What Women Want At Work

September 12th, 2007 by Simone

In Australia today, women make up about 50% of the workforce.

Not too impressive, given that women are half of the population?

Let’s keep in mind that this is on top of having children, rearing children, being active in schools and the community and caring for elderly parents.

So what is important to this very busy, influential group about the current - and future - workplace that they inhabit?

Anyone who works has some basic expectations.

They include the ability to:

fulfill their primary material needs and obligations through appropriate remuneration

feel as if they fit into and make a positive contribution to society

feel a sense of accomplishment and recognition for their efforts

meet and interact with people who value and respect them

These above expectations, when met, fulfill the basic, human requirements of security, acceptance, growth and community.

Five Things Women Really Want

But lets put done the clipboard and get a little bit closer to the action.

There are other factors at play in the modern workforce that need to be acknowledged. They include:

To be in a position of control - this doesn’t mean to be wearing a name badge or to have your picture in the foyer.
People want to be able to set and measure goals, to impact decisions, to have clear lines of responsibility and to be recognised for personal achievement.

Sample of this want not being met - “I do all of the work and my manager gets the bonus!”
To be part of a system - this doesn’t mean to be a faceless cog in an enormous machine.
People want to have clear parameters and guidelines, to be recognised for meeting and surpassing agreed standards, to have pay tied to a performance scale and to be given regular feedback and support.

Sample of this want not being met - “She tells me off for not doing it right, but she never explains what she wants in the first place!”
To be in the know - this doesn’t mean to have your hand on the personnel files or to be in charge of the company newsletter.
People want to be able to understand management decisions, to be aware of major changes in the company, to receive timely information and communication and to be included in meetings.

Sample of this want not being met - “They never told us that they were going to appoint a new Head of Division!”
To be able to grow - this doesn’t mean to be given so much work and additional responsibility that you grow roots into the office floor.
People want to be stimulated by new experiences, to be given access to new information, to be encouraged to undertake formal training and development, to be encouraged to map their career paths and to be part of successful teams.

Sample of this want not being met - “The last time I attended training was on my first day, when I was inducted.”
To have strong leaders - this doesn’t mean to be at the mercy of “toe-cutters” or seargeant-majors.
People want to feel secure in the company direction, to have clearly articulated and implemented policies and procedures, to have an opportunity for input and feedback and to have a support system that understands their role and requirements.

Sample of this want not being met - “They live in their ivory tower and never bother seeing where the real work is done.”

So can employers simply “tick the box” on each of the above and feel that they are meeting the needs of women workers?

Women at Work Today

Let’s look at the position of women in today’s workforce in a broader context.

The role of women has changed radically in the last century. As with any change, this has led to increased opportunities, but also greater expectations and pressures. Women are now often not only the “domestic support” for their husbands or partners, but are also the “domestic support” for themselves!

In an effort to not appear like a “workplace whiner” women often keep quiet about the unrealistic workload of combining full-time jobs both at home and at work.

As women also make up a small proportion of the decision-makers (whether in government, industry or corporations) the issues of women in the workplace are rarely on the agenda, let alone integrated into policy.

Having worked in a variety of roles and industries (from fridge stacker at a supermarket to a high school teacher to a cook in an English manor house to General Manager of a large organisation) I believe that there is a shared “Wish List” of many women workers, regardless of their age, position or ambitions.

These are fundamental changes to the way they work, the environments in which they work and to the workplace of the future.

The Wish List of Women Workers

To have the same career opportunities and professional recognition that is offered to their male counterparts

To be able to participate in the workforce as much as they choose - not hampered by a lack of child-care arrangements, promotional opportunities etc

To have tangible evidence of employers’ commitment to family-friendly policies, rather than just posting them on websites and in employee manuals

To have positive female role-models in the workplace who actively support other women and maintain balanced work/home lives

To have an appropriate work environment in place for their children, so that when they enter the workforce it will be an even more positive, supportive experience

To have the same access to training and promotional opportunities as full-time employees, given that women make up the vast majority of part-time workers

To have organisations that don’t penalise women for potential parenting responsibilities, forgoing employment or promotion in the fear of impending pregnancy

To have real mechanisms in place to facilitate a more equitable division of labour in the home and family

To have opportunities to work smarter rather than harder, so that punishing work hours are curtailed and home-based activities are supported

I don’t know if items on this wish list have already been ticked off in other countries - I certainly hope so!

If you have any wishes not captured here or any comments on women in the workforce, please let me know.

The more we talk about it, the more we change it!

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