Women employees are now more important than ever before, and business companies are finally realizing how valuable, savvy and hard-working women can be at the job. Back in 2007, the US workforce comprised women in proportion of 46%. Now it’s 2015, and many company leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs and managers are females. Does this mean that men are outperformed by women workers? No, but it does indicate that there’s no longer an aptitude barrier between the two genders.
Surprisingly, many companies don’t know how to retain and engage women employees; and when a woman is not satisfied with something, she won’t hesitate to leave and look for something better. Here are 5 crucial steps every company should consider to keep women workers engaged.
1. Allow female workers to be in charge
According to an official report, women held 16% of leadership positions in Fortune 500 enterprises back in 2011. Why is this percentage so low? For starters, many companies don’t trust women; they’re perceived as being too emotional, especially in the business world. They couldn’t be more wrong; if a company really wants to engage and attract female workers, it must give them a chance to prove their abilities. It’s not that easy for an employee to attain top performance, whether we’re talking about either men or women. Ergo, companies must allow workers to be in charge, because it’s the only way to discover how much potential they have.
Mentoring, career coaching, better guidance and communication, and grooming for larger projects are things women employees want. Most female workers want to be given the opportunity to do more; they want to strive and prove they’re capable. But they can only do that when companies allow them to take the lead.
2. Work balance & life balance
Women have more demanding lifestyles than men. Aside from their jobs, they have a house and some kids to look after, as well. Companies must understand that women workers will only stay engaged as long as they can balance their business obligations with their personal ones. It’s tough to have a Zen attitude at work when your kids are sick, or when your household is a total mess; that’s why women demand understanding from their bosses.
Companies that know to appreciate women employees will be on the verge of attaining success, and here’s why: women are natural-born leaders. They educate their kids (and sometimes husbands), they pay bills and they maintain their social lives as organized as possible. As opposite to men, women are more devoted and more responsible when it comes to dealing with everyday endeavors.
3. Cooperative work environment
For a female worker to stay engaged, she must work in a cooperative, pleasant environment. Otherwise, she can’t feel comfortable and she won’t strive to help the company thrive. When women feel that they’re being appreciated, they want to do more and achieve more. Not many companies realize that the key to engaging employees (men also) is all about creating a cooperative work environment.
4. Offer feedback on performance
It’s important for leaders to offer feedback and constructive criticism if they want their employees to stay engaged, especially women. Let them know what they’re doing right, praise the work that they do, but don’t hesitate to point out where there’s room for improvement. Women want to feel that their bosses support them; they don’t want to be left out and they certainly don’t want to be left behind because of a bad call or occasional mistake.
5. Show appreciation
Above everything else, women want to feel appreciated. They want their hard work to be noticed, and their efforts rewarded. Leaders and company owners that want to retain women employees must show appreciation towards their work; it’s a smart way to make sure they stay both engaged and productive.
Last but not least, it might be a good idea to thank your employees for their hard work every once in a while. A perfect employee engagement plan will brighten their day and help them find meaning in their daily duties. People have good days and bad days at work, so it would be nice to gather them around at the end of the week, and praise their work.
Surprisingly, many companies don’t know how to retain and engage women employees; and when a woman is not satisfied with something, she won’t hesitate to leave and look for something better. Here are 5 crucial steps every company should consider to keep women workers engaged.
1. Allow female workers to be in charge
According to an official report, women held 16% of leadership positions in Fortune 500 enterprises back in 2011. Why is this percentage so low? For starters, many companies don’t trust women; they’re perceived as being too emotional, especially in the business world. They couldn’t be more wrong; if a company really wants to engage and attract female workers, it must give them a chance to prove their abilities. It’s not that easy for an employee to attain top performance, whether we’re talking about either men or women. Ergo, companies must allow workers to be in charge, because it’s the only way to discover how much potential they have.
Mentoring, career coaching, better guidance and communication, and grooming for larger projects are things women employees want. Most female workers want to be given the opportunity to do more; they want to strive and prove they’re capable. But they can only do that when companies allow them to take the lead.
2. Work balance & life balance
Women have more demanding lifestyles than men. Aside from their jobs, they have a house and some kids to look after, as well. Companies must understand that women workers will only stay engaged as long as they can balance their business obligations with their personal ones. It’s tough to have a Zen attitude at work when your kids are sick, or when your household is a total mess; that’s why women demand understanding from their bosses.
Companies that know to appreciate women employees will be on the verge of attaining success, and here’s why: women are natural-born leaders. They educate their kids (and sometimes husbands), they pay bills and they maintain their social lives as organized as possible. As opposite to men, women are more devoted and more responsible when it comes to dealing with everyday endeavors.
3. Cooperative work environment
For a female worker to stay engaged, she must work in a cooperative, pleasant environment. Otherwise, she can’t feel comfortable and she won’t strive to help the company thrive. When women feel that they’re being appreciated, they want to do more and achieve more. Not many companies realize that the key to engaging employees (men also) is all about creating a cooperative work environment.
4. Offer feedback on performance
It’s important for leaders to offer feedback and constructive criticism if they want their employees to stay engaged, especially women. Let them know what they’re doing right, praise the work that they do, but don’t hesitate to point out where there’s room for improvement. Women want to feel that their bosses support them; they don’t want to be left out and they certainly don’t want to be left behind because of a bad call or occasional mistake.
5. Show appreciation
Above everything else, women want to feel appreciated. They want their hard work to be noticed, and their efforts rewarded. Leaders and company owners that want to retain women employees must show appreciation towards their work; it’s a smart way to make sure they stay both engaged and productive.
Last but not least, it might be a good idea to thank your employees for their hard work every once in a while. A perfect employee engagement plan will brighten their day and help them find meaning in their daily duties. People have good days and bad days at work, so it would be nice to gather them around at the end of the week, and praise their work.