7 Top Trends for Women in the Workplace in 2018

7 Top Trends for Women in the Workplace in 2018 7 Top Trends for Women in the Workplace in 2018 2017 was a pretty amazing year for women in the workplace. We have taken huge strides towards eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace , and it looks like 2018 is going to be a continuation of 2017, with things getting even better. Companies are taking entirely new approaches in how they treat their employees, particularly women, and are taking steps to make it easier for all employees to balance their personal lives and their careers. Today we are going to be looking at seven of the top trends for women in the workplace in 2018, and what women can expect in the future from a growing amount of companies. Looking at Non-Traditional Credentials These days, many employers are looking at credentials that they did not look at as recently as 10 years ago. For instance, they put less focus on certain traditional degrees, and are more open to candidates who have other credentials that show they have the skills needed to do the jobs they are applying for. So, even if you don’t have a degree in computer science, if you have taken courses in coding, or even if you have taught yourself, if you can demonstrate the right knowledge and skills, you may just get the job over someone who has four or more years of university under their belt. Employers are understanding that not all learning is done in school. Use of a Standardized Interview Process Using a standardized interview process is something that is becoming more and more the norm with many employers. This system involves asking each candidate the same questions, and then rating each of their answers on a scale. This is a great way to eliminate objectivity, and find the person who is the best candidate for the job. Of course, the interviewer can still take part in small talk during the interview to make a personal connection, but their ultimate decisions are only going to be based on the answers to the interview questions . This helps to stop interviewers from rejecting potential employees just because of their first impressions. There are many things that can cause stress in the workplace , and nearly 60 percent of adults say that one of the biggest causes of workplace stress is social divisiveness, even more so than the economic climate. This information comes from a survey from the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America™: The State of Our Nation survey. This survey shows that workplace stress is rising, and companies are discovering that when their employees are stressed out, they are not giving everything they can to their jobs. This year, you will see many employers looking at ways that they can reduce employee stress, and help their employees to be better able to deal with stress, because let’s face it, stress is always going to be a fact of life. Many people are at risk of not being hired, promoted, etc. because of bias on the part of the interviewer. This is slowly becoming a thing of the past, thanks to AI technology . “By using this technology, a person will not be turned down based on their names, and when they held other positions. AI technology can be tested to ensure that there is no bias by looking at the demographic breakdown of job applicants that are sourced and screened. So, the practice of using demographic information when screening candidates is going to end, and if any group of people is excluded by mistake, the problem can easily be corrected,” says an expert from GadgetSalvation . Acts of mismanagement on the behalf of some very well-known companies, including Wells Fargo and Equifax, have led to a lot of mistrust between employers and employees. This is something that many companies are looking to change this year, and continue changing in the future. This is a slow process, but it begins with employers showing that they care about the concerns of their employees. Employers are starting to be seen as more open, by doing things like encouraging employees to message them with any questions or concerns they have about the workplace and their jobs, and making sure that they are actually responding to those messages in a timely manner. Basically, leaders are taking steps to find ways to build bridges with their employees . There seems to be a new focus on making work more meaningful , so employees are feeling a lot better about what they do every day. Employers are taking steps to help their employees find a meaning or purpose in the work that they do, and to help them become more connected with their work. Studies have shown that the more connected a person is with their job, the happier they are going to be in their job. They will work harder, and be a lot more creative, and in turn, be more productive. They are able to see that their work actually means something to the company, and they are going to be proud of what they are accomplishing. For companies, this means that the turnover rates are going to be much lower, and productivity is going to be higher. In 2017, we saw the #MeToo movement , which brought awareness to sexual harassment in Hollywood. That movement took off, and moved into the mainstream, with women in many workplaces and industries stepping up with their own personal stories of sexual harassment in the workplace . Thanks to this movement and those brave women, more and more companies are taking strides towards eliminating sexual harassment. We will start to see some major changes in workplace policies in 2018 and beyond, and no longer will cases of sexual harassment be swept under the rug. We can expect to hear many more stories from women who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, which is only going to fuel the fire to end this practice once and for all.