The benefits of building a more female-friendly and inclusive workplace

Today’s workplaces in virtually every industry are becoming more female and more inclusive. And there’s progress in offices being more family friendly – good news for all employees, regardless of gender. But there’s still much that can be done to ensure that all people in your workforce can be productive contributors and unlock their true potential at work. And there’s an economic benefit to do so: When women join the labor force and have the benefits that retain them there, economies grow and flourish more. In this, there’s a significant relationship between a country’s per capita Gross Domestic Product and women’s labor force participation rate.

So, what does a female friendly workplace look like?

The answer? In short, a female-friendly workplace is inclusive for all.

Women still face discrimination in the workforce, especially regarding their status as parents and caregivers. According to Pew Research, at least 15% of people feel they have been treated as though they weren’t committed to their profession because they have children. Also, 10% believe they’ve been passed over for an important project or task and 7% have been overlooked for a promotion for this same reason. Knowing that economies grow more when women are incorporated into and encouraged to remain in the workforce, inclusiveness in all aspects of the workplace is critical.

When discussing female-friendly workplaces and benefits, it’s also important to acknowledge that more equitable workplaces better serve all employees, not just women or just those with children. Female (and family) friendly refers to workplaces and programs that accommodate the unique needs of their workforce by providing additional support, flexibility, and understanding of individual life responsibilities and stressors — kids or no kids. In doing this, female- and family-friendly workforces are more inclusive, allowing all employees to unlock their potential at work and be productive members of the team.

While not all employees (male, female, or non-binary) have children, employers should support work-life integration, especially for those with family commitments. This is an acknowledgement that all employees have lives and responsibilities outside of their job. In doing so, employers can recognize and better accommodate the unique needs of each employee in the workforce, whether they are a parent, caregiver, or have other responsibilities that may impact their work life. Beyond this basic affirmation, a family-friendly workplace:

• Provides benefits for employees across all life stages, supporting employees in balancing and integrating work and family responsibilities.
• Is committed to better gender equality outcomes, striving to create a workplace that is inclusive for all.
• Insists on flexibility, as it is a requirement, not a benefit.

To create a more inclusive workplace that supports all employees, regardless of gender, there are a few tips that employers can integrate to begin making a positive change in their workforce.

4 steps employers can take to create a more inclusive workplace

1. Flexibility is a requirement, not a benefit

This is true at Aduro, and while vast flexibility may not be possible in all companies or even all roles within an organization, it’s important to find the opportunities where flexibility is possible and makes the most impact. With the new world of hybrid work, there are more flexible work models now than ever that people can take advantage of to manage their lives and advance in their work. While we’re seeing more gender balance in parenting, by far women still do the most child rearing and caretaking. An organization that is flexible and allows employees to personalize the workplace to one’s natural rhythm of life is important to job satisfaction and productivity. Offering this flexibility meets people where they are and allows your employees to do their best work when it works best for them, which ultimately optimizes productivity.

Now, workplaces should adapt to the needs of women, not the other way around, which has been the norm for decades. For instance, workplaces would benefit from:

• Creating communities for, and of, women so they can connect and support one another through like challenges, bringing their collective power into the workforce.
• Scheduling meetings at times that don’t create a hardship for parents (i.e., a school drop off or pick up time). If you do have to schedule meetings during those parenting heavy times, don’t require your team to have their cameras on during Zoom or MS Teams virtual meetings. Imagine it: Parents generally feed their children first, so they may need to multi-task eating while strategizing on a team meeting. Allowing employees to keep their camera off gives more privacy, letting them eat and work, striking the work-life integration that works for their situation.
• Offering parental leave — not just maternity leave. Options should include 12 weeks paid leave for birthing parents, non-birthing parents, adoptive parents, and surrogates. This is important for all parents and is a critical time for bonding.
• Offering benefits that support a family-friendly workplace such as caregiving and bereavement leave.

2. Adapt your leadership style to the person in front of you

Admittedly there are differences between men, women, and non-binary people and the strengths we all bring into the workplace. My personal mission is to make the workplace more human. What do I mean by that? For leaders, it’s important to show up and treat each other like people. We spend so much time at work that it should be a meaningful and manageable aspect of our lives.

One way to help humanize the workplace is by encouraging employers to see the human in front of them. People usually take a snapshot of someone at first impression, but that initial snapshot is rarely an accurate reflection of the whole person. A snapshot freezes a person in time and doesn’t allow for change. But as we know, change and growth happens all the time. Dropping that mentality and stepping back to get to know the whole person allows for greater connections. The key to this is caring about a person beyond the work. This is the only way you’re going to see them as they are in that moment, whether they are going through a tough time or struggling with their mental health. Taking the time to understand the human in front of you is essential for strong leaders.

Further, empowering leaders adapt their style to the person in front of them. While studies show that this is a more natural characteristic of women leaders, strong organizations should look to make this the norm. By adapting your style to the person in front of you, you’re showing that employee they are being seen and understood and your leadership approach is tailored to their unique needs and responsibilities, resulting in better outcomes and better leadership.

3. Take a coach approach to facilitate employee growth

Taking a coach approach understands that not only does the work have to be managed, but that as leaders we must also work with employees to create goals, set expectations, and work in collaboration with our people. An important aspect of coaching as a leader, is to look to your employees for their best thinking, encouraging them to come up with the answers and develop their own solutions. In this, if we coach really well, less management of the person and tasks at hand will need to be done.

With proper coaching, there should be more asking questions than telling teams what to do. Through coaching, leaders can empower their employees to share their ideas, discuss the pros and cons, and create a plan of action. Then, I suggest you give employees the space to try out their plans and learn from the outcomes. Creating these moments of self-reflection and learning from previous successes and failures is how employees grow and develop. My philosophy? It is important to manage the business and coach the person.

4. Start 2023 by being a leader and paving the way for female-friendly workplaces

Unlike the last few years, in 2023 we are no longer waiting to see what happens with the pandemic, but rather taking what we have learned from it and creating our own paths forward.

Many organizations have come out of the pandemic as officially a hybrid workforce, with remote work often taking priority. Others are decreasing their footprint and preparing for an uncertain economy. Further, companies are looking for places to cut, and oftentimes those cuts begin with the items that feel like “extras.” These include company culture, wellbeing initiatives, community building programs, and more. Contrary to the perception that these benefits are “add-ons,” they provide the foundation for a healthy company and workforce, which is vital to success.

I advocate that this is the year of action, and encourage companies to strengthen those people-first policies and benefits, especially those that demonstrate your organization is a human-first workplace. To accomplish this, consider:

• Allowing babies on camera or even invite parents to bring them to the meetings and/or company events.
• Making the workplace more human and caring for people beyond the work.
• Allowing your female team members to be vocal and be heard. Start by organizing a female leader event, fostering important conversations where questions are welcomed and expected.
• Setting up a dedicated lactation nursing station, complete with a fridge for storage. And decorate that space with pictures of your team members’ babies to create a community of people.
• Creating support groups for women and parents in all stages of their parenting journey, from a parents with small children group to an empty nester group.
• Creating a group for women going through perimenopause/menopause, connecting people going through similar challenges and life phases.

So, where do we go from here?

Although it may seem daunting, there are many opportunities to create a more human centered and inclusive workplace moving forward. Now more than ever, there’s a need to create workplaces that reflect the world we see today. In creating a more inclusive space that’s more flexible and able to adapt to the needs of each individual, we’re actively making the workplace more human.

Related: 5 ‘next horizon’ practices to help women excel in their careers

As we face economic uncertainty and navigate the business landscape post-pandemic, it’s time to create a workplace with benefits that are female- and family-friendly and which build resilience and adaptability, a workplace that people want to stay at for their careers, and meets people where they are, sparking purpose in their work.

Dr. Toni Best is the Co-Founder and Chief Human Performance Officer at Aduro – a WA-based employee wellness and human performance software company.