Retaining women in the workforce

In a world of paradox of women leaving their jobs at the pinnacle of their careers, what can be done to retain them? The answer lies in creating an environment of inclusion where their voice matters and the organisation genuinely believes in “strength from diversity”. This implies that every initiative in an organisation starts with asking the question – are we being inclusive? We need to create an infrastructure of support for women, be it through exposure and experience to help in their careers through learning opportunities especially designed for budding women leaders at the mid-career level; strengthening maternity programs to ensure a smooth transition into motherhood and return to work; or having “Women’s circles”/forums led by inclusion champions and leaders to help build a network to share insights and learn from each other’s experiences. There also needs to be a strong pool or voice of leaders for championing the cause of women with potential, and not just mentoring them. Such allies go a long way in facilitating career advancement opportunities and visibly so.

It also essential that leaders and managers help build an environment conducive for women’s success and thereby foster increased retention.