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An IBTM report said that while women account for only 16 percent of seniority levels in the meetings, incentives, meetings and events (MICE) industry, compared to 32 percent of men, 76.9 percent of the industry’s workforce is female.
The IBTM Events Management Gender Equality Report adds that the events management industry may not seem at first glance to succumb to gender inequality, stressing that this disparity will not surprise anyone who has had a deep understanding of gender issues in the workplace.
As part of the presentation, Gabrielle Austin Brown, founder of the Diversity Alliance and co-founder of the Diversity Speakers Bureau, shared her five helpful tips on how to create a more diverse and gender-balanced workplace.
#1 Make sure everyone understands inclusive behavior and sets an example
One of the most important aspects of creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace is ensuring that everyone in the company, from employees to board members, understands and models inclusive behavior.
Often, people do need some level of training on the different forms of bias that can exist and how to remove them from organizational practices and business processes such as recruitment and talent development.
Gabrielle concludes that only when everyone is on the same page can you begin to create a truly inclusive and diverse workplace culture.
Ultimately, the implementation of all these strategies requires time, resources, and budget, as well as the commitment of policymakers.
#2 Ensuring diversity is represented at all levels
Talking about something is meaningless if you don’t put it into action. Diversity should be reflected at all levels, including the highest.
If there is a lack of diversity in leadership positions, you should address that and come up with a plan to change it. One effective approach is to collect data to measure those who are underrepresented in leadership positions.
It is also useful to seek the help of external independent consultants or professionals to facilitate these conversations and encourage more openness, honesty and action planning in the collection and use of data.
#3 Reflect on recruiting data and assess deficiencies
Who is applying and/or shortlisted for leadership positions? Are the applicants on the shortlist balanced in terms of background, gender, and other diversity? Gabrielle asked, does it reflect the kind of workplace culture you want to create?
If not, look at your hiring practices and data. Ask yourself, is there bias in the job description? Will there be bias in the interview and selection process?
Is there any pattern between those who accepted the job offer and those who did not? For example, is there a difference in wages? If the answer is yes, Gabrielle claims the best course of action is to develop inclusive hiring practices to address this issue.
#4 Look at the gender gap and normalize the conversation around it
When it comes to these diversity and inclusion gaps, such as unbalanced leadership teams, biased practices or the gender pay gap, people are encouraged to speak up.
According to Gabrielle, if we ignore the problem, it won’t go away and will just lead to low productivity, motivation and retention in the long run.
Another way to address this issue is to carefully monitor exit interview responses and data for any patterns that emerge when gender issues or potentially underrepresented groups are involved.
#5 Develop initiatives to create a more gender-balanced workplace.
But it’s not all data crunching and discussion. Gabrielle claims that to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace, you need to develop initiatives that help make this happen, such as mentoring or women’s leadership programs or talent development programs that will directly support those looking to move into leadership position person.
Likewise, Gabrielle recommends that organizations and companies create a feedback process to monitor team members’ progress and provide frequent feedback. – trade arab news agency
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