A How-To Guide on Women Supporting Women at Work
Some of us may still have several more months of our bedroom office and awkward introductions on video calls, while others may have returned to their morning commute and are heading back into their offices. Wherever you are, there are still ways us women can support each other and lift each other up at work.
Build Your Girl Gang
A study by Harvard Business Review researched the differences in networks between highly successful men and highly successful women and found that while men benefit from having a wide network, women also require a close network of female contacts to achieve the same top level positions and pay.
Further, women who were in the top quartile of centrality and had a female-dominated inner circle of 1-3 women landed leadership positions that were 2.5 times higher in authority and pay than other female peers.
Unsure how to start? Networking does not need to be work, and I have found that my best career contacts happen to be some of my best friends. Start in the office and foster relationships with other women around you, whether that is a quick 15 minute coffee break or lunch; a network begins with a friendship.
You can also reach out to groups in your area such as meetup.com. There are plenty of options for groups that you can join such as Women in Tech UK, Female Founders in Manchester, and Women in the Property Industry.
Spotlight Your Stars
In 2016, former American president Barack Obama had one of the most diverse administrations on record. However, in 2016, Washington Post reported that women complained of having to elbow their way into important meetings. And when they got in, their voices were sometimes ignored.
To mediate this, the female staffers came up with a strategy: when a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, giving credit to its author.
This sentiment may be familiar. You or a female peer pitch an idea in a meeting, and it is unacknowledged until a man later pitches it again. It happens, but often not out of malice but from habit and unconscious bias. If you hear a great idea pitched by a female colleague in a meeting, elevate it, repeat it, and mention her name.
Refer Other Women
Job listings in your workplace may not be bringing in as many women as they should, however LinkedIn Global Recruiting Trends found that 48% of businesses report that their biggest channel for hires are through employee referrals. If you know someone, refer them.
If referrals do not seem possible where you work, you can offer mentorship or career advice like reviewing a CV. You should ensure that your feedback is honest and specific, as many women report receiving feedback that is vague and contradictory. In the future with our efforts, female leadership can be the norm.
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Written by Ratuja Reddy
