Have you heard? March 8 is International Women’s Day in 2024! This annual celebration recognizes women’s achievements and serves as a call to action for gender equality. At Foundever™, we’re celebrating by recognizing our female leaders and spreading awareness about empowering women in the workplace. After all, numerous studies have shown the benefits of female leadership at work — increased productivity, enhanced collaboration and improved fairness. Despite all this, only 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women.
So, how can your organization celebrate International Women’s Day this year and empower women at work? Let’s find out five ways to #InspireInclusion, which is this year’s theme for International Women’s Day.
1. Encourage women to lead and express themselves
First thing’s first: the best way to empower women is to encourage them to step into their power, take leadership roles and express themselves authentically. Organizations should create an environment that values diverse perspectives and actively seeks input from women at all levels.
By providing opportunities for women to lead projects, initiatives and teams, companies can nurture their leadership skills and boost their confidence. How can you do this? Get the conversation started by creating platforms and forums where women can showcase their talents, share their experiences and inspire others in the organization.
For example, Foundever created a way to recognize our female leadership by having them answer questions on women’s empowerment. Our Chief People Officer Jag Dhanji led the chat which sparked a conversation about being a woman in leadership, working for a global organization, challenges they have encountered and overcome, and advice for colleagues and those seeking a career in tech.
“When we focus on creating inclusive environments, we get diverse thinking, diverse experience, great ideas, and good solutions that will help us beat the competition and excel wherever we choose to be. And one of the critical pillars for creating inclusion for women is to ensure that we have more women in senior roles.”
— Jag Dhanji, Chief People Officer at Foundever
2. Provide quality mentorship and training
There’s no doubt that mentorship is invaluable in the workplace. Creating formal mentorship programs that match experienced professionals with women seeking guidance and support can allow for great insights, career advice and networking opportunities.
“It’s very important to build a network that helps you along the way in your career. Have colleagues and peers in similar positions that can support you through the journey, along with mentors you can look up to and who support you.”
— Benedita Miranda, General Manager, Multilingual Region at Foundever
Mentorship helps women navigate challenges, build resilience and develop their skills. This is why, as a leading customer experience organization, Foundever makes it a goal to provide thorough training and mentorship. Offering training programs specifically designed for women, focusing on leadership development, communication skills, negotiation and personal branding can equip them with the tools they need to succeed. By investing in mentorship and training, your organization can demonstrate your commitment to women’s professional growth and create a support system that propels women forward.
“To me, inclusion is the notion of respect… the notion that everyone has value, everyone has something to build and bring to the team, and we need to listen to that. We need to create goals that help everyone find their space, and to help everyone become a strong contributor.”
— Ana Athayde, Transformation Leader at Foundever
3. Promote creative and artistic expression
Encouraging employees to explore their creativity and leverage unique talents can promote innovation and diversity of thought. So how can you do this?
Create spaces and platforms where people feel comfortable sharing their artistic pursuits, whether through visual arts, writing, music or other creative outlets. By organizing events, exhibitions, or workshops that celebrate and showcase artistic endeavors, your organization not only recognizes talent but also inspires others in the workplace. Embracing creativity and artistic expression empowers employees to bring their whole selves to work.
“Something I’m learning is that you have to trust yourself and trust others. Trust by default is something that provides everyone the space to engage, to deliver, and to do things in a way that only one’s authentic self can bring to the table. Challenges will always arise, but if you put trust by default at the core of what you do, especially for women, it can be a game-changer.”
— Najet Tenoutit, Managing Director of Foundever.org
Another way to promote creativity is by bringing art into the workplace. Multiple studies have shown the benefits of art in the workplace — reduced stress, improved brain health and wellness, and improved productivity.
For this reason, at Foundever, we welcome art in the workplace through programs for our associates like Conversation at HeART, which celebrates our associates and our culture through monumental artwork in our hubs. Additionally, we host several events throughout the year to inspire talent and creativity such as photography competitions, cake decorating competitions and music events.
4. Inspire gender inclusion and expression
In 2024, it goes without saying that all organizations should strive to create a culture that values and respects gender diversity. This means you should provide inclusive policies and practices, such as gender-neutral recruitment processes, flexible work arrangements and unbiased performance evaluations.
An important initiative for this effort is the Foundever Women in Tech program, which was introduced in Costa Rica to promote gender equity. The program aims to increase the participation of women in tech roles, where female representation has been historically low. It also offers scholarships to women from non-technical accounts to develop the necessary skills to opt for technical positions within the organization. To further promote women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Foundever encourages women to enroll in our tech training programs and commits to raising the number of female associates working in tech roles.
“As women, we often feel like we are being too vocal when expressing ourselves, but we are imposing barriers on ourselves when we don’t speak up. So not being afraid to speak up and be yourself is very important.”
— Carole Bohrer, Chief Legal Officer at Foundever
Another opportunity to work in favor of gender parity is the Women at Foundever employee resource group for women and allies to women. There are chapters across our global offices doing incredible work to mentor, empower and support women in the workplace.
“For me, inspiring inclusion comes in the space where as a leader, spending time with everyone in the organization and understanding what they have to bring to the table as individuals… focusing not only on their areas of opportunity but where they add value to the organization. And then making decisions based on merit, talent, grit and desire versus anything else.”
— Michelle Parks, CEO – U.S. Market at Foundever
5. Provide a flexible work model
As remote work has become the norm in the past few years, many organizations are taking advantage of offering a flexible model to give their employees more freedom and balance with work and their personal lives. According to a Deloitte survey, 94% say they would benefit from work flexibility, with the top gains being less stressed/improved mental health, and better integration of work and personal life.
Offering flexible schedules, such as compressed workweeks or flexible start and end times, allows women to juggle multiple responsibilities on their own time. Providing generous parental leave shows you’re on their side. Your support of work-life balance creates a family-friendly work environment, and embracing job sharing and part-time opportunities enables women to maintain their careers while fulfilling personal obligations.
“Being your authentic self is core for being comfortable and confident, especially as women, and not trying to be anything other than that.”
— Maria Harju, EVP – Enterprise Operating Standards & Global Clients at Foundever
Foundever is big on helping women thrive personally and professionally, which is why our associates have access to a highly flexible work model called CX Everywhere. This program combines at-home options and a network of hubs (locations where they work, train and socialize), ensuring a high degree of flexibility and inclusivity. Over 100,000 of our associates work from home or as part of a hybrid model. Cultivating a culture of trust and results, where employees are evaluated based on outcomes rather than their presence in the office, supports the success of a flexible work model.
“My advice is to never give up and always learn from failure. I think it’s also important to lead with humility. Humility plus empathy is the way to manage inclusion and respect everyone’s differences.”
— Charlotte Craipeau, CFO – EMEA Market at Foundever
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Foundever™
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is ”inspire inclusion.” How will your organization celebrate? In 2024, a celebratory day like this creates an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in empowering women in the workplace and setting new goals for the future.