BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Oct. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies across
industries from IT to biopharma have long emphasized the importance
of recruiting and maintaining women in jobs in the so-called STEM
fields – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. They spend
billions every year to create all kinds of programs to encourage
gender equality in these important occupations where men have
tended to dominate, in order to benefit from the talents and ideas
of empowered women in the workforce.
"We know from our own experience, and demonstrated by
research, that gender diversity creates greater value, and that an
inclusive culture is far more likely to be innovative and
agile," says Cristina Santos,
Sanofi's Head of Inclusion & Diversity and EEO North
America. "If we don't intentionally invite everyone to the
conversation, Sanofi won't be able to deliver on our ambition to be
a top three human healthcare company and meet the needs of the
patients that count on us."
Often, however, programs launched with good intentions fall
short of their objectives, frustrating the very people they are
aimed to support. More than half of the highly qualified women in
STEM jobs will eventually quit because of factors like lack of
opportunity, bias, or isolation by male peers. That leaves
companies struggling to figure out what to do next.
Study provides insight into what works
A new study
promises to help answer that question the way that STEM
professionals look for answers: With data.
The study, conducted by the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI),
reports on the experience of more than 3,000 women employed in the
field. Sponsored by a dozen major corporations, including Sanofi
US, the study ranked ten common initiatives according to how
effective they are in retaining and advancing women in STEM – as
well as the most effective strategies women in STEM use to be
successful.
At the top of the list of effective initiatives: A commitment to
pay equity, followed by an opportunity to connect with female and
minority consumers.
"Having this kind of data is of immense value in providing
guidance to Sanofi and others when developing programs aimed at
fostering growth and development for women in STEM," said Dr.
Holly Schachner, the US Medical
Chair at Sanofi. "It also helps those of us who serve as mentors
to these women understand how we can better help to support the
next generation of female STEM leaders."
While one item near the top of the list is being given time
outside of core job functions to do innovative side projects – an
area of specific interest to employees in STEM fields – the
remainder of the list are programs that generally promote gender
equality in the workplace. So companies that want STEM diversity
should ensure that they are not only committed to diversity, but
that they actively work toward inclusion.
"Many of the real causes of lack of progression come back to
a culture of non-inclusion and a lack of accountability for
managers who do not have diverse teams," said Anne C. Beal, MD, Sanofi's Global Head of
Patient Solutions. "We need to create an environment where
talented, diverse candidates can thrive. Given that more women
attend college and are better academically prepared than ever
before, we cannot accept that the problem with lack of diversity is
a pipeline issue."
Sponsorship Aligns with Company's Commitment
A major
reason that Sanofi sponsored the study is its strong commitment to
diversity across the company, including in the STEM fields. The
company's efforts in Diversity & Inclusion ensures that women
from all over the world have the opportunity to achieve their full
potential and contribute to research and innovation at Sanofi.
"I am very excited with the increased innovation that we are
already seeing around the world as a result of the increased
presence of women, and diversity in general, on the marketplace and
that in a variety of domains," said Anne Villeneuve, Global Head of Vaccines
Industrial Risk Management, Toronto.
In addition to the best steps that companies can take, the study
also examined how the most successful women surveyed approached
their jobs and the strategies they used to build strong careers.
Most important was to be confident in their abilities – just ahead
of confronting colleagues and situations when their contributions
are ignored.
The study's data-driven approach is another tool that every
company can use to bring talented women on board in STEM fields and
ensure they make long-term contributions to improving our
world.
"We gradually evolved from a society where the woman's role
was being in the home and taking care of the family and farm, to a
society where women are given the opportunity to add more value to
the society," said Ildiko Bodor,
Sanofi's Manager of Regulatory Affairs in Toronto. "We should take time for
reflection, celebration and remembering of all the girls and women
that shaped our world."
Media Relations Contact:
Anna
Robinson
anna.robinson@sanofi.com
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SOURCE Sanofi