How To Support Women In the Workplace

What does it mean to support women in the workplace? I think there are so many aspirational phrases out there, but few specific guidelines or best practices so let me share mine….

When I graduated from law school in 1992, I had quite the challenge finding my first job. It took four months of non-stop informational interviews, resume building and lead following. Fortunately, I landed at a top Wall Street law firm. Seven years later when I decided to move home to Chicago, I found myself in a very different position. I was a woman, with seven years of New York firm experience specializing in securities law, an uncommon choice for women back then. From that vantage point, I was able to secure a dream job. I told my new employer that I wanted to make partner, was ready for kids and, accordingly, to work part-time schedule when that happened, and that I expected to be well paid. The firm was receptive, followed through and I spent a wonderful 13 years there.

In 2010, when I struck out on my own, my instinctive vision was to build my business on that same model. Fast forward to today and we are a team of 11, all women and one great man, most of whom work on a flexible schedule. Three are young moms, one is tapering off toward retirement, one wants to travel after a long career, one cares for elderly parents. All are phenomenal professionals that our clients are grateful to have as their lawyers.

Another vital ingredient in striving to attract and retain female employees is to constantly reinforce their value. I’ve read several articles recently about this being the most significant factor to women in terms of job satisfaction. I let my employees know how appreciative I am for them both monetarily, with surprise bonuses for deal closings, and through communication. We have one-on-one calls each month and group calls each week, and I never hesitate to crow loudly about their incredible successes. They deserve to know that I would be nowhere without them.

I hope this was helpful to readers running businesses or searching for work with an employer that is truly devoted to supporting its female employees.

The other piece is to create a collegial atmosphere where your people enjoy each other’s company. We do team building days and events, both virtual (think cocktail making via Zoom) and in person (most recently, a Chicago food tour).Our weekly team meetings always start with a fun icebreaker. I also encourage everyone to share their feedback. I let them know that I certainly don’t know everything and welcome their input on any improvements to our firm and the services we provide. I was once part of an organization where the higher-ups regularly gossiped about employees, poisoning the atmosphere. I never bad mouth my team members to the others. If I have something to say, I say it directly to the individual. All of this combined has created deep respect and likability amongst the AllRise employees which leads them feeling valued and wanting to stick around for the future.