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2.2 Consider targeted hiring to fill open positions and increase overall percentage of women in the company in general and/or in the technical areas

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Description of Best Practices

Define targets for percentage of women, as well as women and men, to be reached overall in the organization and within different management levels and technical functions, with an aim to reach strategic equality and D&I targets and increase balance of women and men within different parts of the organization

Conduct gender gap analysis[1] to use a data-driven approach for target setting, align targets with company or national strategy, develop a stepwise plan to reach targets. and communicate effectively on aim to reach to create buy-in within the organization. Create a business case[2] supporting the set hiring targets for women

Become a signatory of an international agreement supporting gender parity, such as “Equal by 2030” or base your strategic approach on global movements such as the Women’s Empowerment Principles or the Sustainable Development Goals

Develop structured approach to apply inclusive hiring and recruiting practices and to eliminate bias against women in recruitment (see below)

Challenges of Implementation

Pool of diverse female candidates may be much smaller than pool of male candidates, which may make it challenging to use fair evaluation criteria to get the desired diversity results; this may require giving an advantage to women with similar competencies as a man competing for the same role 

Long-term target setting may be counteracted by volatility of the industry or other factors of uncertainty (e.g., limited mandate periods of decision makers)

Practices and workplace environment may not be ready to absorb newly hired women in a positive manner and may hinder women’s success

Setting hiring targets or quotas may spur resistance and "affirmative action backlash" where men feel disadvantaged by women

Lack of transparency can lead to stigmatization of the hired women as being “chosen for quotas only”

What Success Looks Like

Clear hiring targets are set for the short-, medium- and long-term and there is transparency in mechanisms to reach these targets

Strong merit-based processes in place that guarantee women can successfully perform in selection processes and can be hired 

Workplace environment shows a welcoming attitude toward newly hired women and support their success

Retention rate of women after one to two years shows that the women feel well-equipped for the positions and can be successful

Resources and Tools

Case Study: Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) Increases Women’s Participation in the Power Sector (USAID)

Guide: Developing a Business Case for Gender Equality (USAID)

Guide: Setting Strategic Gender Equality Targets (USAID)

Guide: Goal Setting for Gender Equality (USAID)

Guide: Equal by 30 Signatory Toolkit (Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Initiative)

Tool: CEO Statement of Support for Women’s Empowerment Principles (United Nations Global Compact & UN Women)

Tool: Adding a Gender Lens to Nontraditional Jobs Training Programs (Jobs for the Future)

Example: Equal by 30 (Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Initiative)

Example: Sample Affirmative Action Program (United States Department of Labor)

Report/Study: Diversity in Engineering: Managing the Workforce of the Future (Chapter: Affirmative Action Backlash) (National Academy of Engineering)

Report/Study (incl. Case Studies): Backlash And Buy-In: Responding To The Challenges Of Achieving Gender Equality (MCC) 

Report/Study: Hiring for Equity in Clean Energy (Shortlist and Open Capital) 

Article: Evaluating Affirmative Backlash (The Harvard Crimson) 

Article: Seeking Women: 70+ Companies That Have Set Gender Diversity Targets (Forbes)


[1] GAP ANALYSIS. Process that compares actual performance or results with what was expected or desired. The method provides a way to identify suboptimal or missing strategies, structures, capabilities, processes, practices, technologies, or skills, and then recommends steps that will help the company meet its goals. (Source: Smartsheet, The Complete Guide to Gap Analysis)

[2] BUSINESS CASE. Type of decision-making tool used to determine the effects a particular decision will have on profitability. (Source: Businessdictionary.com)