Yes, leaders have a huge opportunity to increase women’s human potential. According to a survey carried out by Accenture with 7,000 employees from 3,500 companies in 14 countries, when leaders better manage everyday work experiences, women can increase their potential 4.7 times more than any group.

The study How to Drive Belonging for Women in the Workplace considered six fundamental human needs through work – emotional, mental, relational, physical, financial and objective. 

Women report feeling significantly less support from their employers than workers overall in the traditional moments that matter like onboarding, compensation, and life events. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of women report low support compared to 26% overall. 

With the proper support, focused on empowerment, communication and skilling, leaders can increase performance for women over and above the average increase of 3.2x when the traditional moments are maximized.

Just over half (55%) of women report having a senior leader that is actively helping them grow, compared to 62% overall. Despite the fact that 70% of women aspire to be in senior leadership, they are significantly less likely to be satisfied with the pace of advancement (81% of women compared to 84% overall).

The research also shows that the biggest impact of the pandemic was on women’s careers, since they were the ones who had to leave their jobs to take on more responsibilities at home. Therefore, it has never been more important to ensure equitable experiences so that they and organizations develop in a linear way.

“People in need of skilling, LGBTQ+, race and ethnic minorities and women have the longest runway to an equitable work experience”, says the report. “Creating an inclusive organization where women can thrive must be at the top of the CEO’s agenda or the talent gap will continue to grow.”

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Source: Accenture