by Kate Evert | Mar 4, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership, Work Place
As we begin Women’s History Month, we should acknowledge that long before Rosie started riveting in relatively clean and safe surroundings, her forebearers were working (mostly unpaid) for millennia.
Too often, people associate women’s history solely with the image of Rosie the Riveter or suffragettes winning the right to vote in 1920. But we tend to forget that long before that, women worked for centuries in cottage industries, producing gloves, lace, and woolen goods in their cottages or homes. A huge leap occurred when women took these “handy” skills and transferred them to large looms run by steam power in the north of England and then New England. Often, the women working in these roles were on the lowest end of the social spectrum, and thus had no voice.
The First World War was a major shift. Now women were patriotic to take on paid roles outside of the domestic work that they had always done outside the home. By the end of 1918, American women made up nearly 20% of the workforce. Like their British sisters, once the American women had a taste of autonomy and contribution, they were not content to return to the farm or the home and lose the voice, and perhaps the pay packet, that they had gained once the men returned home. The “average” American woman then realized that the best way to make her voice heard was the ballot box.
So this Women’s History Month, let’s reflect on the contributions of the women before us and continue to celebrate their impact in our world every day. Read More Here
by Kate Evert | Feb 26, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Labor Markets
The Economist claims that in a recent lecture, an esteemed economist at The University of Chicago asserted that “the decision to participate in a market is not simply about maximizing utility given a set of tastes and constraints.”
Underpinning much of what is taught and believed about economics at U of C is that all people are rational actors. But like Adam Smith, who understood that the invisible hand of efficient markets would only work within a system of moral actors, Marianne Bertrand’s research has uncovered that the labor market for women isn’t efficient within a system of societal biases.
To understand more about what Bertrand’s data reveals about the contributors to gender gaps in the labor markets Read More Here
by Kate Evert | Jan 20, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership
I was four years old when Dr. King was killed, and I spent the ensuing days bombarding my poor parents with questions.
Three and a half decades later, when our son was four and our daughter was seven, we were sitting around the dinner table when my husband questioned them: “Do you know why you didn’t have school today?” They both knew it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Who was Dr. King?” we asked, and our four-year-old responded, “He don’t want you to fight with people.“ We accepted that answer. We turned to the seven-year-old. Her answer started with Rosa Parks and a bus. She understood that the peace part had something to do with racial injustice.
My husband then looked at our children and told them that they needed to realize how very different their lives would be if it hadn’t been for Dr. King‘s dream and his work. They would not have Jewish friends who invited them to Hanukkah parties. Our daughter probably couldn’t have a best friend who was African-American, because what were the odds that she would even go to school with kids that look different than herself? So many things that our children took for granted were things that three and a half decades earlier were unfathomable for most Americans. The best part of the evening was when our seven-year-old got out of her chair and put her hands on her hips and said, “I’m sorry I just don’t understand. How could this be?!”
Today, as Americans pause and remember Dr. King‘s legacy, some of us will be doing exactly what Dr. King would expect of us—committing acts of service, or acts of peace, extending a hand to our neighbors, and taking steps to bring his dream a bit closer to reality. But for those of us who are not part of one of those activities today, could we pause and think of the classmate or neighbor, colleague, best friend, or person we love; who, because of Dr King’s dream, is now an integral part of our lives. Today, let’s think about the person we couldn’t dream of NOT having in our life. Let’s give thanks for an American with a bold desire for justice, a thirst for equality, and a conviction that all our lives would be richer working together rather than living apart.
by Kate Evert | Apr 17, 2018 | Compensation, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Human Capital, Work Place
If you haven’t seen our latest post, Read More Here, we highlighted a recent study about the earnings gap that some working mothers experience after the birth of a child. The study’s findings suggest that depending on the arrival of that first child, some women’s earnings will never recover. We happen to think that a great deal of these mothers chose alternate paths, and paths that often benefit other parents looking for flexibility. If you’re in Virginia, check out this new company, Play, Work, or Dash. Their co-working space offers more than just a space to work. They’re branching out and offering childcare services. A future trend we might see more of? We sure hope so. Another idea we wish we had thought of first. Read More Here.
by Kate Evert | Apr 12, 2018 | Compensation, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Salary Budgets, Wage Increases, Work Place
I had no hesitation about becoming a working mother. But reading this article brought back a memory that I must have blocked – until now.
Just about 21 years ago, when awaiting the birth of our first child, I encountered a female partner at the elevator bank. Now given that the Partner-in-Charge of our National group practice was a mother, the Partner-in-Charge of our Chicago practice was a mother, and I had two supportive bosses who were both fathers, I was not unduly worried about becoming a working mother.
Imagine my surprise when this female partner asked me how was I going to “manage coming back to work” after the birth of my child? I thought it was the oddest of questions to ask in our practice area, but despite my surprise, answered her anyway. So imagine my shock when she responded, “Well I sure hope your husband makes a lot of money; that will be expensive.” Now given that we worked in Global Human Resources Solutions, this response was so wrong on so many levels. But even way back in 1997, I found the notion that my career plans were going to be entirely dependent on the earning power of my husband completely absurd.
Sadly, this article shows that perhaps that notion wasn’t so absurd. Our daughter turns 21 this month. I just hope and pray that this notion changes in time for her. Read More Here
by Kate Evert | Feb 14, 2018 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Hiring, Human Capital, Recruiting
From my involvement with Best Buddies, I was aware that there were companies who hired people with intellectual disabilities. This story highlights that often these aren’t disabilities. These intellectual differences allow some employees to bring much needed skills to the workplace. Many people on the autism spectrum are better at pattern recognition and attention to detail.
For many years, my colleagues on the organizational development end of the HR spectrum have lamented that the traditional hiring process is flawed by interviewer bias. Companies like Microsoft are using a different way of interviewing people on the autism spectrum, but this is actually better way of screening most candidates and predicting success within a role and a company culture.
“Instead of the traditional job interview focusing so heavily on social skills, the company – Microsoft – has replaced it with a vetting process that lasts for weeks and includes team building exercises.”
Given the current labor shortages in certain areas, I don’t think we can afford to ignore any human capital, or an increase in turnover. It’s taking people on autism spectrum to bring out some of the better practices on the HR spectrum. Read More Here.
