Companies, here’s how to support women from diverse backgrounds
A simple but effective idea to help women from diverse backgrounds thrive at work!
As an employer, you’re probably looking for ways to help your diverse female employees climb the career ladder and thrive at work. Have you considered setting up a mentoring program? If you’ve considered this initiative, you’ve probably also realized how difficult it is to find the right mentors, train them and ensure that professional objectives are met. There’s a solution for you: Audace au Féminin‘s “From Audacity to Excellence” mentoring program.
We went to meet Joeline Jean-Claude, Mentoring Program Director and Vice-President of Audace au Féminin, to learn more about this program. Founded in 2018, Audace au Féminin is a non-profit organization based in Montreal that proposes solutions to curb systemic racism and the invisibility of black women in an inclusive and egalitarian approach.
Key finding: Women from diverse backgrounds are under-represented in the workplace
There is an under-representation of women from diverse backgrounds in all roles beyond entry-level positions. It starts at the first level of career advancement. In Canada, only 6% of women from diverse backgrounds hold executive or senior management positions (source: McKinsey). This is one of the reasons why it is becoming necessary for an organization to accompany and support these employees in their professional development. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) actions are needed to help reduce this under-representation.
“De l’Audace à l’Excellence”, a solution for women of diversity?
The “De l’Audace à l’Excellence” mentoring program is designed for women entrepreneurs and professionals with an entrepreneurial project or career objective for which they would like support. Joeline Jean-Claude explains that this program was created in line with the organization’s mission, to facilitate and equip women from ethnocultural diversity.
Before creating this program, the members of the organization asked themselves what they could put in place. How could they help black women who shine in the shadows? How to support them once they’ve reached the “top”? By this we mean that women from diverse backgrounds are often alone in leadership positions. They need support to help them navigate their professional environment. In fact, they face many obstacles, and experience a great deal of exclusion and discrimination. This is how the mentoring solution came about.
Mentors
The mentors in this program come from a wide range of backgrounds and origins. A true blend of diversity! They have undergone rigorous individual interviews and training. We wanted to make sure they understood the issues faced by racialized women. The goal is to offer the mentees an experience in a safe environment. Mentees are selected on the basis of their profiles and objectives. Networking is done to ensure a good match between mentor and mentee. A study by David Clutterbuck reveals that the success rate of a mentoring relationship is 33% without training. However, it is 90% if both members of the dyad are trained. (source: Les Affaires).
The program consists of one meeting per month for 12 months, two training sessions for mentors and mentees, and a recognition evening at the end of the program. The cost is $360.
A professional development initiative for your employees?
The answer is yes! Joeline Jean-Claude explains that it’s a powerful tool to guide an employee in developing her mindset and leadership skills, in order to strengthen her impact and contribution within the organization. It’s a program that understands the realities and challenges faced by racialized employees.
The program director also confided something to us… Organizations have already contacted them to submit or support the candidacy of one of their employees for the 2023-2024 cohort!
A look back at the first cohort: a great success for the mentees!
Joeline Jean-Claude gave us some figures on the first edition. Nothing less than a 100% satisfaction rate from the mentees in the first cohort! They saw a positive change in their professional and/or entrepreneurial careers. Over 75% of them said their mentors had surpassed their expectations. They appreciated their relationship with their mentors, as they were truly invested in their role: beyond advice, they provided them with concrete strategies to achieve their goals. The mentors were able to understand the challenges faced by the mentees and provide them with appropriate solutions. For the Vice-President, the program’s success is based on two factors: the selection of mentors who understand the program’s mission, and the rigorous selection of candidates.
De l’Audace à l’Excellence is a growing success, with the number of mentees rising from 10 to 30 by 2023.
Companies, don’t forget to consider the career paths and challenges faced by your diverse employees.
To find out more about the Audace au Féminin mentoring program, visit their website.
