The HR World webinar, Gender Agenda: Why Organisations Still Miss Out on Women’s Skills, brought together Jacqueline Frost and Jen Denby from WTW, as well as Elevate Talent , and the webinar sponsor.
The panelists provided a wide range of advice and a lot of practical tips. The panelists answer two additional questions that have arisen from this topic.
Q: Should organizations provide different ideas and support to women depending on their career stage? Women who are at the end of their career need a different intervention than those who have just started?
Jacqueline Frost After 15 years of coaching senior women and running leadership programs for mid-level females, I’ve learned that constant support and ideas are needed at all career stages. Leadership begins early with self-leadership, which equips women with tools to recognize their strengths, have an impact and realize their potential. The ability to lead grows from this foundation, so it is important to introduce leadership concepts at an early age, regardless of gender.
The journey is what makes the difference. The leadership path for men is well established, with models that are easy to follow. Women’s leadership paths are less well-defined and evolving. There are fewer frameworks that can guide them. It is important to provide women with consistent training in leadership, so they can navigate their journey.
Q: I provide HR support to a small company. How can I support women in my organization given the pressure on resources and funds?
Jen Denby – Prioritize your data. What can you learn from it about your opportunities? Pick one or two areas to focus on, and make sure you do them well.
Valerie Dale : There’s a lot of ways that women can be supported without spending a dime or with a limited budget. You can do things like:
- Networking groups, events etc
- Mentoring (internally and externally)
- Work on projects that improve areas in need of development, eg stakeholder Management
- Joining a network or membership can provide you with a wealth of resources. For example, CIPD has countless articles and materials.
Elevate Talent’s EPIC Career Self-Assessment provides a ‘before-and-after’ comparison that can provide an accurate view of a person’s progress. The results, compiled into a comprehensive EPIC report, offers valuable insights and is available to download here: https://elevatetalent.co.uk/epic-report-sign-up/
If you’re curious about how it works, you can take the assessment yourself and explore the questions asked throughout the process. https://elevatetalent.co.uk/epic-career-quiz/
