Consulting Services

Another critical factor relevant to the retention of women...the astronomical costs of turnover can be reduced through the implementation of effective and targeted processes and activities. Very importantly, most initiatives implemented for the retention of women also benefit men and people of color.

Due to daily interaction in the workplace, neither men nor women can be meaningfully impacted with enduring results by working in a vacuum. That’s why GenderSmart® is just that - “GenderSmart”, not “WomenSmart.” The challenge facing corporations is a two-way street. Companies benefit most when both men and women acquire the tools to communicate and work more effectively with one another.

What Are The Challenges?

Would you like to capitalize on the exceptional female talent available? Do you want to capture your share of recruits at career fairs and other recruiting events? Is your company retaining the number of women it needs to capture its share of the growing women’s market? Are you incurring heavy turnover costs as women leave? Do your executives, managers, and sales force know how to talk with women effectively and prepare them for leadership?

The challenges are clear and well understood by most companies:

• The exodus of women at middle and top levels
• The urgent need for strong female talent, generated by both the mass retirement of baby boomers and by the need to reflect and capture the growing women’s market
• The exorbitant and painful costs of this brain drain – quantitative, qualitative, immediate, and opportunity costs
• The stiff competition for talent, increasingly consisting of women and minorities
• The difficulty breaking through the clutter at career fairs, hospitality events, and other recruiting opportunities
• The inability, regardless of good intentions, of executives and managers to communicate with and manage women effectively
• The perception by many men that they must tread lightly and walk on eggshells around women
• The inability of HR personnel, due to their overwhelming number of job responsibilities and subsequent lack of time, to research and implement the most effective training, processes, and programs designed to attract and retain women.

Who Is Jane Sanders?

Jane Sanders helps companies more effectively communicate with, recruit, retain, and manage women, including preparing them for leadership. Jane, one of the nation’s foremost experts on gender issues and communication, is author of “GenderSmart - Solving The Communication Puzzle Between Men and Women,” and is currently writing a book on recruiting & retention of women, planned for 2008 release.

This expertise, combined with her work with women’s work/life balance and leadership issues, her own experience as a corporate employee and as a sales executive with Fortune 500 clients, make her a unique and valuable strategic partner for relevant initiatives. As founder of her own successful consulting firm, Jane has worked with all corporate levels from executives to field personnel for over 14 years.

Jane’s clients include MassMutual, Prudential Financial, Ameriprise Financial, US Steel, Nestlé Foods, Toyota Motor Sales, Northrop Grumman, Chevron, Deloitte & Touche, and many other companies and associations in many different industries.

See About Jane and Jane's Promise for more information.

Why Work With Jane?

The overall mission of Jane’s work is to improve the effectiveness of recruiting and retention efforts for women. Here are some of the benefits gained by working with Jane:

Quantitative Benefits

• Increased number of women recruited
• Increased number of women transitioning into home office and/or field leadership
• More women retained, with subsequent positive impact on revenues
• Reduced financial costs of turnover
• Increased share of women’s market and accompanying financial gains
• Reduced costs associated with fewer sexual harassment problems and claims

Qualitative Benefits

• Reduced turnover costs of negative impact on company/office culture, errors while failing/leaving, low morale, stress, etc.
• Increased confidence of leaders and staff while recruiting and managing women
• Increased confidence of women in leadership, management, and field positions
• Enhanced public image and good will resulting from positive diversity efforts, which will lead to financial gains as well
• Increased morale and improved performance of current home office and field personnel through recognition that Corporate is serious about these issues, taking action, and walking their talk

Jane is committed to doing the right thing, to consistently performing to her highest standards, and to enjoying her work and life to their fullest. Please see Jane's Promise for more information.

How Does Jane Help?

Jane helps companies create GenderSmart cultures, which support financial, OD, and diversity objectives and initiatives by:

• Helping attract, retain, and advance women
• Observation and assessment of recruiting practices, processes, materials, booth, etc. at career fairs, hospitality events, and other recruiting/selection opportunities; detailed report with resulting recommendations for improved results
• Offering inclusive environments and work practices for both men and women
• Giving both genders tools and skills to work together more effectively
• Improving communication, teamwork, and performance for higher productivity

• Discussions and interviews to determine general needs and areas for improvement
• Thorough assessment and exploration of on-site (home office and field) environments, leadership and communication styles, activities, and processes relevant to recruiting and retention of women efforts
• Assessment consists of observation, interviews with managers/recruiters/female employees, process participation, and materials review (Ideally, interviews should include resigned and terminated female employees if at all possible. Rarely do exit interviews tell the whole truth, if the truth at all. Jane’s professional, comfortable style and her guarantee of anonymity engenders trust and honest disclosure, which is imperative for determining appropriate issues to address.)
• Identification of specific areas providing opportunity for revision and improvement
• Resulting recommendations, specific to client and varied, ranging from no- or low-cost investment suggestions to long-term, higher investment (and higher potential ROI) initiatives
• Recommendations could include but not be limited to development of specific on-site support, managerial, or work/life programs and activities to increase retention; coaching for executives, managers, and/or fast-track women; customized training programs; revision of relevant recruiting, management, and retention processes and/or materials; speaking support at conferences and other events.

Coaching

• For executives and managers to improve effectiveness of their communication with and management of women - women are most productive and loyal when their communication and behavioral style differences are taken into account in the workplace
• For women to help prepare them for leadership, understand men and communicate with them more effectively, and perform more productively in their work environment

Speaking, Education, Training

On-site at conferences, sales meetings, training initiatives, and women’s events

Webinars, tele-conferences, tele-coaching

Topics relevant to communication and gender issues include:

• GenderSmart - Improving Workplace Communication Between Men and Women
• Sponsored keynotes or breakouts at client-, prospect-, or recruit-rich conferences and events (internal or external/industry)
• Get GenderSmart - How To Work With Women for Recruiting & Retention Results
• Authentic Leadership – The Confidence Connection
• From Stuck To Stellar - Action Planning for Life and Career
• Persuasive Communication Skills for Difficult People and Discussions
• From Pain To Polish – Powerful Presentation Skills

Train-the-trainer (T2) program development

Retention Programs

• Recommendations, development, implementation, guidance, support, facilitation

Support Products

• Customization of GenderSmart book
• Discounted pricing for bulk purchase
  

HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?

Call Jane toll-free at (877) 343-2150 or email her at jane@janesanders.com to discuss how she can help create a GenderSmart culture in your company.