The 3 things women want in the workplace in 2021
Men and women look for jobs differently. That’s part of the reason why Fairygodboss was originally created – we know that women care more about things like benefits and culture and want to see other individuals who look like them reflected in the company they work for. But last year brought to light even more differences in what men and women are looking for in their employers and how much of an impact those differences will have on their job search decisions.
Here’s what women are looking for during their job searches in 2021:
1. Women want employers to take a stand on important issues like gender and racial equality (and follow through).
Last year’s racial equality movement spurred many companies to make public statements about what they’re doing to improve and promote diversity, and some took it a step further by backing their statements with financial commitments. We saw similar actions taken during the #MeToo movement with many companies pushing for greater gender diversity in their workplaces. New research shows that women are more likely than men to take an employer's stance on racial and equality into account during their job search and/or decision.
Nearly half of women surveyed said that a company’s stance on gender equality will affect their job search and decision as compared to less than a third of men who were surveyed and 41% of women said they care about a company’s stance on racial equality, as compared to only 33% of men.
However, women aren’t convinced that corporate statements will drive real change – 3/4 of the women surveyed said they don’t think or are unsure if corporate pledges regarding racial equality will help reduce inequalities and biases in the U.S. workplace. But recent research from Fortune shows that companies that include statements about diversity and/or inclusion in their core values are more likely to have diverse workforces, so time will tell if last year’s movement has a noticeable and lasting impact on corporate America.
2. Flexible and remote work are no longer “nice to haves,” they are “must haves.”
We asked women what is most important to them when evaluating a potential company in their job search and found that financial benefits are just as important as flex or remote work options. And when we looked further into the data we found that for all respondents who identified as women of color, flex or remote work is more important than the financial benefits a company offers.
Earlier this year we also asked women what resources they wished their employers would provide them while working remotely. The #1 response was “a stipend or reimbursement for establishing a home office,” while 33% of respondents said they never wanted to go back to a physical workplace.
The benefits of flexible and remote work have been proven throughout the course of the pandemic – increased employee productivity and decreased company spending, among others – so companies that refuse to adopt this new way of working will likely lose out on talented employees who no longer want to go into an office 40 hours every week.
3. Women want professional development opportunities to help them prepare for a raise and/or promotion.
A common question members ask in the Fairygodboss community is “how to ask a manager for a raise or promotion, especially during a time when the company may not be performing at its financial best.” In fact, when we surveyed women in May 2020, 44% said they were working more or substantially more since the start of the pandemic, yet only 15% of respondents said they planned on asking for a raise and 20% said they had planned on it but were no longer going to ask.
And when we asked what women wished their employers would provide while working remotely, the second most popular answer was “free or discounted online professional development opportunities or online learning.” Whether the content is directly related to career advancement or it covers stress management, women are looking for ways to prioritize and advance their careers and will continue to look for employers that offer opportunities to support them in their growth.
After a year that negatively impacted women in the workplace, and especially women of color, like none before, this upcoming year is well positioned to be one of growth and positive change that has the potential to leave us with a more equitable workforce than ever before.
This article was written by Georgene Huang from Forbes and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
