The State of Gender Equality in the Workplace 2016

The Fairygodboss mission is to improve the workplace for women. Since 2015, we've provided a free and safe platform for women to share their workplace experiences authentically. On the Fairygodboss platform, hundreds of thousands of women anonymously provide advice to each other about what their jobs are like and whether their employers are supportive of women. As a consequence, we've amassed a tremendous amount of unique, proprietary data which we plan on summarizing each year in an annual report.

Our 2016 inaugural report features 50+ pages of data and content from women in our community, as well as third-party research that has been published during the year from other reputable research organizations. We present our findings on the wide range of issues affecting women in the workplace, ranging from how employers can attract and recruit women, to what areas of focus will help them retain women, and what corporate practices and employer benefits correlate with women's job satisfaction.

Find out what we have discovered from women (and men) themselves about the 9 areas of focus for employers to improve their recruitment and retention of women.

Female job-seekers report that they have a hard time understanding what employers' culture, practices and benefits are. Yet these potential recruits care a great deal about women's opinions about working at a given company, and make job application decisions based on them.

Women in the workplace are very aware of and concerned about compensation inequality, and how their pay stacks up against their male peers'. Even if you cannot commit to a full-fledged pay audit, you should set practices into place that encourage consistent pay across job titles. As a result you will improve your ability to attract top talent, increase job satisfaction and drive retention of female employees.

Fairygodboss data proves - perhaps unsurprisingly - that there is a clear correlation between women's job satisfaction and gender equality at their company. We've also found a correlation between women's job satisfaction and diverse management teams. In other words, diverse management ranks are essential to driving gender equality throughout the organization. So take some time to consider whether your management team composition reflects your culture and priorities. Bottom line: investments in diversity initiatives and programs are truly worthwhile because they result in higher job satisfaction and therefore attraction and retention of women.

According to Fairygodboss members, unequal promotion is the top area in which they observe gender inequity in their organizations. Unequal access to sponsors, unfair evaluation, and boys' club mentality are some of the reasons women provide for this concern. To improve your company's practices, take a look at your promotion and succession planning processes, and pursue mechanisms to remedy this persistent cycle.

Women with young children have the lowest labor force participation rates. To increase the likelihood that mid-level women return and stay with your company after maternity leave, consider improving your benefits. Make sure you understand how your company's leave policies compare to competitors. A top-tier leave program serves as a strong stake in the ground about your company's commitment to women and families.

Women report that many employers are family-friendly in terms of the hours they work, yet many remain disappointed about official policies. The degree to which work-life balance exists for a given employee most often comes down to the individual manager. Flexibility, which is a prized feature of any job, is rarely consistently or formally supported. A well-articulated flexibility policy can be a real asset to employers looking to recruit the best talent.

Women consistently report less access to senior leadership. Consider formal programs or other options to build an infrastructure to support, mentor and sponsor women at your company.

Companies are making real change by demanding greater diversity from their vendors, performing compensation audits and proving out the business case for on-site daycare. Your leadership stance on gender diversity issues can make a difference -- not just to your own employees, but to women everywhere.

Although most men support gender diversity in the workplace, they are often unaware of bias or discrimination when it takes place. More direct and honest conversations between men and their female peers and direct reports can lead to greater sensitivity and more effective partnership.