"How can we become a more attractive employer for highly qualified women? How can we ensure that they also develop an emotional bond with our organization?" Many companies are currently grappling with questions like these. They are finding that the goal of increasing the proportion of women among managers and specialists is not so easy to achieve.

Although many companies have already achieved this quite well in the areas of HR, marketing and controlling, they are often making little progress in all areas in which technology plays a major role and/or in which the proportion of men is traditionally very high.

Hidden resistance in male domains

Especially in the manufacturing and production-related sectors, companies struggle with the following difficulties:

• Highly qualified women who they would like to recruit as employees often turn them down and opt instead for a research institution, a planning office or the public sector as an employer, for example.
• On average, women who choose their company as an employer stay with it for a much shorter time than men. They therefore change employers more quickly.

From the perspective of HR managers, this means that women are less likely than men to make an emotional commitment to the company and often develop less loyalty to it - for example, because the culture of the company is still very male-dominated and they struggle with numerous hidden obstacles in their day-to-day work in this "man's world".

Many employers currently want to change this. Companies can take action in eight areas so that more women find their way to them, feel 'at home' in their organization, are accepted and respected and can become truly effective.

Empowerment for women - the fields of action

Field of action 1: Comprehensive equal opportunities

Companies must ensure that women in their organization have the same opportunities as men not only to attain management and key positions, but also to perform them effectively and satisfactorily. This also means offering them the same pay and the same opportunities for advancement, as well as including terms such as diversity, equal opportunities, compatibility of family and career and work-life balance in company publications.

Field of action 2: New mindset

Stereotypes and prejudices often still characterize everyday actions in companies. For example, the idea that women are less assertive and less stress-resistant than men or that they have a lower affinity for technology - even if they have a degree from a technical university.

Although such stereotypes are articulated less frequently today than in the past, they still characterize the everyday interaction between the genders in many companies. It is therefore important to regularly address them and overcome them through training and coaching.

Field of action 3: Systematic cultural change

By recording and analyzing gender-specific personal, functional and career-related data, problem areas can be identified so that countermeasures can be taken - not only with the aim of statistically increasing the proportion of women, but also increasing the acceptance and appreciation of women, as well as their emotional attachment to the company, which also increases the length of time they stay with it.

Field of action 4: More flexible working models

From a women's perspective, a lot has changed for the better in this area in most companies in recent years. Examples include working from home, 4-day working weeks, time off for care and shared leadership. Nevertheless, companies must not let up in their efforts to create the necessary framework conditions so that women can not only take on top positions despite their frequent double burden in certain phases of their lives, but can also do so satisfactorily - in dialog with the women concerned so that their individual life situation can be taken into account.

Field of action 5: Support for networking

Companies should promote internal company networks for women in which they can exchange ideas and support each other - not only across divisions, but also across locations.

Field of action 6: Mentoring and coaching

Companies can promote mentoring and coaching programs in which established female managers pass on their knowledge and experience to new female colleagues. This is because women in management and key positions, for example at project manager level, still face different challenges to men in some cases - especially if the majority of employees and managers are men.

Field of action 7: Visibility and effectiveness

In order for women to experience a high level of acceptance and appreciation across all areas, the fruits of their actions and work must also be made visible. Appropriate publications on the intranet or in company publications contribute to this. Women themselves should also become more active in actively marketing themselves and their own achievements. Social media offers opportunities for this.

Field of action 8: Role model function of the management

Upper management still plays a key role in shaping the culture of an organization. It is therefore important that the management, for example, is actively committed to women in management/key positions; furthermore, that it serves as a role model for the members of the organization for a high appreciation of women and their performance - among other things, by actively supporting female talent in the organization and seeking dialogue with them.

The path to a diverse corporate culture

In the highly dynamic modern working world, cooperation between the two genders plays a key role in the success of companies - and not just because of the shortage of specialists and managers. The aim here is not to displace men, but to make coexistence and leadership in companies more diverse and inclusive.

The sustainable strengthening of the position of women in management/key positions requires a comprehensive and long-term strategy, ranging from a change in corporate culture to specific promotion and support measures. This development process must also be evaluated, among other things to ensure that the changes achieved are sustainable.

Barbara Liebermeister

© IFIDZ, Wiesbaden

The author

Barbara Liebermeister heads the Institute for Leadership Culture in the Digital Age (IFIDZ), Wiesbaden. The management consultant and speaker also runs the podcast "Business Secrets: Why women are liked and men are followed". She is the author of the book "Die Führungskraft als Influencer".