Addressing "Boys Clubs" in the Office: How to Create an Inclusive Company Culture

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Workplace rules were written over 100 years ago by men for men. Today, we still see a "boys club" mentality in all sectors.

In fact, a recent Harvard study shows that male employees are promoted faster than their female counterparts when led by men. Conversely, the study found that under female managers, all genders receive equal promotional treatment.

Researchers predict that about 40% of the gender pay gap would be eliminated if promotion advantages between men were removed. But eliminating the toxicity of boys' clubs won't happen overnight.

So how does a company change its culture?

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Let's explore what it takes for a company to make a cultural shift towards more equality in the workplace.

Company Culture Change: Changing the Direction of Recruitment

Knowing what skills are needed to do a job is the easiest part of recruiting. Sifting through resumes for a candidate's pedigree is as easy as searching for the right text. Where they went to school, their experience and the titles they held are all easily identifiable and quantifiable.

It takes more skill to predict how the new team member might fit into the office dynamic and what contributions and new skills they might bring to the table. This requires a more personal approach to the interview process. Rather than spending time in an interview solely on someone's career path, it's important to spend time finding out if the candidate is an emotionally intelligent person who can not only contribute to the team, but also improve it.

Changing the focus on hiring for passion as well as skills can bring a different type of employee into your organization. Skill can be taught, but passion is innate. It is there or it is not.

From adapted culture to added culture

There's been a lot of talk about "cultural fit" in today's hiring climate. Hiring managers should emphasize the likelihood that a potential candidate will fit core values ​​and blend in with the diverse personalities that make up an organization.

But improving corporate culture is not about maintaining the status quo. Finding a cultural "fit" may be more like inserting a square peg into a round hole. This approach requires a large part of the employee, expecting them to adapt to the culture, rather than the existing culture evolving and improving over time.

However, a culture "add-on" is someone who joins the culture of an existing organization and brings something to the table. This allows the whole to become more than just the sum of its parts.

A culture add-on allows a CEO to say, "What is missing from my current company culture?" and allows employees to benefit from the new gifts brought to the team by diverse hiring. More importantly, it weeds out those who might take an "ends justify the means" approach to job performance.

Everyone needs to create an inclusive company culture

When you have kindness,