Recently, there seems to be a change happening in our culture. On the heels of the federal government\u2019s \u201cfeminist budget<\/a>,\u201d Ontario\u2019s \u201cpay transparency\u201d legislation<\/a> that aims to close the wage gap between men and women, and \u2013 of course, International\u2019s Women\u2019s Day<\/a>, there is an increased focus on the importance of gender equality in the workplace, which I think is a great.<\/p>\n There hasn\u2019t been a specific tipping point, but movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have certainly pushed the discussion into the spotlight. No longer are women staying silent and the structures that have sought to hold them back are starting to slowly crumble. But there is still a lot more work to do.<\/p>\n While our culture has made great strides towards equality, inequality persists. Women make up only 21.6% of Financial Post 500 board members<\/a>\u00a0(the Financial Post\u2019s ranking of Canada\u2019s largest companies by revenue) and they still tend to earn less than their male counterparts. In Canada, women working full-time earn about 73% of what men working full-time earn.<\/p>\n That said, many organizations in both the public and private sector continue to look for ways to create inclusive, diverse, and equal work environments. Research has shown that more diverse work environments lead to greater productivity and performance. This means that there is strong business case to be made for improving equality in any organization.<\/p>\n In addition, organizations that do not place an importance on equality won\u2019t just find that productivity will falter, but they will also find it tough to attract top talent. This is because younger generations \u2013 Gen Z in particular \u2013 expect equality and diversity and simply won\u2019t tolerate workplaces that don\u2019t provide equal pay for equal work.<\/p>\n While there is lots of support, from all generations, for equality and many who applaud and support the recent efforts to promote gender equality, Gen Zs (those born between 1996 and 2012) expect equality to be the norm. Members of this cohort don\u2019t consider equality to be a \u201cperk\u201d or something that is out of the ordinary. Instead, they fully expect that it will just exist.<\/p>\n This is not to say they take it for granted, but it does mean that this generation will not tolerate any sort of inequality. For Gen Zs, the very concept of gender inequality and a \u201cglass ceiling\u201d is outdated and unacceptable.<\/p>\n Our National Gen Z Survey<\/a> found that most Gen Zs want to work for an organization that embraces diversity, with 69% of those surveyed saying that they want to live and work in a diverse community. Gen Zs celebrate diversity and expect others to do the same. If an organization is not welcoming of true diversity and equality, it will be missing out on attracting young talent. Specifically, Gen Z women placed a high value on organizational culture that is diverse, inclusive, and that will help them develop new skills. They are eager to grow and advance in their careers and will not accept that their future success is dependent on their gender.<\/p>\n There are a number of ways that leaders can level the playing field for everyone. Specifically, this can be done by ensuring gender representation, advancement, and compensation is equal for all.<\/p>\n Fostering Gender Equality at Work Recently, there seems to be a change happening in our culture. On the heels of the federal government\u2019s \u201cfeminist budget,\u201d Ontario\u2019s \u201cpay transparency\u201d legislation that aims to close the wage gap between men and women, … Continue reading Gen Z Feelings on Equality<\/h3>\n
How Organizations Can Improve Gender Equality<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n