Our client identified that a lack of career agency and confidence amongst female employees impacting their engagement with career growth opportunities. Many women expressed uncertainty about their career trajectories and growth prospects within the company.

Very few had sponsors.

It could not be about fixing women.

Grace Papers was engaged to design and run a Women In Leadership Group Coaching Program with the goal to:

• Increase the pipeline of promotion-ready women internally

• Improve retention of women talent by increasing their agency and confidence

• Improve workplace safety & respect by intrinsically motivating women to lead

• Cause an institutional shift in the way the organisation engages with women that acknowledges the social expectations that see many women assuming primary caregiving responsibilities.

• Enable whole person growth to drive optimal performance

• Create a network of women, for women

Critical to the success of this program was participants seeing this as more than a professional development opportunity solely for women: sponsorship was vital, as was the Leadership Team listening to participant feedback and ‘asks’.

Agency
27% increase in career vision and perception of control
23% increase in awareness of their work related value within their workplace systems
22% increase in the perception of feeling ‘in control’ of their career

Confidence
27% increase in confidence to initiate discussions with manager about career intention, vision and planning
23% increase in ability to implement strategies to achieve work/life balance
22% increase in confidence in balancing multiple life roles such as professional, family member and friend

Participants shared back their journey with the leadership team, including structural barriers to career progression and engagement.

These insights have impacted policy change and seen the introduction of new systemic controls for hiring and promotion practices internally.