The value of a female dynamic in the workplace.

The world has come a long way since 1956, and so has the role of women in the workplace.

If you had the choice between quality and quantity in your corporate team, why wouldn’t you opt for both? Quality and quantity can be tied to the female dynamic in the design and tech industries, and the value that women bring to the working environment.

Throughout history, women have been seen as carers; patient, compassionate, attentive, dependable and trustworthy. When faced with adversity, these qualities also look a lot like strength, courage and resilience. Combined, women make for a powerful ally to any business’ bottom line.

This August, we acknowledge not only the action taken by 20 000+ women, who changed the world in 1956 by marching in their masses to the Union buildings in Pretoria in protest against the extension of the oppressive nature of pass laws, but also the qualities that make the women of today so impenetrably strong, especially within the workplace.

“Just because you are soft doesn’t mean you are not a force. Honey and wildfire are both the colour gold” — Victoria Erickson

At MakeReign, 70% of our team is made up of incredible women, who are spread across a range of disciplines from UX and design, to management and leadership. We commemorate our MakeReign women this Women’s month, for their value and contribution in helping to constantly create, innovate and shape our industry.

According to a recent article published in April this year by Zippia: The Career Expert , companies with women executives are 30% more likely to outperform other companies.

Women in the workplace are not only competent in their technical skill sets, but are also incredibly empathetic and often innately compassionate, which brings about a deeper understanding of the world in which they work, create and develop for. A willingness to see through the perspective of another, and understand the needs of those around them, is a huge benefit when working in the digital landscape which can often feel quite clinical or intimidating to the every-day human.

If being empathetic in general improves relations and connections with others, utilizing this quality within the workplace means positively impacting the experience of one’s employees, as well as the end users of products and services that business’ create for, on a day to day basis. People need people. Moreover, people need to feel connected to people — and women are really good at that. It is no wonder why increased empathy in the workplace leads to increased job performance.

Aside from being empathetic, women are also critical thinkers, planners and organizers. Being creative within the digital design and tech industries goes above and beyond being imaginative and spontaneous. Creativity relies on execution, preparation, strategic thinking, and order. Creativity goes hand in hand with critical thought, and women shine in both plains.

If having women as employees is undeniably beneficial, imagine the benefits of these qualities in leadership. These positive considerations look a lot like skilled conflict resolution capabilities, strong interpersonal relationships, and a keen sense of accountability and collaboration. All of these constitute a solid foundation in the working environment.

Simply put, women are forces to be reckoned with within the working world, and that’s why companies with female executives are 30% more likely to outperform other companies, according to Zippia: The Career Expert.

Despite that, author Sky Ariella highlights that;

“Two [of the] biggest challenges keeping women from leadership positions are that women are held to higher standards (43%), and many businesses aren’t ‘ready’ to hire women for top executive positions (43%)”.

The article further adds that the reasons behind these challenges for women include the assumption that family responsibilities would outweigh a woman’s ability to run a major corporation, that women supposedly don’t have access to the [network of] connections that men have, and that their career growth within a company is stifled because they are less likely to ask for a promotion or raise. All of which are assumptions that impact gender equality in the workplace.

Simply put, being a woman in the workplace is still not an easy feat.

With this in mind, to the women who have made it to where they are today, and to the women who are working towards where they want to be — we believe in you and we salute you. Challenging preconceptions is unfortunately still part of a woman’s job description, albeit in the fineprint, and navigating the working world as a woman requires resilience, courage and strength. Fortunately, these are qualities that women are more than familiar with.

At MakeReign, our women are an integral part of our foundation and because of that, our foundation is strong. We are ever growing our female dynamic, and will continue to advocate for the role of women within our industry, never forgetting that;

“Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo — you strike the women, you strike the rock.”

MakeReign helps connect brands with consumers through digital interfaces. Combining research, data, user-centered design and testing with real customers, they create interfaces and experiences that reach millions — transforming business and delivering growth for their clients.

Website: www.makereign.com

Dribble: www.dribble.com/MakeReign

Instagram: www.instagram.com/makereign/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MakeReign