Although “work-life balance” is often cast in light of a “woman’s issue” it needs to shed that cloak because it’s everyone’s issue, says an industry expert.

By supporting work-life balance efforts, mentorship programmes and support networks, management can help ensure employees can keep their eye on the ball and maintain a passion for work, added May Knight, the insurance consulting lead for Asia-Pacific at global consulting firm Accenture.

“If your staff can’t find time for their life issues it’s difficult to expect them to give 100 per cent at work,” she said.

“Figuring out how to do that can be made easier if they have role models. My experience is that most successful women have had more than one mentor, and they aren’t always other women,” Knight added.

“Companies that partner people up, and create their own sponsorship programmes tend to have good track records in promoting diversity. But while this is a management issue, it’s also an individual’s responsibility. The successful men and women I have encountered over the years talk to a peer in another industry to see how they handle similar issues.”

But while success is ultimately up to the individual, it helps if employees genuinely believe their company cares. Accenture employs more than 130,000 women and has pledged to grow the percentage of women it hires to at least 40 per cent worldwide by 2017.

“We have made steady progress towards this goal. In fiscal year 2015 – the 12 months to the end of August – approximately 39 per cent of the company’s more than 100,000 new hires were women,” explained Knight.

“Today, four of the 11 independent directors on Accenture’s board – including its lead director – are women, and the company’s global management committee, which has ultimate accountability for running the business, includes three women.”

According to Knight, management should focus on:

Mentoring and career development. (This includes groups for new entrants to the workforce but also experienced hires.)

Ensuring /life wellness. (This includes digitised insurance policies that promote healthy living.)

Creating flexible workplaces. (This includes leveraging technology enablers from Skype to video conferencing.)

Diversity. (This goes beyond hiring policies to include career counsellors, and cross-cultural sponsors for global companies.)

“Management teams that take to heart supporting ‘support’ for staff and genuinely establish an environment where employees can flourish will succeed. If you talk it but don’t walk it, it won’t work,” Knight concluded. – TradeArabia News Service