Chief People and Marketing Officer at Xplor Technologies suggests these perks for promoting an inclusive culture
With open enrollment season in the air, employees are deciding which benefits to subscribe to in the coming year.
However, HR departments need to make sure they’re offering ones that will attract, support and retain women leaders, especially if they’re truly committing to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.
Flexibility is the number-one benefit that women leaders desire, according to Nichole Viviani, chief people and marketing officer at Xplor Technologies. That’s no surprise considering the newfound freedom that employees have received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, more than one-third (35%) of workers believe location flexibility to be the primary deciding factor to accept their last job offer, above those who said that total compensation was the defining factor, according to recent data from Gusto, a San Francisco-based HR tech firm.
Additionally, nearly half of workers (48%) said that the ability to work from home some or all of the time would be a major or the most important factor in determining whether to accept a job offer in the future. Gusto data shows that being a fully remote worker correlates to a 9%-13% decrease in the odds of quitting within three months of hire, meaning less expenditures for the business in attracting, onboarding and retaining new talent.
“Flexibility allows women leaders to work in the way that’s right for their life and in some cases their family,” Viviani told HRD.
Time off, whether that’s extra PTO, family leave or even a four-day workweek is another benefit cherished by women leaders. Viviani says that Xplor Technologies has made parental leave gender neutral to encourage husbands to stay at home. “Being able to share that responsibility helps more women get back to work,” Viviani says.
An often-overlooked benefit that women leaders can gain immense value from is mentorship. “A formal mentor scheme with young women coming into leadership roles is valuable particularly if they’re struggling to balance home responsibilities with work responsibilities,” Viviani says. “Speaking to somebody who has been through that journey before can be so helpful.”
Viviani also gives advice to women who have recently assumed leadership roles in the latest episode of HRD TV.