Diversity in the Downturn

It is a widely held belief that this recession will hit women hardest, therefore the need for equality and diversity in the workplace becomes not just a ' nice to do' but  a business imperative.   It is essential that a diverse workforce is built and  maintained,  forging the strengths of both genders to provide a stable basis for growth, maintaining the talents and skills of both genders,  allowing women to fill historically male orientated positions thereby bringing new and fresh prospectives to everyday workplace issues    Enlightened organisations who have been working to address the issues for women have seen that it can make their businesses more dynamic, flexible and creative and they are fighting tooth and nail at the moment to ensure that they do not loose the ground they have gained.

The prize for employers who are willing to tackle and challenge the current status quo could be huge. The total benefits to the UK economy of reducing the gender segregation of jobs and increasing women’s employment has been estimated as anything up to a massive £23 billion. It could raise output in the UK by an equivalent 2% of Gross Domestic Product

Boardroom diversity may well be strengthened during the credit crunch as new an innovative ways of working are investigated . The Norwegian government is aiming to rapidly increase gender diversity at senior levels  and is putting in quotas for the proportion of women short- listed  and appointed in roles.
Governance is  only one way of tackling the issue, another is to ensure that flexibility and agile working are core offerings, enabling a women's career path to be unrestrained and technology is of course at the heart of this key strategy of the future workplace.  Remote workers need the stability of technology to ensure their virtual world is consistent and productive.  Organisations should be encouraged to utilise modern and up to date technology, utilising conference calling,instant messaging etc.   In these days of climate awareness this trend towards to virtual working places is also environmentally friendly but it must be a core organisational offering, not just undertaken by a select few.   In amongst all this, the role of the Line Managers is absolutely essential,  providing clear and concise key objectives and  providing regular one to ones to build and consolidate the team.  
Enlightened organisations are buying into the fact that a flexible approach to work could actually save them money and create loyalty.  In challenging economic times where salaries are being frozen and bonuses are vanishing, flexible working can offer a way of keeping talented people engaged and motivated.

The  recession should be viewed as a time of evaluation of the workplace  and a great opportunity for women to take the gender agenda forward.

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