HUMAN RESOURCES Transition to Business By Paul Falcone
Women-in-Leadership Employee Resource Groups
Yet, despite real and substantial progress gained over recent decades, the dreaded “80% rule” continues to hold tight and resist change: • 80% of CEOs are men
March is National Women’s History Month, which gives us a special opportunity to highlight Women in Leadership employee resource groups (ERG). ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that typically share a common characteristic and that form to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace aligned with their members’ values. For example, ERGs may form around veterans in the workplace, working or single parents, ethnicity, religious or faith-based affiliations, and people with disabilities, among others. There is often no better way to lobby for your interests—whether they be corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability, militaryto-veteran transition, or a more diverse workplace— than in partnership with friends and peers. All it takes is some dedication and time on your part to form and lead such a group, although you’ll typically want to gain senior management’s buy in (often with the help of the organization’s human resources department). The results can be amazing and exceptionally self-fulfilling. Companies that sponsor ERGs demonstrate exceptional emotional intelligence and benefit from competitive advantage for being in tune with the times; those that don’t currently offer ERGs will likely adopt the idea if someone sponsors and shepherds the program for a particular cohort or cause. The Challenges The women-in-leadership ERG is especially promising. Here are some significant facts: • There are more women than men in medical school and law school today. • Women are running for office and getting elected in unprecedented numbers. • Nearly 40% of U.S. businesses are started by women.
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WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / MARCH 2022
• Corporate boards are more than 80% male • Women earn about $.80 for every dollar that a man makes Further, while women may start 40% of U.S. businesses, women-owned businesses typically get only around 2% of venture capital, with the remaining 98% going to male-led enterprises. What can a women-in-leadership ERG do to strengthen female influence and create equality of opportunity in terms of career and professional development? The Opportunities First, it’s important to acknowledge what we all intuitively know: unfairness shows itself in different ways. Women tend to experience a harder time getting hired and promoted. They suffer from lower pay and a more cynical review of their work. (For example, male Supreme Court justices interrupt female justices three times more often than they interrupt other male justices). And needless to say, the effects of micro and macro aggressions at work, from interruptions, talking over female coworkers, or appearing to steal their ideas to outright bullying, harassment, and discrimination wear on women’s sense of self-esteem and belonging. Recognizing these challenges is a first step in furthering change. Second, women naturally place tremendous pressure on themselves to outperform and master what lies within their areas of responsibility. Case in point: Males tend to apply for jobs and promotions when they believe they possess 60% of the qualifications required for the role; women tend to apply for jobs and promotions when they believe they possess greater than 90% of the qualifications required. Add to the mix that males tend to get promoted based on their “potential,” while females tend to get evaluated based on their “performance,” and you can see why
