At Gloat, we’ve seen firsthand how workforce agility platforms enhance internal mobility and gender equity. Recently, we collaborated with Boston Consulting Group to explore how skills-based internal mobility programs can increase career development opportunities for women.
Here are their top findings, which directly align with our best practices when it comes to promoting gender equity with a workforce agility platform:
#1. Increase access to opportunities
Back in the day, opportunities were allocated on the basis of who you know, rather than what you know. In contrast, leading internal mobility programs post projects, gigs, and assignments publicly on a company’s talent marketplace, making these opportunities visible to a broader slate of candidates.
#2. Make skills the deciding factor for career progression
Increasing the visibility of opportunities is a step in the right direction. But to move the needle on gender equity, leaders must also ensure that career mobility decisions are based entirely on skills, which is where the talent marketplace comes into play.
The platforms suggest potential matches to both posting managers and employees on the basis of the employees’ profiles. By suggesting good-fit possibilities, a talent marketplace encourages women to apply for opportunities that they may have never otherwise considered and expands the pool of potential candidates for managers seeking recruits.
#3. Mitigate bias
Bias and preconceived notions have no place in career mobility decisions. Talent marketplaces can hide bias-forming parameters, like gender, in employee profiles. The platforms also track and report personal qualities, making it easier to intervene and mitigate bias in hiring decisions.
#4. Take fear out of the equation
To maximize participation in internal mobility programs, employees must be able to look for opportunities without initially alerting their manager. This is particularly important for women since a recent study of exiting workers found that women were less likely than men to ask about internal opportunities, perhaps because they feared repercussions. When companies configure their talent marketplaces to provide visibility into all opportunities, employees can browse open positions, stress-free.