There is no denying the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the global workforce. Overnight it eradicated millions of jobs, causing a drop in employment that was 14 times bigger than the financial crisis of 2008. Its impacts were particularly devastating for women. On International Women’s Day 2021, the labor participation rate for women in the United States was 55.8%, the lowest it has been since 1987. However, the issues that drove these numbers were not new, just frustrated by the challenges of moving to the world of remote work in March 2020. A 2008 study featured in Harvard Business Review reported that the attrition rate for women in technology was more than twice the rate for men. Well before the pandemic, women were leaving the workforce for a variety of reasons, but family responsibilities and a need for a more flexible work-life balance were large factors.
However, the pandemic also proved that the construct of work, and the world of employees, can fundamentally shift overnight. In fact, the pandemic gave employees an opportunity to re-evaluate the drivers of the workplace and culture trends. Throughout the pandemic, women distinguished themselves in business. Research by Forbes shows that women are perceived to have outperformed their male counterparts in many ways. For example, they rated higher in competencies valued in a crisis, including taking the initiative, acting with resilience, practicing self-development, and displaying integrity.
Long before the pandemic, women proved the broad impact of their strengths in areas key to technology leadership. These areas included employee development, cultivating relationships and creative thinking. However, women also faced the challenging clichéd assumptions that they underperformed in areas historically seen as male strengths, such as taking the initiative and driving for results. While women left the workforce in droves, in 2021, all S&P 500 firms have at least one female board member. As companies strive for diversity and employees are looking for meaningful opportunities that support them holistically, there is an opportunity for a more meaningful conversation about the issues that have faced women for decades.
Continue reading: https://www.toolbox.com/hr/culture/guest-article/3-ways-the-pandemic-can-change-the-conversation-for-women-in-tech/
However, the pandemic also proved that the construct of work, and the world of employees, can fundamentally shift overnight. In fact, the pandemic gave employees an opportunity to re-evaluate the drivers of the workplace and culture trends. Throughout the pandemic, women distinguished themselves in business. Research by Forbes shows that women are perceived to have outperformed their male counterparts in many ways. For example, they rated higher in competencies valued in a crisis, including taking the initiative, acting with resilience, practicing self-development, and displaying integrity.
Long before the pandemic, women proved the broad impact of their strengths in areas key to technology leadership. These areas included employee development, cultivating relationships and creative thinking. However, women also faced the challenging clichéd assumptions that they underperformed in areas historically seen as male strengths, such as taking the initiative and driving for results. While women left the workforce in droves, in 2021, all S&P 500 firms have at least one female board member. As companies strive for diversity and employees are looking for meaningful opportunities that support them holistically, there is an opportunity for a more meaningful conversation about the issues that have faced women for decades.
Continue reading: https://www.toolbox.com/hr/culture/guest-article/3-ways-the-pandemic-can-change-the-conversation-for-women-in-tech/
