(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 16, 2007, Sunday)
By Roel Andag
Contributor
Raising women from the rank and file
WORKING FILIPINAS are harvesting world acclaim. A 2007 Thornton International Business Report study ranked the Philippines on top of 32 countries in terms of number of women in senior management positions. The same study noted that 97 percent of businesses in the Philippines have women in senior management positions – a remarkable rate compared to the global average of 59 percent. In a related development, Fortune magazine’s October 15, 2007 issue ranked SM Investments Vice Chairman Teresita Sy-Coson number 41 in its prestigious roster of 50 Most Powerful Women in Global Business.
Studies explain that women excel in the workplace because of their perseverance, creativity, dedication, attentiveness to detail, flexibility and emotional intelligence. My work oftentimes requires working with women executives who effortlessly demonstrate their sense of direction and purpose, passion, intellect, empathy and sense of humor.
The Department of Labor and Employment reported that in 2006 there were 2.3 million women in supervisory positions. If there is this many women managers, there are more women among the rank and file. Whether inspired by their high ranking sisters, driven by personal ambition or by economic necessity, a good number of women in the rank and file aspire for management positions. Career planning and outstanding work performance is their legitimate vehicle for reaching the desired destination. Management and HR can help propel the careers of worthy women with the following:
Build a diversity-friendly workplace. Many Fortune 100 companies, Chevron among them, are employers of choice because of gender mainstreaming. Your company does not have to be in any prestigious list to build a diversity-friendly workplace. Start by being open to its added values, among which are: attracting talent, knowledge sharing, boosting employee morale, diversity awareness and improved public perception. The idea is to create a work environment of productive codependence on the strength of men and women’s equal dignity and value. Ensure that physical and organizational structures support the needs and aspirations of women employees. Conducting gender sensitivity seminars will help inculcate respect and eliminate harm and exploitation.
Spot potential early on. Use performance appraisal metrics to identify potential candidates for talent development. Observe the employee’s achievement orientation, decision-making, leadership and teamwork, and communication skills among others. These are reliable predictors of future managerial performance. Target, say, those belonging to the top 20 percent high potential women workers for career development.
Develop, demand, recognize. Having identified high potential women, it is time to ask them to submit a simple plan that identifies their development needs. In response, give them necessary training and mentoring. Encourage them to embark on self-initiated development to supplement company-sponsored learning opportunities. Assign more challenging tasks to them and acknowledge their accomplishments. Create feedback mechanisms.
Equal opportunity promotion. Being an equal opportunity employer is a start. Once inside the organization, men and women should be enabled to enjoy equal salaries and compete for promotions based on clear qualification criteria. The glass ceiling – the invisible barrier that, on account of gender stereotypes, prevents women from reaching the top of the corporate ladder – has to be shattered.
Celebrate working women. Organize the company’s women into a group that can contribute to the wellbeing of its members, the company and society. It can be the company’s major social responsibility. Organize fun activities aimed at recognizing women’s participation in the company. These activities can be conducted on a monthly or quarterly basis, with major activities during Women’s Month, which is celebrated in March. They should include learning sessions where women executives and those in rank and file can interact. Women leaders from various sectors can also be invited for lectures.
The call to action is not for companies to give special treatment to women but to eliminate gender-based workplace biases that deprive women and companies they work for of tremendous benefits. As the world congratulates the Philippines for the success of its women managers, Filipino companies should support women in the rank and file by developing them into second liners, future managers and business leaders.
WORKING FILIPINAS are harvesting world acclaim. A 2007 Thornton International Business Report study ranked the Philippines on top of 32 countries in terms of number of women in senior management positions. The same study noted that 97 percent of businesses in the Philippines have women in senior management positions – a remarkable rate compared to the global average of 59 percent. In a related development, Fortune magazine’s October 15, 2007 issue ranked SM Investments Vice Chairman Teresita Sy-Coson number 41 in its prestigious roster of 50 Most Powerful Women in Global Business.
Studies explain that women excel in the workplace because of their perseverance, creativity, dedication, attentiveness to detail, flexibility and emotional intelligence. My work oftentimes requires working with women executives who effortlessly demonstrate their sense of direction and purpose, passion, intellect, empathy and sense of humor.
The Department of Labor and Employment reported that in 2006 there were 2.3 million women in supervisory positions. If there is this many women managers, there are more women among the rank and file. Whether inspired by their high ranking sisters, driven by personal ambition or by economic necessity, a good number of women in the rank and file aspire for management positions. Career planning and outstanding work performance is their legitimate vehicle for reaching the desired destination. Management and HR can help propel the careers of worthy women with the following:
Build a diversity-friendly workplace. Many Fortune 100 companies, Chevron among them, are employers of choice because of gender mainstreaming. Your company does not have to be in any prestigious list to build a diversity-friendly workplace. Start by being open to its added values, among which are: attracting talent, knowledge sharing, boosting employee morale, diversity awareness and improved public perception. The idea is to create a work environment of productive codependence on the strength of men and women’s equal dignity and value. Ensure that physical and organizational structures support the needs and aspirations of women employees. Conducting gender sensitivity seminars will help inculcate respect and eliminate harm and exploitation.
Spot potential early on. Use performance appraisal metrics to identify potential candidates for talent development. Observe the employee’s achievement orientation, decision-making, leadership and teamwork, and communication skills among others. These are reliable predictors of future managerial performance. Target, say, those belonging to the top 20 percent high potential women workers for career development.
Develop, demand, recognize. Having identified high potential women, it is time to ask them to submit a simple plan that identifies their development needs. In response, give them necessary training and mentoring. Encourage them to embark on self-initiated development to supplement company-sponsored learning opportunities. Assign more challenging tasks to them and acknowledge their accomplishments. Create feedback mechanisms.
Equal opportunity promotion. Being an equal opportunity employer is a start. Once inside the organization, men and women should be enabled to enjoy equal salaries and compete for promotions based on clear qualification criteria. The glass ceiling – the invisible barrier that, on account of gender stereotypes, prevents women from reaching the top of the corporate ladder – has to be shattered.
Celebrate working women. Organize the company’s women into a group that can contribute to the wellbeing of its members, the company and society. It can be the company’s major social responsibility. Organize fun activities aimed at recognizing women’s participation in the company. These activities can be conducted on a monthly or quarterly basis, with major activities during Women’s Month, which is celebrated in March. They should include learning sessions where women executives and those in rank and file can interact. Women leaders from various sectors can also be invited for lectures.
The call to action is not for companies to give special treatment to women but to eliminate gender-based workplace biases that deprive women and companies they work for of tremendous benefits. As the world congratulates the Philippines for the success of its women managers, Filipino companies should support women in the rank and file by developing them into second liners, future managers and business leaders.
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