The nominations for the Global Power 150 – Women in Staffing poured in. It felt the ecosystem came together to do what it could to elevate women. Much has been said about corporate America’s lackluster DE&I efforts and the poor representation of women including women of color in the C-suite and the boardroom. Is our industry any different? No. SIA research corroborates it.
But there are small but positive indicators that our industry is trying to change that paradigm. SIA received hundreds of nominations for the Global Power 150 – Women in Staffing list. It was heartwarming to see the efforts made on behalf of the women in our industry. Companies big and small nominated their thought leaders and backed it with substantial data.
The potpourri of recommendations included established leaders who ran-billion-dollar operations while continuing to lead their teams to stay ahead of the competition, workforce specialists, DE&I visionaries, technologists, innovators in tech and operations, attorneys, author — the list speaks to the diversity of thought in our ecosystem.
Congratulations not just to those who were selected for the list, but to all those who were nominated as well. As SIA’s editor and publisher, I was part of the team that scrutinized all the nominations to make the 2021 selection. It was a grueling process during which we made many tough calls, keeping in mind varied criteria such as scope of influence within their companies as well as the ecosystem at large. If there’s one message I wish to convey, it’s that if you were nominated for the list, please take a minute to pat yourself on the back. Your efforts to be a better leader and uplift your team have been noticed.
We made the list selection amid a backdrop of the toll the pandemic has had on women in the workforce. A 2021 Women in the Workplace report by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Co., the largest study on the state of women in corporate America, revealed that women are more burned out than men and continue to leave the workforce in droves. The report also noted that women are rising to the moment as stronger leaders, but their critical work is going unrewarded and unrecognized.
That’s what we want to change. Workforce solution providers need to make to make a real commitment to an inclusive workforce — including racial equity — if we want to represent the communities we serve.
Make that pledge to make the world of work better, take it seriously and do the right thing. The industry will be a big beneficiary.
And part of that is recognizing people’s contributions. To that end, please continue to send in nominations for the list. Help us in our efforts to highlight those who are redefining leadership.
To the 2021 Global Power 150 – Women in Staffing honorees: You are phenomenal. Congratulations! Your profiles will be live online tomorrow.
