Diversity Woman Magazine

FALL 2015

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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36 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N Fa l l 2 0 1 5 d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m A.T. Kearney Maximum Flexibility B right young minds are attracted to global manage- ment consulting frms, which promise exciting, challeng- ing careers. Women are still in the minority on many con- sulting teams, but A.T. Kearney wants to change that. Te frm aspires to become gender balanced, and for good reason. "Gender-diverse companies are almost 17 percent more prof- itable than other companies, and there's a strong correlation be- tween high-performing companies and female representation at the top," says Michelle Hay, Americas HR director at the frm. In fact, in a survey of major organizations that use consulting frms, conducted in 2013 by Source for Consulting, 90 percent of clients said they'd like to see more women on consulting teams, as did 100 percent of general managers. Consulting is demanding work, with long hours. So to keep clients happy while ensuring work-life balance for female em- ployees—and for men too—A.T. Kearney is revamping the old model. Te frm's Success with Flex program, for example, lets employees customize a career and schedule that work for them. One woman, who joined the frm as an associate, works four days a week. "It hasn't held her back," says Hay. "She was re- cently promoted to principal—the level right before partner." Because constant travel can be tough for consultants with families, A.T. Kearney introduced WorkSmart, in which the con- sulting team decides when it's truly important to be at a client's site. Consultants typically work on-site four days a week, but for some projects, that may be overkill. And when the frm realized that it was losing women follow- ing maternity leave, it created Pathway for Parents, which gives new parents one year to ramp back up. "You can take leave for that twelve months, with partial pay and full benefts," Hay says. "Another option is to work part-time on internal projects, with limited or no travel. Or, if you want to stay client facing, you can do it from the location where you are." Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Meaningful Mentoring S everal years ago, Wyndham spoke to female custom- ers to learn about their travel needs. Te company found that a woman might not want to have a hotel room on the ground foor due to safety concerns, for example, and might prefer a key without the room number on it. Tose insights led Wyndham to create its Women on Teir Way program, a re- source for female travelers. Te program was so successful that Wyndham decided to roll out a similar program for its female employees. "We have a dia- logue with women to ask, how can women ascend the organiza- tion?" says Patricia Lee, senior vice president. "How do women have that negotiation? Bring up tough ideas? Go back for edu- cation? Balance work and family?" Te company's Women on Teir Way associate business group now has 18 chapters world- wide, with more than 2,500 members. M any companies are helping women thrive in their careers— and then there are the superstars, which are boldly pushing their eforts to new levels. Rolling out programs for women is a good start, but which companies are truly transforming their internal culture? Getting their top brass involved? Creating initiatives that garner meaning- ful results? Diversity Woman is proud to celebrate 100 companies that are weaving women's empowerment into the very fabric of their organization's daily life. Tey're having deeper conversations, listening to their employees, and trying new approaches. We evaluated organizations based on several criteria, includ- ing women's upward mobility, proportion of multicultural women on staf, presence of female managers and executives, presence of women on the company's board, mentorship programs for women, family-friendly policies, and inclusion of women in succession planning. A company's history support- ing its female employees was also considered. We applaud these forward-thinking organizations as they help women build their dream careers—and gain a competitive edge along the way. Here now is a brief overview of a few of the 100 Best Compa- nies for Women's Leadership Development.

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