International Women's Day 2024: Six ways to #InspireInclusion and why it matters in HR.

International Women's Day (IWD) is a global event held annually on March 8th to honour the achievements of women in the workplace.

This year's theme is #InspireInclusion. It is about inspiring action towards a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

Stereotypes and biases can prevent people from getting equal remuneration, important job opportunities and recognition for their work. There are real consequences to bias. Biases about things like sex, race or age can significantly influence people's decision-making without their ever being aware of it. Women can be judged as being less skilled, capable or qualified as a result of a bias (and we'll only focus on gender in this piece because it is International Women's Day, after all).

When business leaders learn to break down their own biases and implement HR processes designed to counteract biases, we lay the foundation for creating inclusive, diverse and compassionate organisations.

Below we've shared six ways your organisation can #InspireInclusion.

1. Review the recruitment process.

One example of an approach in relation to HR is for organisations to lessen the weighting on CVs in the recruitment process as this removes potential discrimination based on people's names, gender, age or education. An unbiased recruitment strategy would be asking candidates to submit work samples, presentations or case studies. People are then hired based on their work quality, which is a win for everyone.

2. Train leaders to break down biases.

To break down our biases, we need to make an effort to notice how we form our viewpoints and then change the way we do things (for example, not hiring people like ourselves).

To start, we need to help leaders bring awareness to their biases. One-on-one leadership coaching is very effective at this (contact us, we can help!). Alternatively, Harvard University's Implicit Association Test is a great online tool to get that initial stock take and DiversityWorks NZ provides fantastic resources and training for any organisation or size.

3. Undertake a policy review with inclusion top of mind.

Consider a policy review to ensure women receive equal opportunities at work. For example, you could look at policies related to flexible work scheduling, parental leave and return to work support, programmes to advance women in leadership, your remuneration policy/practices, and diversity in recruitment.

4. Communicate your inclusion goals.

Simply creating inclusive workplace policies isn’t enough. We have to talk about them and live them! Regularly ask for feedback about the employee experience in your organisation. You may want to establish an Inclusion and Diversity Task Group, drawing on employees from all levels and departments, who can work towards removing biases in the workplace.

5. Have office traditions that enhance inclusion.

Office traditions, such as Friday potluck lunches, foster team togetherness and result in greater feelings of inclusion and connection. Ensure you have workplace traditions that honour women (such as an IWD celebration, see below) and the diversity of all your people. What is your workplace doing for Māori Language Week or Diwali for example? Choose events that align with your purpose, culture and people to help create a stronger sense of security and connectedness at work.

6. Celebrate IWD and tell women’s stories.

Finally, to honour International Women’s Day, host an IWD event to celebrate the achievements of women in your workplace. Shout pizza and put out the good biscuits! Consider inviting an employee to speak about their experiences as a woman in your workplace, or invite a guest speaker renowned for pushing through stereotypes and inspiring inclusion.  Alternatively, give your employees space and time on IWD to come together to watch some related TED Talks or movies featuring inspirational women, such as He Named Me Malala or Hidden Figures.

We hope International Women's Day inspires you to #InspireInclusion. In doing so, you'll help create a more inclusive, sustainable and equitable working world. Power to you!

P.s. We want to take this opportunity to applaud the wonderful wāhine of PeopleEX. Happy International Women’s Day and, simply, thank you.