The career landscape in government services can be both incredibly complex — relying on ever-changing and evolving leadership priorities — and, against all odds, incredibly static. New administrations come in with new priorities and leadership. However, what you can see in government services, whether working in the government or for those that support the government, is the same profile of leader is often appointed or promoted.
Government services has long been a male-dominated environment, particularly at the leadership level. Workplaces were designed by men, for men — men who were capable and encouraged to focus on work 100 percent of the time.
Public policies, funding and programs shift every 4 to 8 years, yet the patriarchal design of the workplace remains strong — with head counts still absent of women in leadership positions. With a diverse career field that encompasses everything from public services administration to congressional appointments, opportunities abound for a more diverse workforce, so what holds women back from filling these positions?
I’ve been working in the government sector for over a decade and worked on U.S. government initiatives focused on active aging to an International Development company’s corporate compliance manager. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been the only woman in the room. It’s often the case when attending conferences or business events — there are more and more women entering the field but it’s still few and far between. Being the only woman in a field can be great and exciting, but it’s also immensely difficult. You don’t have a counterpart, another voice to compare your often similar experiences.
UN Women reports that women only serve as Heads of State or Government in 22 countries, and 119 countries have never had a woman leader. The numbers are staggering, and as we continue to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, proactively supporting women in leadership positions and using Human Resources technology will enable the industry to make great progress in tipping the scales.
The new normal
A study by Deloitte of Women in the Workplace in 2021, found more than one in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce completely and the top reason they are planning to leave is because of a lack of a work-life balance. When COVID-19 hit, many children were sent home from school and families had to decide who would watch them. Women once again became caretakers, with the same study reporting that 66 percent say they have the greatest responsibility for household tasks and more than half of those with children provide the majority of childcare. There is no work-life balance if you’re expected to be on 12 Zoom meetings a day between 9 to 5 and teach reading to a toddler and 5th grade math to another child. Women are expected to balance it all – be the leader, be the mom, be the caregiver, and do it all.
If women don’t return to the workforce and continue to leave corporate America at the rapid rate the surveys suggest, we could lose an entire generation of women in leadership. Without women in the workplace, a diversity of thought and inclusion is overlooked and businesses and customers will lose. Companies and government branches with women in leadership positions are more likely to not only survive but thrive during this exodus, because they are equipped to accommodate flexibility.
Government services positions, job functions, culture, and policies are vast and this variety of choice is why it is positioned well to be a leader in establishing workplace culture that is accommodating to women. Work should take place where and when it takes place. Period. A flexible approach to working hours and office attendance will be necessary as we go forward. Women have had to pretend for too long that their work takes top priority — from hiding pregnancies to accommodating inconvenient travel and meeting schedules — the women I’ve seen succeed have had to find ways to put a work-first attitude to whatever detriment that may make at home.
One of the unexpected effects of the pandemic has been a needed shake-up in the balance of work and home priorities, or rather an inability to ignore the intersection anymore. As sole caregivers, women finding ways to work around their family expectations became a requirement — not a nice to have for businesses. Which is why the workplaces with flexible work policies will most likely see a higher increase of women returning to work. COVID-19 and the ability to work remotely has shown women that they should not be forced to sacrifice for personal growth, due to their gender. The ability to remote work should no longer be a “perk” but instead a must have, which is where technology is coming to the rescue.
The way forward
As we look at the changing workplace, which has experienced an acceleration of digitization due to COVID-19, the value of adopting enterprise Human Resource technology should not be overlooked by organizations. From recruiting to onboarding talent, HR has always been on the frontlines as the first interaction employees have with a company. By focusing and automating much of the work, a flexible workplace can be established from day one and give women the tools they need to succeed.
With a more flexible way to adapt and mentor employees, this same HR tech can help show employees their career architecture and ensure it aligns with their goals and mobile workplaces. From soft-skill development to adjusting to a more flexible workplace approach, the human resources department is the heart of the business. As government policies and priorities shift to include bringing women back to work, finding a scalable solution that can be adapted based on a female employee’s needs is key.
Personally, I’ve never seen joining a male-dominated field as a deterrent, but rather a challenge. A challenge that I want to take so that future generations of women won’t even realize there was ever a discrepancy. The way that we meet this challenge throughout government services now is going to define whether future generations of women are in the boardroom or the living room—and I’m hopeful that with the right technology, the two can coexist.
JoHannah T. Harrington, JD, MPH is an entrepreneur, consultant, and consummate connector of people. Currently the Chief Legal Officer with Elements Global Services, she is responsible for overseeing the multiple divisions within the Legal & Compliance Department.
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