McKinsey & Company report in their study on Women in the Workplace 2021 that women are more likely than men to face microaggressions and that black women, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities face these experiences even more. This report also states that women are experiencing levels of burnout not seen in the past,
contributing to high turnover levels. Based on their study, one in three women are now considering downshifting their career or leaving the workforce due to added responsibilities at home resulting from the COVID pandemic.
Over the past year, many CEOs have spoken with me about the high turnover of women within their companies. These CEOs are searching for answers on how to improve retention.
Over the past year, I have also coached and spoken with many women who expressed frustration around the culture of their company. Many of these women are choosing to leave due to acts of microaggression. These acts of microaggression include experiences such as receiving demeaning comments about their family responsibilities
or personal life, constant interruptions, hearing insults or jokes about their sex or race, and the questioning of their judgment more than their male colleagues.
If your company is experiencing a high level of turnover, this is a conversation worth having with your teams.
My suggestion? Have a team meeting to talk about this issue. Ask your employees to bring an example of a “microaggression” that they have personally experienced or witnessed. Open the conversation and educate each other on how to make everyone feel welcome and valued equally.