Retaining talent is integral for the success of an organization, fueling productivity. On the other hand, high turnover rates can be bad for employee morale. Among the HR department’s many activities is improving in-house retention rates, but it is not without its challenges. If you notice that female retention rates are lower than for male employees, it is time to dive deeper to discover why.
If retaining women is an issue in your organization, the reason likely has nothing to do with motherhood. Many women today are balancing high-pressure jobs with kids.
By looking at the data through the HR toolkit available to you, you will likely find that females are leaving your company to go to other jobs that have just as many responsibilities. Instead, the reason could be that these women regrettably leaving your organization do not feel appreciated.
Collecting and examining the data relating to gender differences in retention rates will help you understand why it is occurring in-house. If female employees do not feel as valued as their male counterparts, why do they feel that way? It could be that they are being passed over for promotions more often than men due to bias or treated differently for being moms.
Sending a survey out to employees can help you collect data to use to improve internal practices, working toward gender equality. To get more responses to the survey, prepare employees by sending out an HR announcement a week or two before the survey.
Also, make it clear that diversity and inclusion in the workplace are important to the organization by including all genders and races in policies. Doing so can help women feel welcomed into the organization from day one when you send them policies electronically to read as a new hire. Sending them communications is easy using Talcura’s onboarding tools.
Your HR department spent a lot of effort in recruiting and hiring top talent, so it is important to know how to retain them now. Having an inclusive onboarding process can help you do so.
When introducing the company during the onboarding process, consider asking a female leader in the company to send the welcome message. This woman may serve as a mentor, which can boost self-confidence in women.
Furthermore, you might send videos to new hires about organizational policies and company culture that address the steps being taken for diversity and inclusion. These strategies can help women feel represented and valued as they start working in your organization.
Creating a mentorship program for new workers can be especially valuable for women of color, given that few minority females rise to leadership roles. Companies that find female mentors to participate in the onboarding process will help women feel safe and envision their future roles. They can ask questions, feel heard, and build their skills to climb the career ladder in your organization, rather than leaving to work elsewhere.
These tips can help your HR department reduce retention rates when you see that more women are leaving than men. By improving retention, you can simultaneously boost job satisfaction and support a diverse workplace.
