Ahead, but Still Behind: Empowering Women at Work

Since the 2016 presidential election and rise of the #MeToo movement, more women have become inspired to pursue leadership roles and stand their ground in the ongoing gender equality debate. This year’s election cycle, for instance, more women than ever before – 575 – have signed up to run for the House, the Senate or governor; still, only one in five elected officials on Capitol Hill are female, according to Politico.

Even the credit union industry is taking a look at how it can empower more women, as well as minorities and young professionals, to rise to leadership positions – and it should be. I’m sure I’m not the only young female who feels a little out of place at a credit union conference. Sure, the industry has grown more diverse over time, but one look at a CU conference crowd, which is typically older, white and male, indicates we still have a long way to go.

Of course, there’s the factor that many conference attendees are retired board members, who have more freedom to travel. And in time, we’ll see the demographics shift as the last of the baby boomers exit the industry. But it’s clear that work still needs to be done to diversify the occupants of credit union C-suites.

At CUNA’s America’s Credit Union Conference in June, a white man led a breakout session called “Men and Women Working Together for Team Success.” This fact might have sent many women running in disgust, but I attended out of curiosity and actually liked what the speaker, author and former director of diversity strategy for Coca-Cola Jeffery Tobias Halter, had to say.

He discussed the fact that male and female brains are different, which leads them to approach work differently. Men, for example, are focused on action, facts and data, and have an attention span of about seven seconds. Women, on the other hand, are comfortable pursuing multiple solutions at once, and are more analytical and intuitive. Men use their networks to compete and win, while women use their networks to build relationships. I was glad Halter brought this up, because while I strongly believe in equal opportunities and compensation, the notion that men and women should be treated as if they are wired the same way just doesn’t make biological sense.

Becoming aware of these nuances between men and women is important, as it can help make your communication styles more effective. For example, to get a point across to a man, state it clearly and up front. If a woman is hesitant to leverage her network to pursue a big career goal, encourage her to do so. There are also steps credit union leaders can take to drive gender equality in the workplace – here are a few recommended by Halter:

• Set an example to correct unconscious bias toward women. Have you noticed that women are often talked over during meetings, or always the ones being asked to take notes, for example? Help break these cycles by asking the interrupter to let her finish her thought, or switching up note-taking duties.
• Open a discussion about gender pay equity at the credit union. Seek to understand the HR department’s decision processes around compensation, and work to correct any issues you find.
• Encourage qualified female employees to apply for higher-level positions and commit to developing unqualified female employees for future openings. Also, actively engage male employees in discussions about advancing women.

Another thing to become aware of is how women may subconsciously be treated differently based on their familial or marital status. No, I’m not talking about discriminating against women who are pregnant or have kids – I’m referring to the opposite. Some single, childless women feel their employers give them less flexibility and bigger workloads because their personal time is viewed as less valuable than that of women who have families at home. If this has happened to you, speak up, because your life outside of work – whether it involves caring for aging parents; spending time with nieces and nephews, or a partner who is not legally bound to you; taking care of pets or pursuing hobbies – is absolutely as important as mother and/or wife duties.

Going back to my earlier point that as time goes on, we’ll likely see a bigger shift away from white males in leadership positions (not just in credit unions, but many industries), I predict we will see more women in positions of power due to an overall lifestyle trend. A key reason why women fall behind in their careers is to start a family, but fewer women are doing that these days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, birth rates are at a 30-year low in the U.S. A number of factors likely played into this, but one of the biggest is that it’s not nearly as easy to comfortably support a family as it used to be. Gone are the days when an average man could find a low-stress job that covered expenses for his family and home, allowing his wife to stay home with the kids. Now, both spouses typically have to work demanding jobs, and even then, keeping up with skyrocketing costs of living (especially in large metro areas) is challenging.

And many working women who want to put their careers on hold to have kids can’t because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a partner. A July 3 piece in The New York Times reported that while it’s common belief that women freeze their eggs in order to pursue careers, the real reason is because they haven’t yet found a man to build a family with yet. Why? Because, this particular article said, women are now more educated than men, which “could be creating a dearth of appealing male partners for these women.” Could we see more females rising into leadership roles due to this “circumstantial infertility”? Maybe. (Note: I must give credit to Melanie Notkin, author of “Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness,” for putting a name to this unique type of infertility. Great book.)

We’re at an interesting crossroads when it comes to gender, leadership and lifestyle choices, with many options available for success and fulfillment. Your job as an employer is to ensure everyone at your organization, no matter who they are, has the tools they need to pursue the career and life they want.

Natasha Chilingerian is managing editor for CU Times. She can be reached at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.