Contemporary Issues in HRM Assessment 1

Answer

The Impact of Gender Diversity on Human Resource

Organizational success majorly relies on its workforce. The human resource is the workforce, individual or the personnel in a company responsible for accomplishing the tasks assigned to them in achieving the goals of the business. A company’s performance and subsequent output are directly proportionate to the input of its workforce. This paper discusses gender diversity as a contemporary issue in Human Resource, utilizing a broad range of literature to fully understand the issue and study findings to additionally back up the focus. The organization selected for this study is Ernst & Young. The paper closely discourses the success of Ernst & Young in implementing maternity program and how forming a work setting that is gender diverse has earned positive results in many fields. Finally, the paper proposes innovations to make additional developments to the existing innovation that are helpful to Ernst & Young and its management to handle the issue of gender diversity, retain employees and increase productivity. 

1. Literature Summary

Organizations need to continuously confirm that the dynamism, capability, drive and efficiency of their workforce be on the top notch. The participation of women in the labour force has continuously been overlooked and underrated as compared to men. This is an issue that has widely been discussed and researched and organizations are majorly focusing on resolving issues of gender diversity in labour groups (Kay, Miller & Bingham, 2016). Gender is considered as one of the features that is part of the diversity that will be explained on in this paper with a variety of literature discovering over its developments, restrictions, and benefits.

The rate of involvement of women in the workforce has increased significantly overtime. Kay, Miller and Bingham (2016) confirm that the rate of involvement of women in the workforce highly increased in mid-2019 to about 61.1%, as compared to previous years, and this outcome has constantly been improving. The figure clearly demonstrates that there have been improvements and companies are now created more equal opportunities and are recognizing women for their input and given equal opportunities.

According to the study by Waaijer et al. (2016), even though the developments are evident with the involvement rate continuously rising signified by the figures, women involvement in the job market is still limited in numerous reasons. For instance, there are still different types of discriminations, women are still underrepresented, and workplace unfairness with regard to biased decisions still exists. This could ultimately result to health complications both physically and psychologically, which will affect the employee as well as the company; hence, bad reputation. Besides, women have frequently been overrepresented in low-paying jobs. They have been devoted to poor working environments with temporary contracts. Women around the world are underrepresented in prominent jobs such as managerial positions, which pay better.

According to In Williams, In Millward, and In Layton (2019), scholars have mentioned that female employees who are employed under monthly contracts have restricted promotional chances and less or no permission for education and training. If several restrictions are resolved, it is estimated that organizations can achieve gender equity, adopt gender diversity in each industry stopping diverse types of discrimination, workers can be treated equally and the outcome can be a universal influence to the future. Moreover, creating more innovations and skill by working together and peacefully in a gender varied group with no problems will embrace gender equality.

With the current researches taking place on the subject of gender diversity, researchers argue that if women are fully incorporated in the workforce, they can contribute positively towards organization success. Most researchers have specified after conducting tests to support their claims concluded that having women on board can contribute to a company’s better financial performance (Galbreath, 2018). In addition, according to Plickert and Sterling (2017), there are traditional gender labels linked with religiosity that are undesirably linked to allow gender diversity. Even though the studies are convincing with their confirmed arguments, people cannot deny the fact that women add remarkable value towards an organization and must no longer be viewed as a type of burden in the work place.

In a research carried out by Plickert and Sterling (2017), women in managerial positions might contribute more knowledge, skill, social awareness, flexibility and understanding. These qualities are vital elements that can definitely benefit the organization towards venturing a novel market consequently provide market linked rewards with the practice of implementing gender diversity. Audit agencies would also profit from the superior regulatory and lawful involvement that may also have the advantage of increasing women applicants (Kay, Miller & Bingham, 2016). Another advantage that is worth mentioning is that mixed gender workgroups accomplish responsibilities faster and make better choices. This finding proposes that gender diversity has the latent to enhance group presentation. As men and women might reason differently, their teamwork of concepts might form successful results to the responsibilities, increasing the general productivity in accomplishing the allotted tasks.

1. Organization (Ernest & Young) Practices

After realizing that most women do not return to work after maternal leave, Ernst & Young decided to follow through on the issue in June 2010 to understand the fears and uncertainties women have when resuming work. The matter raised much concern because many female workers were quitting their jobs after maternity leave and a more 20% would quit in two years of their coming back. To stop increased rate of turnover, Ernest &Young realized that scheming maternity training plans can assist and promote female workers on their pregnancy stage.

In 2011, Ernest & Young released an article titled, ‘maternity coaching improves retention of talented women,’ introducing maternity program in an attempt to minimize the number of proficient female workers quitting the company within two years after maternity leave. The article explains how the company introduced maternity training courses to retain female workers and to improve directors’ assurance in managing the maternity shift and to discourse best practices. To further discourse the significance of gender diversity, the company searched for all the potential difficulties that may be acknowledged before the issues transpire and promote its efficiency on how it could profit both the worker and the company. Ernest & Young (2013) interrogated 350 C-suite directors over fifty-one nations to look at the issues. This initiative demonstrates that Ernest & Young is an organization that considers gender diversity as a workforce management tactic. The company note their assurance to diversity by celebrating their accomplishments in a series of benchmark rewards (Kay, Miller & Bingham, 2016).

Ernest & Young understands gender diversity as a basis of creating talent to confirm that potential women are being established at all level of their occupation. With the initiation of the maternity course provided, it was important to affirm its female workers, assisting them over their pregnancy period. Workers who were interviewed after the course recognized how the company is supportive and were self-assured when resuming work (Ernst & Young, 2013). Consequently, the organization gained workers’ allegiance, increasing its efficiency and cutting down the turnover rate. This report is reinforced by the collection of statistic demonstrating the firm’s rate of retention for women resuming work after maternal leave has improved to about 95%. The findings of this investigation recorded that women’s performance level increased drastically and they would desire to continue working for the company. This, in the long run, would unlock more potential workers after resuming work, which can increase returns and a greater chance for promotional opportunities.

1. Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Maternity Program

Since Ernest &Young launched this program, it has been operational for over nine successful years. The effectiveness of the plan is apparent with the extreme developments demonstrated by women workers. Training women for a few months together with their maternity leave time will in response increase loyalty and production, increase their motivation permitting them to demonstrate their potential to maximum skills (Ernst & Young, 2013). The company will also in response receive a good reputation through the fulfilment of its workers, creating a feeling of responsibility assisting female workers through hard times. Consequently, the competence of the novel course can be operative by backing women and diversity initiatives that can improve the value of qualified assistance and minimise expenses.

1. New Innovations Employed to Reduce Rate of Turnover among Female Workers

Replacing workers is costly. This is particularly true for dedicated, skilled female workers. Through the maternity leave course, the workers have been receiving supports throughout personal training. For future developments, along with technological advancements, the business will assume necessary teaching as an alternative using technology (Ernst & Young, 2013). This will allow workers to maintain communication on what the company expects from them, it will help avoid exploited pay throughout maternity leave, and to maintain the connection with the employer during the leave. Furthermore, it will help in proper assignment roles or projects. Even though individual training is the major part of the achievement of the training, the company is confident to assume these techniques practically. This will best assist female workers to select which exercise best supports their condition. Workers are different on how quick or slow they learn and with the decisions specified, it could progress their involvement gaining a suitable course through the program.

In conclusion, the human resource is a vital asset that every company has in form of its workforce. Self-motivated, experienced and interested human resources make active company and empowers an organisation to realize its objectives. This paper has discussed the success of the maternity program and how forming a suitable work environment that is gender diverse has earned positive results in many fields. Finally, the paper has proposed innovations to make additional advances to the existing innovation that are supportive to the organization and the workforce.