2021 Women in the Workplace Report

 

 

The 2021 LeanIn and McKinsey Women in the Workplace report is out and, unsurprisingly, it’s paints a pretty bleak picture.  Here are the highlights:

The Bad

  • 1 in 3 women are thinking of leaving the workplace or downshifting their careers (last year it was 1 in 4).
  • 42% of women say they are “often or always” burned out and 35% of men agree.
  • Women of color are not being promoted at the manager level at the same rate as men leaving a critical hole in the pipeline to more later promotions.

The Good

  • For the first time Women of Color were promoted to manager at about same rate as all other women.
  • Women managers are stepping up at higher rates than men to support their teams and focus on DEI efforts.
  • Women managers are showing up as strong leaders while steering employees through this tumultuous time.

The Takeaway

This is nothing we didn’t already know– women are stepping up! We are taking on additional emotional labor at work and at home.  Women managers care for the welling being of their teams and are managing overworked and overburdened employees. Women understand the critical need for DEI in the workplace and they are spending extra time at work on these efforts. Working mothers historically take on 3-6 hours a day of unpaid labor at home. Add in the lack of affordable childcare and stable in person schooling and it’s no surprise that so many working women are burned out and thinking about leaving the workforce.

If that sounds all too familiar– don’t walk, join us! Hire part-time expert women through The Second Shift  to take some of the burden off your employees, and ultimately you! If you are thinking of leaving or going to a part-time role, consider joining our membership to find high-value flexible work with companies who value your experience and expertise.

 

Let us make work work for you!

 

 

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Success Story!

 

The Client:

Club Franchise Group is a boutique fitness organization looking to build their fast growing company on a solid foundation. They turned to The Second Shift to find an HR expert to recruit and onboard new hires as well as create and implement new policies and benefits for the rapidly expanding team.

The Quote:

“The ability to have a partner with access to professionals with a wide variety of backgrounds, skills, and abilities is critical in today’s ever-changing business landscape. Knowing we have professionals to partner with has really been a game-changer. Being flexible about our hiring means we can achieve our corporate goals and continue to expand in seamlessly.”

Nancy D. CFO Club Franchise Group

The Hire: 

Club Franchise Group hired HR veteran Erin B. to recruit and onboard new hires in new locations as well as create and implement new policies, handbooks and benefits for the rapidly expanding team. As they expand, CFG  particularly liked  Erin’s prior experience working for a company opening new locations across the country.

The Quote: 

“Working with The Second Shift has allowed me to form relationships with companies that I wouldn’t have had access to or met otherwise.  The team at TSS is supportive, friendly, and easy to work with. They take building their community seriously and once you are in, they are serious about providing you with the support and tools that you need to be successful in working with clients. I cannot recommend them enough and have had a great experience being part of their team!”

Erin B. The Second Shift Member/ HR Consultant

Want your own success story? Post a job now! 

 

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Webinar: Susan McPherson on the power of networking in person– remember how?

 

Susan McPherson is a communications strategist and author of the book The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships.  She joins us on Oct 22nd to talk about how important it is to create and re-connect with your network OFF-LINE. That’s right ladies, it’s time for a refresher course in how to get out there and re-engage with our professional networks! And yes, we see the irony in doing this talk on Zoom…

October 22nd at 1pm EST.

Register HERE! 

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The Second Shift- The White House- The CARE Economy

 

Exciting day at The Second Shift! We are thrilled to be working with Vice President Kamala Harris to pass the Build Back Better infrastructure plan that would invest heavily in home- and community-based services, higher caregiver wages and Medicare expansion. The Second Shift was quoted along with leaders of companies such as Microsoft, Airbnb, Etsy, Salesforce and Reddit in a White House press release supporting CARE spending as a way to promote equity in the workforce by supporting working parents and caregivers. As a company whose mission is transform the workplace by giving women control over their own careers we are proud to continue this fight on the federal level to #makeworkworkforyou!

Here is what our founders Gina Hadley (she/her) and Jenny Galluzzo had to say:

“As a company founded by working mothers, representing thousands of working women across the country, and dedicated to giving women control of their career journeys, we know that funding for CARE is a crucial component to re-building a strong and equitable workforce. The pandemic exposed the structural fault lines in the lives of working families and with federal government action, along with cooperation from the business community, we will create a solid foundation to support women in the workplace today and for future generations.”

Thank you to TIME’S UP for including us in the CARE Economy Business Council and your continued work for women and equity!

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Holistic Nutrition to Prevent and Fight Women’s Cancers

 

 

Amy Cohen Epstein started the Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research more than 20 years ago with a specific focus on preventative care. She is also the founder of The SEAM podcast about all things women and wellness. Amy introduced us to holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman who believes what you put in your body can fight and prevent women’s cancers.

 

Our summer webinar is available to watch here. There is tons of information about everything from how hydration is key to cellular regeneration to what supplements to take and how you can drink and eat carbs and still live a healthy lifestyle. Bring a pen and paper and enjoy!

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Featured Member: Alicia King

 

You may have noticed The Second Shift has a new look and feel and that is due to the help of our mighty team with our newest team member Alicia King! Alicia is a seasoned HR pro who recently started her own DEI consulting business. The secret to our success at The Second Shift is working with our own members– you are the rock fuel to our growth! Alicia joins us with new insights and strategy from both the HR and DEI lens. We can’t thank her enough for helping us to #makeworkworkforyou!

 

Tell us your work story : Who are you and what do you do?

I consider myself an innovative, dynamic, and strategic human resource practitioner with more than 10 years of specialization in the development and implementation of HR programs, broad experience including recruitment, onboarding, employee and labor relations, career coaching, diversity and inclusion, talent development, succession planning, and organizational design.

 

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I reimagined the talent review cycle for both a Fortune 50 company’s technology division and a leader in the food services industry targeted at retaining 85% of our top talent and increasing our diversity pipeline by 5% for minorities and 5% for women each year.

 

If you could change one thing about how your given field operates, particularly with regards to women, what would it be, and why?

An overwhelming majority of employees in the human resources field are women. It’s because we are “deemed” nurturing, can handle conflict, and make clear judgements about potential. Yet many HR female leaders are viewed less strategic as their male counterparts. I would redirect HR’s attention and female leaders to be strategic advisors or human capital curators. Our focus would be on adding value to the business from a people and performance perspective and less on tactical aspects of the role.

 

What advice do you have for other women looking to make a career change but are afraid or lack confidence? How is it on the other side?

My best advice is to not be afraid and to follow your instincts and passion. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. After entering the workforce, I learned that talent management and talent acquisition were my passion through ancillary work. I decided to take a risk and make the career transition. I had to start over by taking a lesser role, but I quickly caught back up and can’t be happier today for pursuing my purpose.

 

What continues to draw you to your chosen field and what do you hope to accomplish in the years ahead?

I decided on a career in HR because I wanted to be a Human Capital curator. I recently heard this term as someone who develops leaders, hires the best-in-class diverse talent, and builds the employee value proposition (EVP). In the future, I’d like to focus on HR Consultant opportunities and partner with my clients to create talent transformations or visions that are agile, flexible, and responsive.

 

What is the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received?

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Oprah. In a Forbes report, it was said that Oprah has been known to rely on a leadership philosophy that prioritizes people, vision, and values. She is open to new experiences, she is conscientious in everything that she does, and she cares about others beyond her circle…she believes “the greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change [her] future by merely changing [her] attitude.”

 

If you could tell your younger self one thing about what this professional journey would be like, what would you tell her?

My best advice to my younger self is that your career will not be linear. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude, be flexible and curious, and seek trusted advisors. Change will be constant, but you’ll continue to add to your toolkit if you are excited about new opportunities and welcome challenging roles.

How do you make work work for you? 

I’ve created 5 mantras to make work work for me.

  1. Maintain a positive attitude
  2. Be an innovative and creative visionary
  3. Be authentic and transparent
  4. Value relationships and seek trusted mentors
  5. Be accountable and collaborative
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Eating vs. Women’s Cancer with The SEAM!

 

Join us for our summer webinar brought to you by The SEAM all about using nutrition to prevent and fight off women’s cancers. Amy Epstein, of The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research and founder of The SEAM podcast, and holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman will talk about the role food and nutrition plays in boosting our immune system and how that works for women’s unique ecosystems. Timely and important information for every member, at any age!

Monday, July 26th at 2pm EST

Register here!

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Childhood Mental Health and Resilience in the Pandemic

In case you missed it– we hosted a webinar with parenting expert and childhood developmental psychologist Dr. Aliza Pressman. The topic was focused on building emotional resilience and treating anxiety as we transition from remote school to offices and summer schedules. You can watch the whole webinar (including some technological hiccups…) here! 

We highly recommend Dr. Aliza’s podcast, Raising Good Humans!

Aliza is also the co-founder of Seedlings Group if you are looking for group or family therapy.

 

 

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Summer Reading and Listening List!

It’s summer time and our over-worked, over-burdened, over-anxious brains need a break! We’ve compiled a list of books and podcasts that The Second Shift team is looking forward to reading and listening to and we reached out to Zibby Owens, founder of the media company Moms Don’t Have Time To and host of the award winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read, for her recommendations.  We hope these options give you and sense of respite and joy!
From Zibby:
I know we all have limited time. In fact, I’ve launched a whole business around that theme. As a mom of four kids and a writer myself, I’ve created a media company, Moms Don’t Have Time To which includes three podcasts, a magazine, two books, and other initiatives all based on what moms (and dads and everyone!!) don’t have time for. Reading is at the top of the list! I’ve done over 700 episodes of the award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books so when I recommend a book, I really mean it. I hope these stories make your summer even better and that you manage to find time to read or listen to them in the stolen moments you find for yourself in the midst of the craziness. For more, listen to my podcasts or check out my website, zibbyowens.com, for a full list. 
This absolutely gorgeous memoir tracks the journey — emotionally and medically — of a young woman battling cancer, then recovering and traveling across the country. But really it’s about life, perseverance, the community of those battling illness, how cancer affects everything from family, sex, fertility and friendship, and how we all imperfectly muddle through every day, together. A New York Times contributor, Suleika will be a force in the publishing world for years to come.
A beachy read that came out during the pandemic, this novel, set in 2001 right before and after 9/11, is about relationships, loss, ALS, lies, dating, and who people really are. It’s a perfect read for anyone who was a young adult during that time (or wonders what it was like to be one) and have ever dated someone new. Emily Giffin is a bestselling author most known for her debut novel, Something Borrowed.
A light-hearted read that tackles the college admissions scandal and what happens when a marriage hits a major speed bump. By the author of The Devil Wears Prada, this story is about loyalty, marriage, sisterhood, NYC and the suburbs with relatable themes in this smart, funny read.
Author of “Admission” (starring Tina Fey) and the book that became hit show “The Undoing,” Jean Hanff Korelitz’s seventh novel is her best yet. A book within a book, this narrative questions the idea of who really owns the plot of a story. It follows an MFA professor whose student dies before writing the great American novel and what happens when he realizes he has the best plot ever on his hands. But it wasn’t his.
This memoir-in-essays from the former Editor in Chief of Real Simple is laugh-out-loud funny, relatable, poignant, and what any woman needs to read.
Shameless plug for my own book, but these 60+ essays by bestselling and award-winning authors and celebrities like Gretchen Rubin, Chris Bohjalian and Evangeline Lilly tackles five themes moms don’t have time to do: read, eat, have sex, work out, and breathe. While many essays were written during the pandemic and it came out during the pandemic, the short, literary essays aren’t mostly about qurantine. They’re about the day-to-day issues facing all adults today in a relatable, humorous, poignant, one-of-a-kind way. All in snackable form! All proceeds go to Covid research. Check it out in audiobook format too! 

The Second Shift team recommends:

Intern Eleanor Sherline: “I have been religiously listening to the Ezra Klein Show (the episode on how to have difficult conversations is incredible) and just finished “Maybe you Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb–both the podcast and book touch on super relevant and interesting interpersonal topics.”

DEI Consultant Alicia King: “My summer book is the Bridgerton Collection! I downloaded it this past weekend and can’t wait to get started. “

COO Michelle Pae:  “I have been listening to 70 over 70– it is super earnest and I’m into it. Also Asian Enough just started season 2–it’s great! My list of non-white male authors I have read recently– Crying in HMart (Michelle Zauner), Red at the Bone (Jaqueline Woodson), Homeland Elegies (Ayad Akhtar), Know my Name (Chanel Miller), The Biggest Bluff (non-fiction – I did it as an audiobook, which I enjoyed), Euphoria (Lily King), If I Had Your Face (Frances Cha), Members Only (Sameer Pandya).”

Customer and Member Success Manager Ruth La Roux: “I loved Clothes, clothes, clothes. Music, music, music. Boys, boys, boys-– a rock and roll memoir from a feminist rock n roll icon Viv Albertine.”

Director of Business Development Elizabeth Tooter: suggests “28 Summers as a quintessential summer beach read.”

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Pitch Perfect: Chief of Staff

 

This Pitch jumped out because it’s a perfect combination of enthusiasm, professional detail, personality and specifically references the company and how it is personally and professionally relevant. It won the job and won our appreciation as well!

First let me say I am ecstatic to hear XX exists! I cannot wait to try out a look for a raging (yet stylish) post pandemic party! What a genius idea. I am a seasoned Chief of Staff with over 15 years of experience in operations/project management, event coordination, domestic & international travel planning and executive level support. I’ve worked in a wide range of industries from startups to financial services to creative companies. I have been freelancing since May of 2020 but was previously working almost entirely virtually for a flexible executive search startup (XX) for 5 years.I love the fast paced, varied nature of my work and juggle whatever is handed to me. I am a creative problem solver and tackle strategy with a 360 view of both short term and long term goals. I am both a caretaker and a doer and I’m one of the most loyal employees you will ever meet. I have a no task is too small attitude, but always enjoy a great challenge. I hope we can connect!

Amanda Stoga answered some questions about her winning pitch:

What is your process like for creating a pitch?

I try to first express my true enthusiasm for the company (I still think it’s the coolest idea ever) and then tried to succinctly explain why my skill set is a direct match for the role. No magic potion or anything, however, I do feel like the language and tips you have on your site are helpful to instill confidence in applicants.

What language resonates exactly?

Most helpful to me were the tips you provide before the pitch (no need to address/sign, no need to use lame “look no further” language, reminder not to summarize entire work history, etc).  I have had a profile on The Second Shift for a long time, so you also prompted me to update my profile to keep it current and fresh. 

What tips do you have for other members fr creating a great pitch?
I think a great tip is to create a generalized pitch (which you look at quarterly) and then tailor it as needed to include more specifics as it pertains to the particular role. Starting from scratch every time is inefficient and leaves room for frustration/typos etc. I think trying to include a bit of spunk/personality helps a great deal as well since it’s hard to convey on paper/screen. 
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