The CBJ survey: How are Corridor women faring?  

To get a baseline for how women in the region feel about their workplaces, their employers’ approaches to gender issues and opportunities for advancement, the CBJ launched an online survey in early March. Though unscientific, about 60 women participated, answering a 10-minute questionnaire and sharing their perspectives. The vast majority gave their names, titles, workplaces and contact information, although the CBJ is not publishing identifying information. Here is part two of our results, with more to follow in upcoming installments of Her Way. A majority of Corridor women agreed mentorship played an important role in helping them advance. About 43% said two to three senior staff members had actively helped them to get ahead in their careers and 16.4% said more than four senior staffers had done so. Eighteen percent of those taking the survey had a least one top executive guiding them.

• My CEO is a woman and a huge activist for diversity in the workplace.
• Women are a majority of the leaders in our company, and we understand what it takes!
• There has been a lot more talk and purposeful strategy around this recently which makes me feel hopeful for the future. It wasn’t that I felt our organization did it on purpose, it was more “out of sight, out of mind.”

On the other hand, nearly 22% reported they were receiving no assistance or guidance from senior staff on how to move ahead — making “no help” the second most common answer to this question.

• The policies and opportunities are there, but the women seem to have to announce their availability while the men are assumed to be available and interested.
• Leadership roles are mostly filled by white males and attitude of advancement is for those who “do not disrupt.”
• The CEO is a woman, but instead of lifting women up she just puts them down.
• While there are a fair amount of women in leadership positions across campus, I think we do still have a bit of the buddy-buddy system in place. We’ve done a lot to correct it, but we still have room to grow.

Fifty-seven percent believed their employer is putting in the right amount of effort to increase gender diversity, while 43% say more needs to be done. Even so, 68% believe gender will not be a factor or may even be an asset going forward.

• As women gain more confidence and a voice to speak up, I don’t think it will be a factor for long. Part of what I had to learn was I can’t be a meek voice in the room. I need to assert myself, ask questions, hold myself accountable while also offering a solution and keep personal life obstacles to myself.
• Even though society as a whole has migrated towards gender equality and has become more aware of diversity issues, a small [enterprise] like my employer is not equipped to make cultural pivots in the way we should to incorporate supporting women in the workplace (and diversity initiatives).
• I don’t want to be asked to the table just because I am a woman, and they need to have a woman for appearance sake. Our company looks at who is the right person to be at the table to get the results that are needed. I think other companies will be more aware of treating people equally and in the long range, work ethic, performance and wanting it will drive who gets the job, raise, promotion etc.