EQUITY

Yet, in many ways, employers, policy makers,
and workforce developers concerned with
addressing skill shortages and improving
women’s economic security are confronted
with a ‘chicken & egg’ problem that goes
beyond the similarity or differences between
individual occupations. The scarcity of
women in the target occupations can make
Employers are losing out on half of the workforce,
and on the half that has the higher and more rapidly
rising educational attainment
specific ways firms across different
sectors can create more gender-inclusive
environments that successfully retain female
talent (Deloitte Development LLC and The
Manufacturing Institute, 2012). These include
targeted leadership, training, mentoring,
and sponsorship programs for employees
at all levels, flexible workplace policies, and
a “results-driven” culture that discourages
the notion that an employee must work
the longest hours to be deemed successful.
Steps include:
women feel isolated, may expose them to
harassment and discrimination, and, in
jobs where skills acquisition depends on
the training provided by senior co-workers,
may make it hard for them to become
fully-skilled. Having few women moreover
makes these occupations less innovative
in the way work is organized to respond to
workers’ dual responsibilities, for paid work
and for unpaid family work for children, or
elderly parents or spouses who may need
supports. When work is still organized as if
workers had no responsibilities outside of
the workplace, women don’t join, or join and
leave the occupation, while the occupation
recreates an isolating environment that
pushes women out and hinders the
occupation from ever evolving. Yet, given
current and projected skill shortages, past
attitudes of complacency may finally
become too expensive and barriers to
women may come down. Many employers
have already adopted more inclusive and
flexible working arrangements and provide
examples of what can be done.
For Employers
A 2012 report by Deloitte and The
Manufacturing Institute highlights the
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Reviewing recruitment and outreach
materials to ensure the use of inclusive
language and images
Ensuring that the channels for
advertising vacancies and opportunities
reach women as well as men
Reviewing recruitment and selection
processes to ensure that they are free of
gender bias and affirmatively encourage
female talent
Ensuring that women, just as men, have
adequate facilities, including protective
gear that is appropriate to different
body types and facilities that are
sanitary and safe
Actively encouraging an inclusive
environment and clearly communicate
that hostile behaviors, such as
harassment and discrimination, are not
acceptable.
Communicating that women as well as
men are expected to advance and thrive
in the company
Being deliberate: setting targets and
measuring their company’s progress to
greater gender inclusiveness.
34 NARROWING THE WAGE GAP BY IMPROVING WOMEN’S ACCESS TO GOOD MIDDLE-SKILL JOBS