People are naturally prone to stereotyping. Gender stereotypes are especially hard to break. As an HR manager, look how to

• overcome vertical and horizontal job segregation;

• overcome stereotypes and building an equality environment;

• ensure sustainable flexibility and reconciling work with family and social life.

Here are some concrete action steps an HR manager can take to ensure gender equality:

Recruitment

• Review job advertisements encouraging both men and women to apply for the position.
• Set quantitative recruitment goals to support gender equality.
• Widen your recruitment pool.
• Run recruitment campaigns in universities and colleges to attract women applicants to areas that have been generally destined for men such as tech jobs.
• Review job descriptions and job requirements and make sure that they don’t favor one category over another.
• Place greater value on soft skills and abilities.
• Ensure transparent selection procedures that focus on individual qualities and aptitudes.
• Make sure that the applicants are assessed exclusively on the job requirements.
• Request interviewers to justify the basis for their selection.

 Professional development

• Offer training for all employees at the point of entry.
• Invest in tailored and individualized training and development.
• Develop training initiatives aimed at increasing assertiveness.
• Provide different forms of mentoring to support the development of women for leadership roles.
• Change the traditional career structure to a non-linear one.

 Working environment

• Integrate equality into the overall guidelines and strategic goals of your company.
• Offer the same rewards for the same work, regardless of a person’s gender.
• Get the pulse of the workplace and listen to the voice of the employees.
• Constantly raise awareness about this issue.
• Communicate progress and rationale for gender equality
• Redesign your workplace to exclude gender division and encourage diversity.
• Offer flexibility and support the reconciliation of employees work and personal lives.
• Offer a stress management and/or stress management training.
• Offer parental leave beyond the legal provisions.
• Invest in a family maternity & paternity service.
• Offer days of paid time off for child care.

Read more in the article “Here’s why you should encourage gender equality in your company”
Know more about implementing Diversity & Inclusion in the “Implementation Checklist For Diversity Management published by the European Commission, Section 7”