COVID Year Two: How to Engage and Retain Female Employees
Since the first case of Covid in the United States just over a year ago, nearly 2.2 million women have left the labor force. The effort to stop the Covid slide for working mothers has turned into a full-blown She-Cession. As we enter the second year of Covid, here are two ways companies are building belonging, leadership skills, and career development by relying on reacHIRE’s Aurora platform to engage and retain female employees.
Harnessing The Transformational Power of Teams
Hiring and training new employees is a costly process. Businesses need new ways to address the unprecedented and unique needs of female employees to keep the talent they worked so hard to recruit and train.
Establishing small peer groups within an organization doubles as both a professional development opportunity as well as a place for younger employees to build a community that has a tremendous impact on employee retention and performance. Women with a tight-knit circle of supportive women at work are 2.5 times more likely to become high performers.
In the safety of Aurora small groups, women are openly and honestly sharing concerns, asking questions and seeking professional advice from colleagues and mentors. That sense of belonging leads to improved confidence, increased retention, and opportunities for advancement. Many Aurora participants have reported they asked for – and received – promotions and opportunities they didn’t feel confident pursuing before they joined the Aurora program.
Provide Structured Mentorship and Career Support
Through dedicated, regular access to mid-to-late career professionals who serve as mentors and small group facilitators over a 6-month period, women are able to share in-the-moment experiences and receive advice from trusted peers who have navigated similar work situations and understand the specific culture of the shared organization.
Aurora’s impact on retention and engagement is overwhelmingly positive:
- 9 out of 10 women said being a part of the Aurora program made them feel more committed to their company.
- 100% of women noted their company was making their development a priority by providing the opportunity to participate in the Aurora Program.
- 100% of women said their confidence improved in just six months.
- 100% of women said they could apply what they learned in the Aurora program to their work.
- 100% of women said their leadership skills improved.
There are many business goals Aurora helps companies achieve – increased engagement, developing women leaders, and upticks in loyalty and retention. But over the last year, the participants in the Aurora experience have also identified Aurora as a key part of their support system. Guided to build a network of peers and role models while learning new skills, the women are also strengthening their resilience and bonds to the company by relying on their Aurora cohort for coping skills, successes, and losses during year one of Covid.
If you are facing the second year of Covid interested in building belonging, engagement and retention in your organization, with a bonus of being a valuable support tool for the women in your workforce, get in touch.