Despite the many improvements in workplace diversity over the past decade and the economic benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, significant barriers to the full inclusion of women remain.
What are the main barriers?
The main barriers to women in the workplace, identified as early as 2013 in a study about women in leadership, are as follows: gender stereotypes and unconscious biases, societal expectations about gender roles, sexism, lack of flexible working hours, lack of role models and mentors.
Unconscious biases are based on unconscious expectations or stereotypes that shape people’s perceptions of and behavior toward other people.
These biases are hard to deal with because they can be difficult to identify and control. However, by educating employees about the different types of unconscious bias and carefully considering hiring and promotion decisions, companies can help remove it as a barrier to diversity in the workplace.
One of the biggest barriers for employees to feel included in the workplace is the lack of role models. If the leadership team is all of one gender or race, for example, people who come from other backgrounds are less likely to feel included in the company. Seeing someone with a similar background to theirs, especially from a minority, is likely to empower employees to create a more productive and innovative culture.
Recommendations for companies to remove barriers
One of the steps companies can take to remove barriers to equality and diversity in the workplace is to formalize flexible working hours. There is a significant difference between being present in the workplace and being committed. Although after the pandemic, in which many people had to work remotely for the first time, more flexible working hours and more frequent work from home are somewhat normalized, there is still a prejudice that employees are more dedicated if they come more often in the office. More flexible working hours allow women who have recently become mothers to participate more actively in the labor market.
Access to mentors and development training programs are also key. When they organize training sessions specifically designed around the topic of inclusion and diversity, businesses can ensure that everyone is active in keeping the workplace inclusive. Also, training programs make it easier for people to identify when someone is practicing less than inclusive behaviors, perhaps in the way they talk to someone.
A culturally diverse and inclusive workplace has been proven to lead to more innovation, higher levels of efficiency and is overall a better place to work. Every company has likely faced one or more of the abovementioned barriers to diversity and inclusion. By offering training and mentoring and ensuring there are enough role models throughout the company, the path to a more diverse workforce is much clearer.
