Women are pioneering in every major field out there. Whether it's defense, medicine, engineering or art, women have a substantial impact across all fields. With the increasing number of women in the workforce, gender equality has become a standard rather than an exception. Better access to employment opportunities and quality education are some of the reasons behind the rising number of women in the workforce. A majority of careers which were once dominated by men are now equally contributed by women, and human resources departments are no exception to that.
A recent report by Spectrum Talent Management put light on some eye-opening figures. According to the report, the human resources teams across many companies have a higher number of women candidates than men. The report states that the hiring ratio of men vs women is historically higher in the human resources domain. It is currently 40:60, which is in favour of women. The report also mentioned that many companies focused on hiring female candidates for talent acquisition roles. There are various reasons behind the increased number of women in HR teams. Some of them are higher EQ of women, historical and prevailing trends and the focus on gender diversity across the organisation. That is why many women turn to HR roles more than men. The increased number of women in HR roles has also led to the gender stereotypes commonly applied to the HR field.
Before we go into details, it's essential to understand what gender diversity in the workplace is.
What is Gender Diversity in the Workplace?
Gender diversity in the workplace can be defined as an equal ratio of men and women in any company's workforce. Many career fields are dominated mainly by male demographics, which raises a question about whether women have equal opportunities in any company or industry. Men largely dominate fields like engineering, defense, commuting, medicine and science, but women are now pioneering across these fields too. And one of the examples of that is the rising demographic of women in HR teams.
Though most of us agree that men and women should have equal rights to work in a fair, unbiased and productive environment and earn a living, the reality isn't the same. Despite the modern age, many companies are still conservative about their approach when hiring candidates across various roles. That is why gender equality in the workplace can also be defined as men and women should receive equal treatment, equal pay with similar and consistent rates and equal working responsibilities.
Why are there more women in HR roles?
The higher number of women in HR roles isn't a mere coincidence. Many experts believe that the natural traits and essential skills in women can be the primary driving force behind the rising number of women in HR. HR professionals like HR heads and recruiters often have to make hiring decisions based on many intangible factors such as confidence, personality, potential and matchmaking. Women have a natural knack for making such decisions and determining the right candidate for the role.
Women are also better at dealing with conflict in more sophisticated ways without escalating the matter; HR departments often deal with many disputes between the company and the employees and employee to employee. These conflicts can further damage company productivity and business success if not addressed strategically.
Women are also said to have high Emotional Intelligence (EQ or EI). EQ refers to the ability to recognise and acknowledge emotions and use that knowledge to make decisions that can help resolve conflicts and assess personalities, behaviours and thoughts. Emotional Intelligence is based on four fundamental factors: empathy, social skills, self-awareness and emotional management. Though men have EQ as well, women are said to have more empathetic and social skills that can help resolve conflicts of opinion between peers, manage teams and negotiate salaries and contracts.
Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Workplace
Gender diversity can help companies achieve a holistic and inclusive work environment that offers equal opportunities to deserving individuals regardless of their gender. Gender diversity in the workplace can help employees as well as companies. From an employee's perspective, a gender-diverse work environment will ensure that they will have equal opportunities like everyone else, regardless of their gender. They know their contributions are acknowledged and rewarded based on their skills and work, not because of their gender. Gender-diverse work culture has diverse gender in leadership roles as well. It helps to build trust and motivation about their work.
From an organisation's perspective, there are various benefits to promoting gender diversity. Here are some of them:
1. A broader and diverse talent pool
Companies that don't have a diverse workforce miss out on the talents and skills of an entire gender. By promoting gender diversity in the workplace, companies can have access to a broad and diverse talent pool that can create a substantial difference in work output, bottom line and productivity.
2. Improved collaboration
Having women in the workforce can help boost team collaboration and improve team processes. Many scientific studies have revealed that women have stranger skills to read non-verbal cues that can help during conflict resolution and negotiations. Women are also better at achieving collaborative discussions, which can further promote teamwork and equal opportunity for everyone.
3. Improved employee retention
Having women in your workforce can help to promote an inclusive work culture and boost employee morale. Inclusive workplaces are known to have higher employee retention rates as the employees feel acknowledged, heard and valued. This helps companies retain highly valued employees and avoid wasting time and money recruiting new ones. It isn't news that hiring new employees is costlier than retaining the existing ones. A workplace that promotes gender diversity can help to retain employees and avoid those losses.
Role of HR Analytics in Promoting Gender Diversity
Those days are gone when HR processes were merely limited to hiring employees and paying their salaries. Today, HR operations are one of the essential operations in any company. Modern HR practices leverage data to identify patterns and opportunities to save costs, improve the hiring process and reduce recruitment costs. Current HR practices use HR analytics to discover the best talent, interview them, give them the necessary training and retain them.
HR analytics can also help to promote gender diversity in the workplace. The analytics can help discover patterns and trends in the hiring process and help to create diverse recruitment pipelines. It can also help maintain equal pay based on skills and experience, not gender. Companies can leverage HR analytics to find a diverse talent pool, retain them and ensure business success.
Gender diversity is undoubtedly a crucial factor that every company must pay attention to. Gender diversity in HR roles is a sign that things are changing now. That day isn't far when every company will be gender diverse and offer90 equal opportunities and pay to deserving individuals based on their contribution, skills and experience, not their gender.
You can leverage HR analytics to gain more insights into your workforce and recruitment process. With Teamnest's HR Analytics services, you can discover, hire and retain a diverse pool of top talent and ensure business success. Talk with Teamnest's HR Analytics Expert @ +91 913-786-6322 or email at sales@teamnest.com.
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