The first step towards a better tomorrow is to address the concerns. Companies do their bit to fight for the rights of women and establish equity, but some of them stand out. And their marketing and employee engagement has a lot to do with this!

One such brand is IBM. IBM Lab Services, for its #BalanceforBetter campaign challenged the men in its organization to pledge empowerment and encouragement to women by challenging the typical age-old stereotypes and fostering a leveled workforce. IBM voiced its commitment by having its leaders pledge for gender parity for a balanced tomorrow!

Campaigns like these not only ensure there is more and more awareness about the necessity of gender equality, but also make space for the workforce to take active participation in bringing in this equality.

We recently spoke with two experts from the Hrtech industry about their views on Women History Month and their go to strategies for synergizing marketing and HR for spreading gender inequality awareness.

Janel Dyan, a well-regarded executive brand strategist and expert on how to build a story to achieve brand alignment for both company and leadership success tells us how companies can align their employees and marketing campaigns to bring in awareness about the Women History Month.

Janel Dyan, Executive Leadership Brand Strategist.

“Women have never had a year like 2020. And even though we have seen progress in the gender roles of sharing household and parenting responsibilities, and noteworthy strides for equal pay in the workforce, we have a great opportunity to bring awareness to what is coined the “She-cession’ of 2021 by creating a powerful Women History Month campaign. So, what better way to celebrate just how much women carried on their shoulders than to highlight the trailblazers in your company, industry and around the world. 

1. Create a campaign that includes past, present and up-in-coming women at your company. Being able to communicate how your company has had a deep commitment to mentoring the careers of all women is a phenomenal way to build a brand that is dedicated to diversity and equality. Highlighting these trailblazers with a Q&A article can inspire other women in their own careers. Consider questions like: What advice would you give to women in your field? How are you breaking barriers faced by women in your field? Do you have a mentor and/or do you mentor other women?
2. Launch a Social Media Takeover: Run a daily social media takeover where a different woman in your office posts on your corporate social media accounts for the day.  It not only supports the employee by giving her a platform to share her story but also provides your customers the chance to see those who work with them getting recognition. 
3. Get ALL employees onboard: Create shareable graphics with inspiring quotes from women in your company and men who have been mentored/inspired by women in their careers to share on their own social media platforms. 
4. Host guest women speakers: Today, more than ever, we are always looking to connect with our employees and customers. A great way to differentiate yourself from your competitors is to provide opportunities for learning and growth. 
5. Build momentum for the long game: Awareness doesn’t stop at the end of the month but using Women’s History Month to build momentum for long-term success is a great start. Consider designing a Women’s Development Program. Begin with creating a healthy and inclusive corporate culture, focusing on tailoring programs for growth on all levels. With a combination of advancement opportunities, networking, training and mentorship. In fact, women who are mentored are statistically more successful in the workplace than non-mentored women, they rise to positions of power faster and with fewer roadblocks. And it’s not only transformative for women, organizations can begin to balance their leadership teams with greater diversity.”

While the goal is to level the playing field, the way to go is form meaningful and raw alliances. As women, pushing their way to reach the top, it is our responsibility to have difficult conversations, identify gaps in the systems, figure out ways to fill them, and celebrate all our accomplishments.

Celebration is a big part of empowerment, and PayPal is doing it just right! Following the #BalanceForBetter theme, PayPal created a video showcasing several women business leaders discussing the ways in which gender balance could be achieved at workplaces. It also features these leaders giving advice to more women looking for ways to grow their businesses. Under the campaign, the brand encouraged its customers to purchase from women CEO retailers using PayPal and pledged to proceed the donations to charities helping women around the world!

Speaking with one such industry pioneer, and a feisty leader, Meg Bear, SVP, Engineering & Operations, SAP SuccessFactors shared with us her go-to tips to celebrate Women History Month at workplaces as well as spread awareness about the same.

Meg Bear,SVP, Engineering and Operations at SAP SuccessFactors
 “Though I believe we should be focusing on supporting women every day, I appreciate that Women’s History Month gives us a dedicated opportunity to look at the progress we’ve made, celebrate achievements, and have honest, accountable conversations to plan for how we will continue to support women.  

 One of my favorite ways to celebrate Women’s History Month has been gathering with other female leaders and women in my industry to share our successes, tips, and discuss challenges we still face. In talking through these, I find that not only do we often face similar situations where we can share our advice, but it also further builds our community. As I’ve grown in my career, the conversation has dramatically increased – we’re talking about challenges women specifically are facing, we’re talking about how to alleviate those, and what we can do to empower each other. Some tangible efforts outside of these conversations can be actions like mentorship, advocacy for other women, and looking for ways to lift the next generation up and support minority groups.  

Another way I’ve been taking action this month has been by analyzing where we’re at and how our goals for women in the workforce need to continue to evolve: as a company and an industry, “what have we done well” and more importantly “what can we do better?” This is especially important given the impact of COVID-19 on women in the workforce – the statistics around women leaving the workforce are alarming. One that has stuck with me: according to research conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US economy cut 140,000 jobs in December, and women accounted for all the job losses. In the HR technology space, we’re focused on people and how to enable our customers to provide the best experiences for their employees. We think about the human aspect of this a lot – about well-being, DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and enabling and encouraging employees to bring their whole self to work. Months like this provide a great opportunity to think further about what we can build into our solutions to directly contribute to women feeling supported and empowered at work. Companies need to care about people and take seriously what opportunities they make for women.  

Women’s History Month is an opportunity to recognize women, but also to bring awareness that we need to continue to set the bar higher and do more.”

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