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Although we still have a long way to go, if the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) Employer of Choice for Women (EOCFW) citation program is any indication, working women in Australia have reason to hope for a brighter future.
The war for talent is heating up, according to Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) Director, Helen Conway, with 125 organisations qualifying for the Agency’s national EOWA Employer of Choice for Women (EOCFW) citation this year. This is the largest group in five years, despite the Agency imposing more stringent selection criteria over this period.
Speaking at the national launch of the 2012 EOCFW list in Perth on 13th March, Ms Conway said Australian business leaders understood the citation was a major draw card in the war to attract and retain the best people.
“The leaders of the organisations on this list recognise there is a competitive advantage to be obtained by employing a diverse workforce,” Ms Conway said.
“They are attracting women into non‐traditional roles where there are skills shortages, reaping the rewards of increased retention rates, and realising the benefits of flexible work practices.”
The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) Employer of Choice for Women (EOCFW) citation is an acknowledgement by EOWA of organisations that are recognising and advancing women in the workplace. In October 2001, EOWA announced its inaugural list of 55 organisations to be given the citation and in 2012, this list has grown to 125 organisations.
Organisations are assessed for EOCFW against rigorous application criteria which consider a number of workplace issues including pay equity, women in executive management, flexibility, sexbased harassment and career development training. Importantly, the citation requires the organisation’s CEO to be the driving force behind the culture which supports the advancement of female employees.