By | Rachel Klein | www.success.com
The world of work has changed significantly. I remember a time in my professional sports broadcasting career when, in order to fit in, I had to be “one of the guys.” I also remember the women I worked with not helping each other but being highly competitive for the coveted “woman spot”—that place within the male ranks that we all desired but rarely got. At the time, I didn’t realize how toxic that environment really was. In hindsight, I see there was a lot of misogyny.
As I got older, I found my voice and realized that women could be the best support systems out there to help each other thrive at work. Many women know what it’s like to balance family, financial inequality and a demanding career, as well as navigate missing rungs in the corporate ladder. Imagine what would happen if more women supported one another in their roles and stepped into their voices. We would be a force to reckon with.
Why is it important to have women in the room?
First, let’s discuss why hiring women is important in the first place. According to the ”Women in the Workplace 2022” report published by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org, very few women are in corporate leadership positions: Less than 30% of white women and less than 15% of women of color hold managerial (27% and 14%), senior managerial (26% and 10%), vice presidential (24% and 8%), senior vice presidential (23% and 6%) or C-suite (21% and 5%) roles. And the broken rung? Well, that lies right between the entry-level and managerial positions where men significantly outnumber women.
Gender diversity offers many business benefits. In every industry, women bring a unique point of view from their life experiences. They tell different stories and have different lived experiences to draw from. However, many women experience the world of work through the lens of being left out. So what can these women do not only to protect themselves and their jobs, but to be a voice in their industries?
