Want Inclusion? Look to Women

PricewaterhouseCooper, a multi-national professional services network, released a report that indicated women value gender and racial diversity at the board of directors level more than men.

Their 2015 Annual Corporate Directors Survey found that 63% of females held gender diversity as a “very important” attribute for a board of directors, compared to only 35% of male directors. 46% of female directors described racial diversity as “very important,” compared to only 27% of their male colleagues.

The report also suggested that women were more inclined to value diversity as a core value of a corporate board. They were twice as likely to believe strongly that diversity can make a board more effective. 74% of female directors felt that diversity improved performance as opposed to only 31% of males who saw diversity as a driver of execution and operation.

For those of us in the diversity and inclusion space, these findings are not new. The literature is replete with examples of evidence that show women have a distinct advantage over men in some areas of the workplace.

Leadership
According to the Gender Intelligence Group, women leaders apply the following drivers of inclusion more often in the workplace than men:

• See work as a discovery orientation.
• Navigate extended interactions.
• Collaborate complex conversations.
• Reveal emotional vulnerabilities

Problem Solving
The Gender Intelligence Group also reports that women more naturally see the need for diversity of thought and opinions than men in the areas of:.
• Expanding context.
• Exploring multiple options.
• Seeking a more lasting solution.

Interviewing
The Gender Intelligence Group indicated that women are less likely to be biased during job interviews than men often utilizing the following strengths:

• Reducing an applicant’s anxiety level.
• Relational skills.
• Better questioner.
• Uses more “we” statements.

Let’s continue to break that glass ceiling and mop up the sticky floor for women. A more diverse and inclusive workplace depends on it.