How-to Guide: Becoming the Employer of Choice for Women

The How-to Guide for Becoming the Employer of Choice for Women lays out the process for improving gender diversity and inclusion (D&I) in financial services firms. The information provided is based on the findings from Alliance member working groups, which explored ways to increase women’s representation in the leadership of financial services firms. It incorporates Mercer’s leading-edge research and the real-world experiences of Alliance members. Throughout the guide, emphasis is on developing a holistic women-centered strategy, blending enhanced internal gender D&I with a strong female customer value proposition so that financial institutions are better equipped to tap into the female economy, the world’s fastest growing market.

Section I, Plan and Prepare, provides guidance, tools, and resources to prepare the institution for making the changes needed to become the employer of choice for women. The step-by-step groundwork undertaken in this section is essential to the overall success of the gender D&I effort.

Section II, Take Action, provides guidance, tools, and resources to implement key actions that will move forward the gender D&I strategy, putting the institution on a strong path to becoming an employer of choice for women. The actions are ordered as standalone chapters; however, they are all interconnected and work together to create an environment in which gender D&I thrives.

Section III, Monitor, Measure and Refine, provides guidance, tools, and resources to monitor implementation progress, measure results, evaluate impact, and make adjustments as needed.