Companies are not the only entities that must step up to advance women in the workplace: professional organizations should also examine their policies and culture to maximize female membership levels.
As President of Skal Canada Vancouver, a tourism organization for professionals, this is a challenge we are undertaking. In Canada’s tourism sector, women occupy 51.1% of the labour force but do not occupy a similarly high correlation of senior positions within tourism. Skal Canada Vancouver membership reflects this imbalance of female participation, not only on the board but in the membership as a whole. This must change.
Why Increase Women Memberships in Professional Organizations
In the report “Women Matter”, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) identified a marked correlation between women in top management teams and the organizational performance of the company. In addition, MGI found a strong correlation between the presence of women in company top management and better financial results. Professional organizations – most volunteer-driven with small budgets –potentially have a lot to gain by increasing the number of women on their boards and in their membership.
Further, in the research report “What Women Want – And Why You Want Women – In the Workplace” by the Center for Creative Leadership, organizations with a higher percentage of women rated their organizations more favorably on job satisfaction, organizational dedication, burnout, and employee engagement. These same qualities would be very valuable to professional organizations – clearly, women have a lot of value as members.
How to Increase Increase Female Memberships in Professional Organizations
- Meetings: A barrier for women entering the workforce is flexible schedules – this could be true of professional organizations as well. Perhaps your organization could re-evaluate when meetings are held – if they are in the evening, consider morning or lunch meetings. Are the meetings very long? Perhaps include different meeting formats such as a shorter evening social with appetizers instead of full dinner.
- Membership benefits: Examine your membership benefits and assess how appealing they are for women. Also, examine the description of the benefits– if you are a networking organization, perhaps emphasize the long-term relationships that are built. Be sure to describe member accomplishments in profiles, not just job title or position.
- Culture: The social nature of professional organizations can create a more relaxed atmosphere than the workplace. However, respectful words and actions must be the expectation at all times –you would not call a colleague an endearment at work: that standard applies to fellow members. As well, the same due diligence to recruit and attract qualified female members should be followed in your professional organization as it would be in your workplace.
Studies have shown that women in management positions have positive correlations in companies to increased productivity, financial gain, and overall job satisfaction. These benefits would no doubt translate to more successful professional organizations as well. What changes have you discussed or made to increase female membership in your organization?