K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
Women have left the labor force in droves and many workers are eyeing the door amid the “great resignation.” It might serve as a warning sign for employers, then, that women feel less valued and less like they belong at work than men do.
Just one-quarter of workers feel a strong sense of belonging at work right now, according to Achievers’ 2021 Culture Report, which sought input from more than 3,500 employees around the world. Among men, 31% said this, compared to 22% of women.
“The gender gap in belonging was the largest we found in our data analysis, showing that gender equality continues to be one of the biggest challenges for business leaders,” Achievers Chief Workforce Scientist Dr. Natalie Baumgartner. “Women do not feel the same sense of belonging that men feel and this means they are less likely to be bringing their whole selves to work. This impacts productivity, engagement, commitment and even feeling safe at work.”
A strong sense of belonging is linked to higher engagement, productivity and commitment to the job, Achievers found. When feelings of belonging are lacking, burnout, alienation and underperformance are more likely, research indicates. Lately, burnout has been especially high among women, who are hesitant to approach managers about it.
In the tech industry, executives overwhelmingly believe women and minority employees feel a sense of belonging at their companies, but only one-quarter of these workers actually do, according to a recent report from the Capgemini Research Institute.
Compared to men, women are less comfortable sharing dissenting opinions at work, Achievers found, and less confident employers value their identities and backgrounds.
Women don’t find employee resource groups as helpful as men do, in terms of fostering feelings of connection to employers, Achievers found. Women are more likely to say their needs aren’t being met by their company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and the gender pay gap continues to stifle women’s feelings of value at work.
Given the significant loss of women in the workforce as Covid-19 has spread, leaders should put more effort into making sure women feel valued at work, the Achievers report noted.
One simple way to boost employees’ feelings of belonging? Recognition. When surveyed, those who said they were recognized in the past week were nearly twice as likely to have a strong sense of belonging at work. Giving employees chances to contribute and valuing those contributions also builds belonging.
The Achievers report also pointed to diversity’s benefits: Respondents who work at organizations with a diverse group of senior leaders are more likely to say they feel a strong sense of belonging at work.
Recent research discovered little interruptions at work — “Hey, got a sec?” — can foster a sense of belonging, too. With many still working from home, those moments and spontaneous small talk, which increase workers’ willingness to help coworkers and the company, have been missing.
Leaders have said maintaining company culture is difficult while everyone has worked remotely, and some workers have felt that, too. Employee functions have been put on hold, and ongoing remote or hybrid plans for some but not all could make employee collaboration more challenging.
Continue reading: https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2021/09/05/gender-gap-belonging-women-men.html
Just one-quarter of workers feel a strong sense of belonging at work right now, according to Achievers’ 2021 Culture Report, which sought input from more than 3,500 employees around the world. Among men, 31% said this, compared to 22% of women.
“The gender gap in belonging was the largest we found in our data analysis, showing that gender equality continues to be one of the biggest challenges for business leaders,” Achievers Chief Workforce Scientist Dr. Natalie Baumgartner. “Women do not feel the same sense of belonging that men feel and this means they are less likely to be bringing their whole selves to work. This impacts productivity, engagement, commitment and even feeling safe at work.”
A strong sense of belonging is linked to higher engagement, productivity and commitment to the job, Achievers found. When feelings of belonging are lacking, burnout, alienation and underperformance are more likely, research indicates. Lately, burnout has been especially high among women, who are hesitant to approach managers about it.
In the tech industry, executives overwhelmingly believe women and minority employees feel a sense of belonging at their companies, but only one-quarter of these workers actually do, according to a recent report from the Capgemini Research Institute.
Compared to men, women are less comfortable sharing dissenting opinions at work, Achievers found, and less confident employers value their identities and backgrounds.
Women don’t find employee resource groups as helpful as men do, in terms of fostering feelings of connection to employers, Achievers found. Women are more likely to say their needs aren’t being met by their company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and the gender pay gap continues to stifle women’s feelings of value at work.
Given the significant loss of women in the workforce as Covid-19 has spread, leaders should put more effort into making sure women feel valued at work, the Achievers report noted.
One simple way to boost employees’ feelings of belonging? Recognition. When surveyed, those who said they were recognized in the past week were nearly twice as likely to have a strong sense of belonging at work. Giving employees chances to contribute and valuing those contributions also builds belonging.
The Achievers report also pointed to diversity’s benefits: Respondents who work at organizations with a diverse group of senior leaders are more likely to say they feel a strong sense of belonging at work.
Recent research discovered little interruptions at work — “Hey, got a sec?” — can foster a sense of belonging, too. With many still working from home, those moments and spontaneous small talk, which increase workers’ willingness to help coworkers and the company, have been missing.
Leaders have said maintaining company culture is difficult while everyone has worked remotely, and some workers have felt that, too. Employee functions have been put on hold, and ongoing remote or hybrid plans for some but not all could make employee collaboration more challenging.
Continue reading: https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2021/09/05/gender-gap-belonging-women-men.html
