Retaining Women: HR’s big strategy mistake

Georgie Mack explains how HR can use data to move the needle on productivity and turnover

We’ve all been there. You’ve just seen an awesome new benefit on LinkedIn that promises to help you support and retain more women.

Yes! You think this is exactly what the women at your company need. You even manage to convince finance to give you the budget.

(Nice work, by the way.)

You launch it. You promote it. You do a whole presentation about it.

And then… nobody uses it. It gets forgotten.

Finance is giving you That Look again. Like, “don’t come asking for more budget.” And – actually yeah, fair point finance.

We asked an expert: what can HR do differently?

We spoke to Georgie Mack, CEO of Peopleful for our latest report on how employers can retain more women.

She told us how HR is missing a big piece of the puzzle: data. And how it can help you build a strategy that:

1. Supports the women at your company
2. Improves productivity and retention
3. Stops finance giving you That Look 👀

So grab a cuppa and let’s hear what she has to say ☕

1. The business case for supporting women in work

Just in case you haven’t convinced leadership yet, Georgie lays bare the pressures working women are under – and the impact that has on employers.

The takeaway is clear: if you don’t provide the right support in time, you’re heading for a world of trouble.

• Lost productivity when women don’t have the support to function in their roles
• Absenteeism as women try to juggle work, family and health
• Expensive turnover as women leave the workforce
• Lost experience and corporate memory

2. Where should you start when it comes to supporting women?

Don’t rush in – that’s Georgie’s big warning to HR managers. If you really want to support the women in your workplace, you should be thinking about what you can control.

Right now, there’s too much guesswork. Sentiment led surveys are all well and good, but they don’t often tell employers where they can have a real impact.

What you need is evidence. Every workplace is different, so you need to take the time to understand your company and your employees. All you need to do is start listening and you’ll start hearing stories from your people about where they need support.

3. What are standard HR strategies missing?

Georgie says employers often go wrong when it comes to what they measure and what they value.

We’re stuck using yesterday’s tools to solve today’s problems. Specifically, Georgie says engagement surveys, while useful, are often too general and miss all manner of wellbeing issues.

She champions a more scientific approach. It’s all about looking at the workplace as a system and understanding what’s driving your specific problems.

So what’s next?

Bookmark our latest report for a closer look at what’s driving low productivity, absenteeism and turnover for the women in your organisation.

You’ll learn:

• The pressures costing you valuable female talent
• More insights from industry experts like Georgie
• A business case, ready for you to take to finance
• The simple benefits that make a world of difference