After two years of instability, we’re starting to truly understand the full impact of COVID-19 on the worldwide economy across every industry. There isn’t a single demographic that wasn’t touched by the shutdowns, quarantines, remote-work arrangements, and the restructuring in the aftermath. At UpCity, we’ve explored this topic from the perspective of B2B service providers and marketers alike, but this month we’ve partnered with survey specialists Pollfish to explore the impact of the pandemic on women in the workplace. We explored in-depth how COVID-19 impacted the role of women in the workplace and how satisfied they are with the changes that have occurred. Our survey further delved into the career changes women are making in the wake of the pandemic, what they are looking for in the job search, and whether they plan to remain engaged with the workforce or leave completely due to various factors. …
A majority of women noted that an unsatisfactory pay rate warranted their recent or upcoming job change
Underpinning the widely held feeling that they are underpaid and seeking to improve their payment options, women in our survey pointed to a number of related factors that are leading them to seek out new roles. With businesses still trying to recoup profits and struggling to keep staff, many companies are operating short-staffed, putting additional pressure on their teams to perform multiple roles and keep up with growing business volume. With businesses keeping their teams small and agile, the opportunity to advance and grow in roles has also diminished. …
“Of course women want better pay. On average, a woman is paid 84 cents to a man’s dollar, even though more women graduate college now than men.”
—Erin Milnes, Creative Director, Catchword Branding
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Final Words of Wisdom
To conclude our study, we spoke with successful women across a variety of positions and career stages on their best pieces of advice for empowering fellow women in the workforce. …
“For women starting out: Find and pursue a company that resonates with you—whether because it’s in a niche field you want to know more about, it has a company culture or philosophy you believe in, you’re fascinated in its innovative approach or products, or something else. Get a foot in the door however you can. (It’s ok to start as a receptionist!) Work hard, be proactive and creative, ask questions, and volunteer to work on projects you care about, even if they’re outside your job description. Find a mentor if you can. You’ll learn a ton about the field and where you want to go. Then ask for the position you really want (you might have to make it up!). If they don’t recognize your worth, target another company.”
—Erin Milnes, Creative Director, Catchword Branding
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