Goal 4: Create psychological safety and an inclusive culture

Our pioneering Gender Benchmark launched at the start of summer 2024. Based around seven goals, WE+ is a transformative framework that will help organisations get closer to achieving gender equality

Speaking up and having a voice are fundamental to One Loud Voice (1LV). We believe that voices are more powerful when they join and call for change, or stand together to call out problems. But many women in the workplace don’t feel safe to speak up, speak out, or share ideas. They fear judgement, retaliation, or even ridicule. And yet, all evidence suggests that by creating psychological safety and an inclusive culture women in the workplace can benefit and we come a step closer to promoting equality.

That is why the fourth goal under the One Loud Voice (1LV) WE+ Measure is to: Create Psychological Safety and an Inclusive Culture. The goal is about making it ok for everyone to have ideas and opinions and to speak up without fear of any comeback.

Speaking up

Workplaces where women can thrive benefits everyone. If women feel safe to speak up and share ideas they are more likely to:

• Contribute fully to their work.

Psychological safety encourages open communication and collaboration, leading to better decision making and increased innovation.

• Advance in their careers.

Women who feel supported and valued are more likely to seek out leadership roles and achieve their full potential.

• Experience greater job satisfaction and wellbeing.

A positive and inclusive work environment reduces stress and burnout, leading to happier and more productive employees.

An inclusive culture

An inclusive culture also helps to break down gender stereotypes and biases. By doing so it helps create a level playing field for women. If everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of gender, the entire organisation benefits from a more diverse and talented workforce.

At 1LV we always look to fix the system rather than the women. By promoting an overall culture of inclusivity and equality, organisations will attract and retain talent.

By addressing these structural issues, organisations can create a more equitable and inclusive workplace where women can thrive. All the evidence points to the creation of a win-win situation that not only benefits women but leads to increased productivity, innovation and overall business success.

The seven WE+ goals clearly focus on key areas where we know organisations can make meaningful differences to their overall gender equality. They are separate goals that also work together. For example, by normalising flexible working practices – on of our other goals – and putting in place measures to ensure remote workers are not disadvantaged, organisations can create the right conditions to fairly evaluate people for promotion and reward. Such measures can sit alongside data-driven decision making, which can then identify any potential biases in promotion and reward decisions.

A fairer future

Measures to assess an organisation’s commitment to gender equality include: the current representation of women across all roles; whether specific gender targets exist; whether there is a target for the percentage of women in middle management positions; whether there is a target for including women in the pipeline for senior management roles; whether the board has committed to achieving gender equality targets. Key measures are the gender equity actions that achieve the gender equality targets.

By using the WE+ Measure, organisations will be showing teams, future employees, suppliers and customers that they are on a clear path to gender equality. They will receive an initial rating on each goal, as well as specific feedback, and leaders will see where and how they can make changes

Our aim is for systemic change to ensure women are fairly represented and promoted at all stages of their careers, with a particular focus on middle management roles. We know that the talent pipeline in these roles is lacking, and it is impacting career progression to senior management roles and beyond. With the help of the benchmark, organisations will be able to set their own standards for achieving equal and appropriate representation of females and to ensure women have an equal chance of making it through the talent pipeline to senior roles.

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About WE+ The One Loud Voice (1LV) WE+ Measure was always designed with ‘all of us’ in mind. The gender benchmark was launched in June 2024 with a simple aim: to help women in the workplace at every point in their career by working with organisations and helping fix the structural imbalances in the system.

Structured around seven strategic goals WE+ gives organisations a foundation from where they can articulate their commitment to both equity and equality in the workplace.

Goal 1: Commitment to gender equality Goal 2: Minimise bias in recruitment, promotion and reward Goal 3: Resolve structural issue around working patterns and benefits Goal 4: Create psychological safety and an inclusive culture Goal 5: Genuine partnership approach between genders Goal 6: End gender discrimination and harassment Goal 7: End gender pay gap

Find out more about WE+ Measure here