The Equity Principles Toolkit
We recognize that gender equity is a multi-faceted issue, and that The Chicago Network Equity Principles should be addressed both practically and holistically. Here, we provide ideas for organizations looking for ways to further their commitment to the Equity Principles. While there is no single formula for success that can be applied to every company or industry, consider practicing and promoting these steps toward fostering equitable workplaces with a formula for success that reflects your organization’s unique culture. To discuss these and other activation ideas, please feel free to contact us at comm@thechicagonetwork.org
ACKNOWLEDGE BIASES
Audit existing processes to address blind spots – screening resumes, conducting interviews, pay/compensation transparency, onboarding, staffing projects, mentoring programs, performance evaluations, promotion and termination. C-suite officers can also consider offering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) trainings or hidden bias trainings company-wide, disclosing gender pay gaps and retention rates, and linking compensation with equity results.
UNDERSTAND CORE CONCERNS
Create and maintain environments, forums and direct feedback loops where employees feel comfortable reaching out to colleagues and senior leadership to gain a better understanding of each other’s experiences and perspectives. Conduct anonymous employee surveys company-wide to understand what specific issues might exist at your workplace. Each department or location may have different concerns. Also keep in mind, that what drives men to succeed might not drive women. Health and wellness programs for instance, have been shown to be a strong determinant of where women work.
BUILD YOUR CASE
Establish the business rationale for gender equity among colleagues, leadership, and corporate partners/allies to share and embed a common understanding within the wider business landscape. Also consider including a diversity and equity consideration in supply chain partners during business procurement processes. Diversity drives innovation, improves financial performance and helps close the gender pay gap.
EMPOWER EMPLOYEES
Identify best practices to help employees improve performance at their current level and beyond. Clearly illustrate what is possible at the highest level of performance for a particular function within an organization.
CHAMPION EMPLOYEE GROWTH
Companies should be well equipped to help employees build the skills required to meet benchmark standards. While goal-setting encourages employees to push beyond their current performance level, it may also require additional resources to meet performance goals. For example – leveraging social media platforms, hosting lunch and learns, and conducting internal/external trainings and workshops.
EVOLVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
In assessing employee performances, provide honest evaluations of failures and praise for successes. Performance monitoring should include milestones that allow employees time to take corrective actions before the end of the period set for reaching performance goals. Managers up and down the organization should also be measured against benchmarks.
SET OBJECTIVES
Use data to assess the current status of gender equity in your organization and then outline your company goals in quantifiable terms. Set specific, measurable and attainable objectives and assign responsibility for driving these targets to leadership. For example – closing the gender pay gap, increasing the number of women in leadership roles, and ensuring women are equitably represented among new hires.
MONITOR CHANGE
Track progress against the goals you outlined and communicate current figures and targets internally to leadership
REPORT BACK
Exercise transparency and share results and figures against each company goal with all staff members. Consider sharing and celebrating the company’s efforts in promoting gender equity to set an example for the wider business community.
The Chicago Network Resource Bank
Equity // Gender Diversity Research:
The Washington Post
Reuters
The business case for gender parity
CNBC
Companies with more female executives make more money—here’s why
HuffPost
The Business Case for Gender Diversit: Update 2017
Harvard Business Review
What 11 CEOs Have Learned About Championing Diversity
McKinsey & Company
Global research on the gender gap and the case for greater diversity in the workplace
Still looking for room at the top: Ten years of research on women in the workplace
Women Matter: Ten years of insights on gender diversity
How advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth
How to accelerate gender diversity on boards
Straight talk about gender diversity in the boardroom and beyond
Forbes
Organizations Not Presenting The Business Case For Gender Diversity
Forbes
The Results Are In: Women Are Great For Business, But Still Getting Pushed Out
INC
More Women in Leadership Roles — Why and How It Should Happen
Deloitte
The gender dividend: Making the business case for investing in women
KPMG
Women’s Leadership Study Moving Women Forward into Leadership Roles
International Finance Corporation
Investing in Women: NEW EVIDENCE FOR THE BUSINESS CASE
Quartz
Why family businesses have a higher percentage of women leaders
Four ways to champion women in the workplace
Diversity Best Practices
Business Insider
Companies with women in leadership roles crush the competition
American Enterprise Institute
Chicago Tribune
More women are landing seats on Illinois’ corporate boards, but pace of change is ‘glacial’
World Business Chicago
Chicago by the Numbers June 2017
The Globe and Mail
Gender equity is good for society and business – you can bank on it
Mercer
Catalyst
Deutsche Post DHL Group—Women in Management