6.4 Organize informal talks between the CEO and employees, ensuring inclusion of women with diverse social identities
Content
Description of Best Practices
Organize informal meetings such as breakfast, lunch, or coffee with the CEO with the goal to foster connection, belonging, and relevance in the company culture; this will not only foster the relationship between employees and management, but will also lead to cross-functional exchange between employees
Invite male and female employees to participate or set up a raffle/lottery to win a spot at the event
Target invitations to women so they may attend these meetings and talk about challenges/difficulties faced by female employees at the firm, proactively engaging and empowering women so their concerns are heard by the head of the organization
Challenges of Implementation
There may be limited time and financial resources to organize these events
Employees may be reluctant to sign up or participate in the event due to fear or unease about talking to the CEO or upper-level management
Open and “eye-to-eye” culture is needed for this format to be successful
Challenges with the CEO following through with commitments to host events regularly, may result in a poor internal reputation for consistency
What Success Looks Like
Meetings result in high potential team members being “discovered,” new and innovative ideas and/or problems identified along with suggested improvements
Female employees are given a platform to discuss challenges and propose improvements for the organization
Resources and Tools
Article: Why You Should Create a “Shadow Board” of Younger Employees (Harvard Business Review)
Article: How CEO Lunches Improve Employee Engagement (Forbes)
Article: Executive and CEO Lunches with Employees help Build Bridges (The Balance Careers)
Article (incl. Video Interview): The Rewards of an Engaged Female Workforce (Boston Consulting Group)