3 ways agile talent solutions support women in the workplace – and why you should care
As a certified SBA Women-Owned Small Business, we have a passion for supporting other women in the events industry at Soundings. But we aren’t just female entrepreneur aficionados – we know the value that greater representation of women in the workplace has on a company’s overall success.
Here are three ways incorporating an agile talent strategy can support women in the workplace and your business at large.
Soundings Founder & CEO Tracy Judge, Soundings Chief of Staff Nikki Gonzales, and speakers on the Gen-Z young leadership panel at MPI WEC 2023.
1) Increase innovation and revenues
Greater female representation contributes to cognitive diversity in the workplace, which stimulates innovation and drives business potential. According to a study by HBR, companies with higher-than-average diversity increased innovation revenues by 19%.
At Soundings, we put great intention into curating a diverse talent network. We’re particularly proud to invest time and resources to champion our fellow female event professionals and to create a community where women can thrive at all stages of their lives and careers. The women in our talent network have varying backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences.
An agile talent strategy can jumpstart innovation in your organization by plugging in female freelancers with valuable insight and an array of unique perspectives.
2) Talent retention
During the pandemic, females left the workforce 4x the amount as men, in large part to care for their children, parents, or extended family members. With almost 80% of the meetings and events labor force being female, the events industry was hit hard with attrition.
An HBR survey found that ⅔ of women who left the workforce would have stayed with more flexibility. Freelancing gives women the freedom of flexible job opportunities and the power to pursue their interests on a full-time or freelance basis as needed. This is one of the reasons 77% of our Soundings Thrive network identifies as female.
With the vast number of women leaving the workforce, organizations are losing out on a lot of great talent that are masters of their craft. 69% of women in our talent network at Soundings has 10+ years of experience in the industry and many have sought after certifications and higher education.
Incorporating freelancers into your organization is an excellent way to gain the industry expertise you need when you need it.
Bonus: Freelance opportunities allow women to stay relevant and hone their skills during periods when they may not be able to or want a traditional full-time opportunity. This is important because only 30% of executives in the events industry are female and they account for 77% of the greater industry. We want to see that change – we want women to have it all and not feel like they’re sacrificing in any part of their life.
3) Actually meet your DEI goals
According to recent Gallup studies on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), “97% of HR leaders say their organization has made changes that improved DEI. Unfortunately, just 37% of employees strongly agree that their workplace has made changes to improve DEI. Even more troubling, an additional 34% of employees say they ‘don’t know’ whether their leaders are making changes related to DEI.”
A truly diverse workforce is felt by all involved. While many organizations may have good intentions to increase DEI in their organizations, action is needed to follow through on these promises. An agile staffing model can help you thoughtfully achieve your organization’s DEI goals.
If you are interested in learning more about how Soundings can increase diversity at your organization while matching with meeting and event professionals for an upcoming project or event, let us know! Our network of 2600+ experts spans globally and allows us to match clients with the best local talent for their organization and event needs.
And if you are a woman looking for freelancing work or considering it as a career path, we welcome you to our community with open arms! Learn more and join our community here.