By Emma Dylan
US Standard Products is a thriving organization for a number of reasons. A key one is the fact that leaders at the company believe in promoting gender equality in the workplace. When genders are on equal footing, everyone thrives.
However, understanding this isn’t the same as knowing how to bring more women into your workplace, or how to ensure their voices are heard and their work is valued.
That’s why the experts at US Standard Products want to offer these key tips. They’ll help you cultivate a positive and inclusive working environment.
Embrace Flexibility
One of the best ways to address a gender disparity in your workplace is to ensure you’ve adopted policies that appeal to all genders. For example, research indicates women tend to be more interested in jobs that offer flexible scheduling options. Even if a job pays less than another, a woman might still be more interested in the lower-paying job if it allows her to exercise more control over her schedule. This will allow you to employ more women in the workplace, and have them reach their full potential.
Be Clear about Scheduling
Offering more flexibility is one way to make women more attracted to positions with your company. That said, US Standard Products doesn’t recommend allowing people to set their schedules without any limits. Job candidates still want to know what an employer might expect of them.
For instance, you might make it clear to employees that you need them to work at least five hours a day. They can simply decide when those five hours will be.
Be Transparent about Pay
Statistics continue to indicate that women in the workplace tend to be paid less than men, even when they have the same duties and job titles. Granted, this form of gender inequality in the workplace may not apply at your organization, but it’s not necessarily enough to merely pay men and women equally. You should also find legal means to be transparent about how much you pay employees filling various roles at your company. You want women in your workplace and job candidates to know for certain you’re compensating them fairly.
Emphasize Training
A manager who fails to adequately address gender discrimination in the workplace might not necessarily be a morally corrupt individual. It’s entirely likely they simply don’t have the skills or experience they need to handle these issues.
Luckily, you can provide managers with training designed to help them better understand what they can do to promote greater gender equality in the workplace. Implementing these types of training programs will also signal to your female employees that promoting gender equality is an authentic value within your organization, and not one you merely pay lip service to.
Don’t Make a Common Mistake
It’s easy to make some errors when first tackling the problem of gender inequality in the workplace. Even when a manager or business owner has good intentions, they could take steps that won’t actually help them achieve their goals.
For example, it’s not uncommon for people to mistakenly conflate equality with “sameness.” They believe all policies should apply in the same exact way to each and every employee. However, this approach disregards the individuality of each worker. Instead of giving everyone the exact same treatment, the way policies are enacted should be tailored to individual employees based on such factors as performance and circumstances.
US Standard Products’ safety experts understand that a safe workplace results in a more productive and profitable company. The same is true of diverse workplaces. Although supporting women in the workplace should be a goal regardless of practical benefits, US Standard Products and USSP Shipping pros do believe it’s worth noting that being more inclusive is good for your bottom line. Follow US Standard Products on Facebook for more information about these topics.
