According to Off-Ramps and On-Ramps, a Harvard Business Review article by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Carolyn Buck Luce, large numbers of highly qualified women are dropping out of mainstream careers. According to Hewlett and Luce, a survey of the class of 1981 at Stanford University shows that 57% of women graduates leave the workforce. Another survey of three graduating classes at Harvard Business School demonstrates that only 38% of women end up in full-time careers. In a recent conversation with diversity consultant Jennifer Brown, she reflected Hewlett’s findings that women are defecting from “extreme jobs” (jobs that demand a high number of responsibilities, tight deadlines and long work weeks) in large numbers.  As Brown put it, “everyone loses” when women leave the workforce in large numbers.

Most companies are beginning to understand the importance of diversity policies, at least from a public relations perspective. Minority buying power is estimated at $10 trillion of the U.S. consumer market, and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) buying power was recently valued at $743 billion. Women make 85% of all brand purchases. On top of these factors, new Gen Y talent has expressed a desire to see personal values like diversity embodied in an employer organization, and 86% would consider leaving an employer whose CSR values no longer reflected theirs.

However, apart from these more obvious business factors, something more meaningful is lost as a product of the female “brain drain.” Brown describes the skill sets acquired by women as they travel through their careers as almost a Darwinian endeavor. She explains that women learn to do more with less, they are resourceful, and develop a unique political awareness. These factors equip women to navigate through rocky waters, build the right alliances and relationships and seize strategic opportunities. Because women are more likely to leave and then re-enter the workforce, they often have diverse skills and more work experience than their male counterparts, and greater tolerance for risk.

Collaborative work style is another (generally) female trait that is often undervalued, but of key importance in the workplace. “Female” work styles include listening skills, collaborative approaches to problem solving, and the ability to multi-task and to synthesize a number of viewpoints effectively and quickly. While these traits are conducive to teamwork and a holistic view of problems and opportunities, they are also particularly integral to the innovation process.

Brown’s description familiarly evoked what many innovation practitioners refer to as “human centered design.” In one great article about design and innovation, the author describes the importance of emotional intelligence in the design and innovation process: “Empathy and the human connection is so fundamental to understanding our audience that without it, no amount of analysis, documentation, engineering or management will save us…In the world of business and design, the ability to acutely recognize areas of pleasure or friction could be the difference between a successful product and a bomb.”

While this author in particular discusses product design, “design thinking” refers to innovations in organizational design, service design, and even business strategy design. Characteristic of design thinking is the ability to observe and listen, gather ideas from a number of viewpoints and then synthesize ideas into offerings – all of which are traditionally attributed to female work styles. (For more on design-thinking and innovation, see NYT Article on IDEO Founder Tim Brown).

Placing a monetary value on the loss of women in the workplace is almost impossible to measure. Fortunately, a greater number of companies are embracing the importance of women. For instance, Ernst & Young has implemented flexible work schedules, teleworking infrastructure and peer networking – a combination that tripled the number of women partners in recent years (Hewlett & Luce). While it is not possible to fully quantify female working styles, I would argue that the skills acquired by women throughout their careers paired with brains wired for multi-tasking and collaboration make them natural innovators.  As traditional business models characterized by hierarchical order slowly evolve to become more inclusive, meritocratic structures in the future, women will undoubtedly be an important asset. Now, more companies must figure out not only how to retain them, but to better utilize their skills and experience in the meantime.

Information about the value of Employment Resource Groups for Women

Information about On Ramps and Off Ramps by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Carolyn Buck Luce

Here is a direct link to the event at The Center.

We hope to see you there.

Where the ‘L’ Are the Women?

Date: Oct 21 6:00 Reception (refreshments and networking)
7:00 – 8:30 Panel and Q&A
8:30 – 9:00 After-Panel Networking
Location: The Center 208 West 13th Street NY, NY 10011

• Hear viewpoints from both non-profit and corporate leadership on the why and how of getting women out to participate.
• How are the non-profits working to attract women with their programming?
• What kind of support and activity are we losing out on if women don’t participate?
• The corporate world: how is the LGBT ERG (employee resource group) reaching out to women to get them involved and how can they be successful at doing so?
• Do women participate in some of the other ERGS (e.g. Latino, Asian, African American) and what can the LGBT ERG learn from them?
• What is the role of men to encourage women to participate: LGBT: men and women as allies
• This panel is sponsored by Mercer and hosted by The Center and Out & Equal.

More information after the jump.

Panelists:
• Glennda Testone, Executive Director, The Center
• Marjorie Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC)
• Liz Zale, VP, Investor Relations and Executive Sponsor for LGBT and Allies Network, Moody’s Corporation
• Joan P. McKinnon, AVP, Talent Development, Founder, NYLPride, New York Life

Panel Moderated by Jennifer Brown, Jennifer Brown Consulting

Want more information?

Find this event on FSIX, Financial Services Industry Exchange.

Find more career events at The Center.

Read more about the Metro New York affiliate of Out & Equal:  The mission of Out & Equal Metro New York is to support the work of LGBT Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), HR professionals, diversity specialists, and community allies to affect positive change for LGBT employees in their workplaces. The Council accomplishes this by conceptualizing, planning, organizing, and facilitating both large and small-scale programs, which provide local networking and educational opportunities on critical issues facing the LGBT workplace community. These events are generously hosted by local corporations.  Jennifer Brown is Chair Emeritus of Metro New York Out & Equal.

"Retaining Talented Women"; Jennifer Brown speaks at WorkLife Congress 2008

Do you have a diversity event and need a panel moderator, a keynote speaker, or expert advice?  Reach out to JBC today.

Introduction

JBC and the USBLN® believe that diversity, and ERGs in particular, will increasingly be the driving force of competitive businesses. JBC’s mission is to help Diversity and Inclusion Managers best leverage their ERGs in order to create business alignment for the ERGs which ultimately strengthens the companies and increases the ROI. In an effort to help leaders develop, enhance and leverage the expertise of Disabilities ERGs, JBC, in partnership with the USBLN®, is looking to do a deep-dive on the best practices of Disabilities ERGs.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE OUR SURVEY NOW.

What is the Disabilities ERG Readiness Survey?

The Disabilities ERG Readiness Survey is a survey that assesses the state of Disabilities ERGs and how their practices and policies are positioning them to impact the overall business. (ERGs are known by many names at many different companies including: Affinity Groups, Business Resource Groups, Associate Resource Groups, People Resource Groups, etc.   For the purposes of this survey, they will be referred to as ERGs.)

This survey assesses the strengths of key areas of the ERGs, including basic structure and governance of the groups, strategic collaborations, as well as emerging areas of focus including business alignment, technology utilization and globalization.

We believe that these focus areas are key features of a successful, new generation of ERGs – ones that help develop new and better products/services, get even closer to clients and groom the next generation of leaders.

How and when are survey results reported?

JBC will provide a written overview to all survey respondents. JBC will also be available for 30-minute one-on-one feedback sessions during the USBLN® conference in Chicago on September 21. For participants who will not be attending the conference, JBC will be scheduling conference calls to discuss the results. The feedback provided from the survey will provide companies with key benchmark data on the topics covered in the survey. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to begin to look at strategies to help strengthen the structure and focus of their Disabilities ERGs to create bottom-line impact.
Who should complete the Disabilities ERG Readiness Survey?

Disabilities ERG Chairs or Co-Chairs, Executive Sponsors , Chief Diversity Officers, Program Managers or other individuals who have a clear understanding of the practices of the Disabilities ERG.

Is this data kept confidential?

Yes. Respondent organizations will receive an analysis of their data only. Respondent data will be combined and reported only in aggregate form. Individual respondent confidentiality is strictly maintained.

How long does this survey take?

This is a short survey that should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Respondents should do their best to answer as many of the questions as possible to ensure that the most robust benchmarking data can be shared.  If you cannot answer any particular question, please leave it blank and move on to the next question.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE OUR SURVEY NOW.

Click below for JBC’s 10 tips on creating a smoother workplace transition for transgender employees.

Jennifer was recently featured on the Derek & Romaine show on Sirius Radio’s OutQ Network on the topic of LGBT workplace issues. .