Publications
Publications
- May–June 2021
- Harvard Business Review
How to Close the Gender Gap
By: Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg
Abstract
Most companies say they’re committed to advancing women into leadership roles. What they may fail to recognize, though, is that systemic barriers are holding women back. As a result, women remain disadvantaged at every stage of their employment and underrepresented in positions of power. Drawing on their own research and the scholarship of others, the authors describe common forms of gender discrimination in seven key areas of talent management: attracting candidates, hiring employees, integrating newcomers into the organization, developing employees, assessing performance, managing compensation and promotion, and retaining employees. Companies can level the playing field by identifying patterns of gender bias in the way they treat people and then systematically making appropriate changes. They can, for example, avoid loaded language in job postings, anonymize the résumés of applicants, cultivate an inclusive culture, increase women’s access to mentors, set clear criteria for salary offers and raises, and destigmatize flexible work arrangements. Research has shown the value of all these practices in fully leveraging women’s talents.
Keywords
Gender Discrimination; Employment; Gender; Prejudice and Bias; Talent and Talent Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation
Citation
Ammerman, Colleen, and Boris Groysberg. "How to Close the Gender Gap." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 3 (May–June 2021): 124–133.
About The Author
