tables started to turn, and women began taking up space – they started having access to the higher education that they needed, gradually leading to better-compensated careers.
Organizations today have started to value women in the workplace. Aside from promoting gender diversity, having women in your office can be largely beneficial in the overall performance of your company.
What exactly do women bring to the table?
According to a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership in 2017 among 745 survey respondents, having more women in the workplace predicted the following:
1) More job satisfaction.
2) More organizational dedication.
3) More meaningful work.
4) Less burnout.
With these on the table, it is very unlikely to lose great employees!
Not just that, but there are several studies that have cemented the role of women in the workforce. Here are three characteristics that embody most women in the workplace nowadays:
Women bring a whole new set of skills in the workplace. This diversity helps level out work-related stress and gives a breath of fresh air to the rest of the workforce. Women are also most often identified to have a different kind of leadership, characterized by using inspiration to achieve a certain vision – also known as transformational leadership.
According to Dr. Jane Horan, an expert in cross cultural leadership and career transitions, women are more likely to lead through transformational leadership given their “interpersonal agility in mentoring and building confident followers”.
This kind of leadership strengthens the employees’ work ethics, critical thinking skills, and collaborative skills.
Women score higher in key emotional intelligence competencies than men. This goes to show that women just might be the key to keeping a company together.
In a study done by Korn Ferry, a global people and organizational advisory firm, women are noted to be more effective in terms of emotional and social competencies compared to men. Women scored higher in 11 out of 12 key emotional competencies, with emotional self-control as the only competency where women and men showing equal performance.
The study involved 55,000 professionals across 90 countries and management levels. The five-year data was collected between 2011-2015. Results revealed that women are noted to be exhibit a higher level of self-awareness, and more likely to be demonstrating empathy towards others.
Furthermore, women outperform men in terms of positive outlook, coaching & mentoring, influence, and inspirational leadership. On top of that, women still did better than men in terms of conflict management, organizational awareness, adaptability, teamwork, and achievement orientation.
With this data, women have a great potential at assuming leadership roles.
Women may increase a company’s financial performance. Studies have shown that companies with the more women on the boards financially outperformed companies with a lower number of women in their workforce. These studies also noted that gender diverse teams gained higher sales and profits contrasted to male-dominated teams, resulting to higher average revenues.
The traits innate to women even before she was introduced to the workplace are the same traits that enabled her to stand out and make a mark in the workplace. It is vitally important for companies to start appreciating women and recognize potential for leadership. Who knows, these women are just what they need to make their organization a better place to work.
References:
1) Clerkin, C. (2017). Research Report: What Women Want— And Why You Want Women— In the Workplace. Center for Creative Leadership. Retrieved from https://cclinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/whatwomenwant.final_.pdf
2) Horan, J. (2020). Are Women Transformational Leaders. Retrieved from https://thehorangroup.com/are-women-transformational-leaders/#:~:text=While%20transformational%20leadership%20is%20not,mentoring%20and%20building%20confident%20followers.&text=Yet%20armed%20with%20these%20attributes,in%20getting%20the%20top%20job.
3) Korn Ferry. (2016). New Research Shows Women are Better at Using Soft Skills Crucial for Effective Leadership and Superior Business Performance, finds Korn Ferry. Retrieved from https://www.kornferry.com/about-us/press/new-research-shows-women-are-better-at-using-soft-skills-crucial-for-effective-leadership