How to Restore Female Talent Lost During the Pandemic to the Workforce

A year ago, shortly after the pandemic had begun, a colleague suggested, “At last we will get to work from home … not the ideal way but companies will see how this is so much better for women.”

I disagreed.

Since we are both named Ellen we offered to do a program for an organization we both belong to: Ellen versus Ellen. But before the event was scheduled, the stories began to emerge about what working from home under pandemic lockdown was really like. It was not the benefit my friend had envisioned and it was much worse than I had anticipated. For working women with children, especially younger children it would prove to be incredibly damaging to their careers.

The statistics a year later are staggering. Three million women have left the workforce due to the pandemic. One in ten mothers of small children left their jobs to provide child care. It is estimated that it will take women two full years more than men to return to their pre-pandemic levels of work. Even among the most senior women who have job security, one in four reports planning to leave their companies earlier due to their company’s response to the pandemic.

I have worked to advance women in the workplace for almost three decades. I have seen the numbers of women CEOs and on Boards increase ever so slowly. I have been encouraged by the number of women in executive leadership roles across sectors – progress has been made. However, the consequences of the pandemic on women’s economic status have been devastating and will have long-term consequences for women across the job spectrum. In one year, we have lost what it has taken decades to achieve. Furthermore, this is not only a threat to women’s futures but a threat to the overall economic recovery post-Covid.

We are at a critical moment. Vaccines allow us to imagine a post-Covid world of work, and companies are beginning to assess what that will mean for their workforce. We must ask “What about the women who left?” The waves of talent that left the workforce because of the lack of childcare options must be recruited back. They must be welcomed back. We all must work to make this happen.

There are three things that companies can do: first, prioritize the hiring of women who left the company during the pandemic. Second, include women who have had struggles with child care or family care during the pandemic on any committees deciding about the return to work processes and procedures. This way you can ensure that what was difficult during the pandemic is not exacerbated during any return phase. Third, commit to advancing child care options for employees – whether on-site or shared services. And let congress know your commitment to legislation that supports funding for child care.

Similarly, each of us must ask ourselves what can I do myself to address the hemorrhage of female talent that has occurred? How can I contribute to building back the ranks of women employees at every level? How can I help recruit, develop, advance, and retain talented women? This may mean making introductions or connections or referrals for someone I know is looking for a job. It may be offering advice or mentorship to someone struggling with ongoing virtual or a new hybrid model of work. Each of us can speak up formally or informally for the hiring of female talent – speaking out about the losses that women have endured.

Second, we can reach out to rebuild the social network of women at work. Virtual work and zoom calls have failed to foster networks of connections between and among women. We could begin by reaching out to the folks we used to interact with informally when we were in the office – the women whom we would run into when getting coffee or at the copy machine. We have all missed those familiar faces and this is the time to reach out for a quick call or brief zoom.

Let’s check-in with each other and see how others are doing.
Let’s make offers to help them return to work.
Let’s find ways to stay connected so we don’t feel so alone.

You might also consider how to reach out to the more senior members of your organization that you haven’t seen or interacted with since going virtual? Perhaps they could hold a town hall meeting with small groups to catch up on how folks are doing with their parts of the business and the transition back to the office. There may be new people hired over the past year who no one knows yet – find a way to get them introduced.

And lastly, speak to the leaders of HR and your organization to see what creative steps the company can take to recognize and retain their talented women. Are there any forums to discuss what the pandemic has been like for women with children, parents to care for, single and alone? How can they re-engage those women who might be eager to quit or retire? Are there additional resources such as support groups or speakers that could be provided? This is the most important time for the company to show how it values its female talent.

Admittedly, there are many areas of diversity and inclusion that demand attention, but this is not the time to lose sight of the importance of retaining and rehiring our female talent. We can’t lose all the progress that has been made over decades of effort. We can’t remain silent and let millions of women leave the workplace without doing something to address and reverse the trend. Women’s employment may not return to pre-pandemic levels immediately but we must work hard to make the return as soon as possible.

We can’t lose our female leaders – the world, our economy, and our companies need them too much! If you are interested in some one-on-one coaching, please send me an email so we can connect.

For another perspective about the effects of the pandemic on the female workforce, click here.