Toolkit for Supporting Female Talent

If you REALLY want to support women in the workplace, you need to start: → Offering flexible work arrangements, especially to support mothers. → Encouraging women to go for internal promotions → Paying women fairly and transparently → Creating environments where women’s voices are heard → Calling out microaggressions and biases when you see them → Offering leadership training and mentorship for women → Rethinking how performance and ambition are measured (not just who shouts the loudest) → Making networking and career progression opportunities accessible to all → Championing women even when they’re not in the room → Reviewing your hiring and promotion processes to eliminate bias → Creating policies that support women through all life stages (not just maternity leave) → Holding senior leaders accountable for diversity and inclusion goals → Ensuring workplace policies support women’s health, including menopause and period policies International Women’s Day should be about real, tangible action. Too often, we see businesses celebrating IWD while their leadership teams are still male-dominated, pay gaps persist and workplace policies don’t support women’s real needs. So, if you’re a business leader, hiring manager, or even a colleague... Ask yourself: What are you actually doing to make the workplace more equitable for women? 🤔

You have fought hard to get where you are, but what’s the point if you don’t reach back and help the next woman up?    Here’s how we make real moves:    1. Normalize the Referral  When a position opens up, don’t just think of who’s “qualified” based on the usual standards. Think of who’s deserving but overlooked. Pass their name along. Speak about their qualifications in rooms they don’t have access to yet. Sponsorship > Mentorship.    2. Make the Introduction  A warm intro can be life-changing. If you know someone who can help another woman get ahead whether it’s a recruiter, a hiring manager, or a decision-maker—connect them. No gatekeeping.    3. Advocate in Meetings  When another woman’s ideas are overlooked or dismissed, circle back and reinforce them. If she’s not in the room, bring her name up. Be the voice that makes sure she’s heard even when she’s not present.    4. Share the Playbook  Share salary ranges, negotiation strategies, corporate politics, and the unspoken rules. Knowledge is power—let’s not hoard it.    5. Make Space for Authenticity  Women are often expected to shrink themselves to fit into corporate culture. Let’s encourage each other to bring our full selves to work. No more dimming our light or code-switching for survival. You belong exactly as you are.    6. Support Female-Owned Businesses  From corporate gifting to vendor partnerships, champion women-led businesses. Advocate for them to be included in supply chains, contracts, and procurement opportunities. Economic empowerment is a game-changer.    7. Mentor with Action, Not Just Words  Advice is great, but real mentorship includes action. Help with résumé reviews, mock interviews, and strategic career moves. Sometimes, we don’t need another pep talk we need a co-sign.  Do more than celebrate.  Execute.     The doors we walk through should never close behind us.     We are the blueprint, and we are the change.     #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInCorporate #SponsorshipOverMentorship #LiftAsYouClimb #NoGatekeeping #WomensLeadership #WomenInBusiness #ThePathRedefined

Overcoming Career Break Challenges and Supporting Women Back to Work Returning to the workforce after a career break is more than just clocking back in—it’s reconnecting with a version of yourself that’s been through changes, reflections, and new priorities. It’s a moment to: ● Rethink your values ● Rediscover your purpose ● Reflect on what you truly care about ● Realign your energy to where it matters most Yet, this transition is often marked by self-doubt, anxiety, and the pressure to prove your worth all over again. Quoting Serena Savini, Founder of I'm Back!: "Women are more likely to have low self-esteem after a career break. They are ashamed to speak about their experience and often they lose career opportunities." Companies need to step up. Here’s how they can better support women returning to work: 1.) Provide Mentorship Programs ↳ Pair returnees with mentors who guide them through the initial phases, boosting confidence and acclimation. 2.) Offer Flexible Work Arrangements ↳ Understand that returning professionals may have new responsibilities; provide options that make balancing work and life easier. 3.) Implement Tailored Onboarding Processes ↳ Don’t treat returning employees like new hires—acknowledge their past experience and adapt onboarding to reflect their skills and expertise. 4.) Foster an Inclusive Culture ↳ Create a space where sharing past experiences isn’t met with judgment but with curiosity and encouragement. 5.) Recognize Transferable Skills ↳ Value the skills gained during career breaks, whether through caregiving, volunteering, or personal growth. 6.) Normalize Conversations About Breaks ↳ Encourage open dialogue so that career breaks are seen as chapters of growth, not gaps to hide. 7.) Invest in Confidence Workshops ↳ Support with resources aimed at rebuilding self-esteem and battling imposter syndrome. 💡 Questions to reflect on: ● What’s guiding your return? ● Where will you invest your energy? Coming back after a career change is often layered with mixed emotions. According to a Journal of Vocational Behavior (2024) study, career changers experienced an average 30% drop in self-esteem during the early stages of their transition. How do you feel after your career change? Let’s open up about it. Your story matters and might just be the spark someone else needs. ID: "A soft-toned graphic with a quote reading: 'Career changers experienced an average 30% drop in self-esteem scores during the early stages of their transition.' The words '30% drop in self-esteem' are highlighted in bold. In the top left corner, a small circular design features abstract swirls with 'I'm back' written inside. The bottom right corner reads 'Coming back after Career Change' in a complementary font." Image Credit: Serena Savini, Founder I'm Back

It's not the pipeline, It's the System. June 23rd is celebrated as 'International Women in Engineering Day" #INWED Sadly the harsh reality, engineering colleges in India produce the highest number of women in STEM graduates/engineers and many of them actually do make it to the workforce. The real challenge is their retention and progression. With 2+ decades in tech and now consulting for tech companies on their Gender Equity Strategy, I’ve seen this challenge firsthand. The issue isn’t talent availability, it’s systemic. In most households, a woman’s career is still seen as optional. That mindset and bias bleeds into workplaces, shaping how women are hired, retained, and promoted. So what can organisations do, 1. Relook at org culture and design. Are your systems, policies, and leadership norms built equitably to support who stays, rises and how. 2. Representation matters, especially in especially in mid and senior levels, invest in retention and have hiring goals across grades. 3. Move from gendered to gender neutral policies. Eg. Maternity to Parental Leave Policy that supports all care-givers. Reframe workplace policies from “women-centric benefits” to equitable caregiving support that normalise shared responsibility and reduce bias. 4. Women in Tech Returnee programs - I've seen immense success in these programs, that offer companies experienced tech talent with a little investment. #Vapasi from Thoughtworks, #Spring from Publicis Sapient are two examples 5. Conduct Stay Interviews, Not Exit Interviews. Understand why women leave and what it takes for them to stay and grow and act on the inputs. 3. A Clear Career Progression Path with mentorship and sponsorship - Bias in growth opportunity for #WIT is real, if there is no intentional support to overcome these bias, talent walks away. 4. I Need to See More Like Me! There is a lack of role models. Accelerated Women in tech leadership programs, fast-tracking the leadership journey of high potential women are some ways to address this. 5. Collective Ownership. Gender Diversity in tech is not a HR, leadership or DEI responsibility. Make it the very fabric of the org. to drive shared accountability. 6. Data is not just diagnostic, it's directional. It guides us on investments to be made, unseen bias and where and what needs to change, it's your mirror don't ignore it. #Inclusion is a organisational capability and leaders are it's torch bearers. Their actions, direction and decisions every single day, signal what truly matters. The Women in tech, talent pool exists. The question is, are you ready to retain, grow, and lead with them? #WomenInTech #WIT #GenderEquity #DiversityInTech Diversity Simplified Image description: A newspaper article titled “It’s Not the Pipeline, It’s the System” from Times of India, Bangalore edition which highlights the gender gap in engineering.

She didn’t need a handout. Or a shortcut. She just needed a leg up and a way back in. After years of caregiving, many women are ready to return to the workforce, but the door doesn’t always swing open. Even the most capable women are often overlooked because of one thing: the "gap." For me, that gap was 18 years. Not 8—eighteen. Eighteen years of managing carpools, organizing events, juggling schedules, running a household. Eighteen years of skills that rarely show up on a resume. And now that I've been a successful returner, I ask myself, who would hire someone like me? Smart companies 😊. But far too many still see a career break and assume that means a lack of relevance, experience, or readiness. Here’s what you really get when you hire a woman returning to the workforce: – Project management (birthday parties, managing daily routines) – Financial planning (family budget and long-term expenses) – Negotiation (managing sibling conflicts, coordinating with schools and partners) – Time management (appointments, activities, and house logistics) – Crisis resolution (sick kids and broken water heaters) – Team leadership (leading a household, making decisions daily) – Event coordination (vacations, reunions, classroom volunteering) ** What other ones did I miss? These are not soft skills. They’re real, practical, and valuable. But how do we help more women get into roles where they can make an impact? That’s where returnships come in. A returnship (internship for returners) offers real work experience, mentorship, and a structured path back into the workforce. It gives high-potential candidates a way to prove what they’ve always been capable of. If you’re a business leader, here’s why you should consider launching one: – Access a motivated, loyal talent pool – Close gaps in hiring with real-world expertise – Bring fresh perspectives and adaptive thinking – Support women in a practical, measurable way – Strengthen your culture with lived experience Yes, returnships challenge traditional hiring practices, but they also raise the bar on what smart hiring can look like. If you’re in Utah, the Return Utah's annual Return-to-Work Network Night (for everyone) is happening next week. Link is in the comments. If you’re not in Utah, message me. I have a list of active returnship programs across the country and internationally. And if your company is ready to create a returnship but doesn’t know where to start, reach out. At Elavare, we help companies design returnship programs that work for everyone involved. As a co-leader of A Bolder Way Forward's Workforce Development spoke, I'm not backing down from our goal of education 100+ companies in Utah about the value of returnships. We need more returnships. We need you. Shay Baker Susan R. Madsen Brieanne (Brie) Sparks, MBA, Samantha Aird, Marta Nielsen, Angela Rawlings, Robbyn Scribner, etc.... #WorkforceDevelopment #ReturnToWork #WomenInLeadership