As a female in a modern day workplace, my experiences have been mostly positive, although I am still in shock of things said to me, or how I have been previously treated in professional settings. Since coming to Detterbeck Wealth Management in November I have felt comfortable, respected, like I fit in, but I can’t help but imagine what it was like in the 1960s when women were first entering the workforce. After the feminism movement, and women getting the opportunity to vote, they began to have access to ‘paying work’ in coed environments. At first, they were only allowed to work in poor status or low paid occupations, and earning much less than men doing the same line of work. As the 20th century progressed, the labor market shifted and women moved into longer-term jobs like education, banking and office work that doesn’t require manual labor. And now during the 21st century, labor intensive jobs are populated by both genders!
Unfortunately, women in the workplace aren’t as equal as some people think. In the finance industry, women make up 15% on the executive level. In 2014, women made up about 33% of the legal profession while men made up 67%, per the American Bar Association. In major technology companies, 70% of the workforce is men, says TheMuse. According to healthline, in 1965, 1 in 10 US medical school students were women, and in 2016 they reported it was up to 51%, as most physicians nowadays are women. But why are these stats important? Because women are pivotal in the workplace!
One of the biggest advantages women bring to the workplace is communication skills. Women are known to be easier to talk to, listen better, and bounce positive ideas off of coworkers in meetings, therefore boosting brainstorming and morale. Since women usually have more of a nurturing appearance and tone, people are drawn to opening up to them resulting in a comforting bond. This also creates a well-rounded workforce when women use intuition, sensitivity and emotional intelligence to read verbal cues and body language that can help solve problems and make team productivity excel.
Another advantage of having women in the workplace is that women are recognized to handle their emotions better than men. They can remain calm and keep composure when an unexpected situation makes things tough. Being able to have employees and partners that are not phased when anything goes awry is crucial in maintaining consistency in a workplace.
Women are also known to be incredible managers from their analytical skills of being detail oriented, which comes in handy for negotiation too, alongside great communication skills.
Lastly, but certainly not the final reason, women are great in the workplace because of their strong morals and ethics. From the treatment women receive daily, not just in work, women strive to be in environments that are fair and just. Having people on your team that want to do the right thing, and treat people the right way, will reduce unethical business by making appropriate decisions more often. This mindset will have companies taking steps forward constantly, rather than taking avoidable steps back.
As Payscale researched, the gender pay gap difference has shrunk in the last decade, but still remains. In 2019, women made $.79 cents for every dollar men made, and race and job descriptions can still affect that $.79 cents. Women have proven to increase rapport, create positivity in environments and motivate others as they continue to persist themselves. Equal opportunity and perception towards women is essential and can only progress society, the economy, the business world, and is all women want. With the examples above, women create a togetherness in bonds and strong team spirit that no one should miss out on, ever!