Women (especially founders) face a 20% equity gap at work

Women (especially founders) face a 20% equity gap at workWomen (especially founders) face a 20% equity gap at workWe already know that there is a gender pay gap holding women back at work, but did you know that there is an equity gap too?For every dollar of equity a man holds in a company, women hold 47 cents, according to data of 180,000 employees across 6,000 companies compiled by Carta.When you get equity at a company, you earn mora than a paycheck, you also get a stake in a business that can secure your financial future. Unlike cash, equity is likely to increase in value over time. This is the bet that many early startup employees make If I work at this new idea and our company gets bought or goes public, I can one day get rich overnight. But women are missing out on this opportunity. The research found that women make up 35% of equity-holding employees, but only hold 20% of equity. The gap gets more pronounced for female founders.They only own 39 cents for every dollar of equity a male founder earns. In total, women make up 33% of employees and founders in the workforce, but only hold 9% of equity.Women only hold 20% of the employee equity valueWhat happened to all that equity value? In response to the research, the Angels investment collective of six women suggests that the problem is a combination of factors. For one, female founders are more like to raise money at lower valuations and have to sacrifice a greater proportion of their company to investors, which dilutes their equity value. For another, women are less represented as investors - they make up 9% of venture capitalists, one study found - and are more likely to face industry bias overall.This bias creeps into decision-making. One study on Swedish venture capitalists found that investorswould be more likely to question a womansentrepreneurship knowledgethan a male entrepreneur. Men in business were more likely to get the benefit of the doubt. A male entrepreneur would get described optimistica lly as young and promising while a woman got the tepid response of young, but experienced.For women to get more ownership of the businesses they help build, Angels suggests that closing the capitalization table gap needs to become a priority for leaders. Their advice to founders and CEOS? Include and develop women from the beginning of a companys story. Raise money from women investors. Hire women from day one. Compensate men and women equally when in similar roles. And focus on women of color, especially URMs underrepresented minorities, in all these areas as they face even higher barriers in our industry, the group suggests.

How to Give Someone Constructive Criticism in the Workplace

How to Give Someone Constructive Criticism in the WorkplaceHow to Give Someone Constructive Criticism in the WorkplaceWhen I welches finishing up a summer internship during grad school, I was scheduled for a feedback session on the final day of work. Having worked really hard throughout the summer, I walked into the session expecting positive, or, at the very least, mixed feedback.What I received instead was my managers biased stance on why she felt certain events had happened in the past couple weeks and what this meant about my attitude. She was wrong. There were other reasons for the recent events that she hadnt considered. I felt blindsided and shocked that none of my hard work throughout the three months had been considered. I left the office that day in tears.That memory has stuck with me because I felt that a lot of the standard rules for properly delivering feedback were not followed. Feedback, I discovered that day and again after, is more effective for the recipient if the giver can remain objective and focus on communicating solutions.Here are some tips for optimally organizing and delivering constructive criticism.1.Focus on observations. Do not assume intentions.When organizing points for a feedback discussion, collect examples that support what youre communicating. However, do not surmise the motivation behind behaviors. Be open when discussing the actions with the individual, and be open to hearing the individuals rationale or partieal circumstances. If you lob unfounded accusations, the other person could become defensive and stop listening.2.Tie the behavior or action to an outcome.While you should comment on the persons actions, it is more impactful if you can tie the behavior to an outcome or describe the negative impact. It provides context for the individual and also establishes that you are not attacking the person but rather critiquing how their behavior impacts others. For example, instead of telling a person that you disagree with the n egative comments that theyve made, explain how it impacts team morale and distracts team members from overcoming obstacles and tackling work.Incidentally, tips 1 and 2 make up part of the Gordon method for delivering feedback using I-statements 1) describe the behavior you find unacceptable, 2) share your feelings and 3) identify the tangible and concrete effect of the behavior.3.Be aware of recency bias.Recency biasis the tendency to place more value on recent events because of their freshness within your memory. Consider all events regardless of when they occurred. Recency bias can occur for positive or negative behavior. If a person performs well but has a rough couple of weeks recently, you could be penalizing them unfairly. Conversely, if a person underperforms for a long span of time but more recently had major wins, you may be celebrating spurts of good work rather than sustained solid performance.4. Offer recommendations or alternatives.In addition to telling a person things that they should try to refrain from doing, offer them some suggestions of some things they should try. A person may be acting one way because they arent aware of alternatives. Give them some ideas to seed their imagination, and then encourage them to think of other, more productive ways to operate.5.Deliver feedback in person.Comments can be misconstrued when delivered over an online medium, no matter how many smiley-face emoticons you use. When possible, deliver feedback in personso that you can see their reactions and adapt what you are saying according to their verbal responses or the body language you witness. Giving feedback in real time and actively taking into account the information that you gather during the conversation allows you to adjust the course of the conversation so that it remains focused on the most important topics.Read Related ArticlesCharm Candidates With an Irresistible Company Culture

The 5 Stages of a Typical Career--Where Are You

The 5 Stages of a Typical Career--Where Are YouThe 5 Stages of a Typical CareerWhere Are You8The progression of stages differs for each person- some may spend more time at one level, others may hit road bumps, and many will even choose to redirect entirely. But whether the journey is linear, winding, or circular, each stage provides valuable chances to grow and to craft a route that works for you.Here are the five stages of a typical career.ExplorationWhether you have your foot in the door at a place you think may be your dream company or are working a particular job simply because it pays the rent for now, get all you can from the experience. Asking thoughtful questions, meeting a variety of people, and learning everything you can will set you up for future career opportunities. Youll not only begin figuring out if the field is a good match to your interests, youll strengthen transferable skills and grow your network.For many people, the exploration phase is one to repeat several ti mes before you find a career that feels right. If youve been trying different careers before you move to the next stage, youre not aloneprogredienzWhen youve reached a point where you feel headed in the right direction, it is time for preliminary planning. What will it take to get from point A to point B? Do you have the educational background necessary for the position to which you aspire? Might finding a mentor help with navigating the industry and its politics?A common pitfall in this stage is focusing too much on rapid promotion rather than on long-term goals. Cautions David Van Rooy, senior director of global leadership development at Walmart and author of Trajectory 7 Career Strategies to Take You from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, When people hop jobs quickly, they are often focused more on title and money than on the skills they need to develop to reach their longer-term goals. For that reason, it is essential to have at least a loose idea of your 5-10-year career g oals. Once you have taken the time to consider that, you can begin to map out the skills and experiences you need in order to reach those goals.SatisfactionCongratulations on finding happiness with your work and your employer Take pleasure in your circumstance, and keep taking action to ensure the good times last.Many people reach a point where they really enjoy what they are doing (and are really good at it). There is nothing wrong with this at all- I call this a positive plateau, Van Rooy says. He suggests, however, continuing to be a lifelong learner who seeks out new people, ideas, and challenges. If youve been doing the saatkorn thing for awhile, try to get exposure or a chance to work in another part of the business. Think of it as a way to shock the system. Similarly, dont be afraid to let others know what your goals are. Its easy to become pigeonholed if you have been in the same job for a long time.EvaluationWhile regularly taking a close look at your where you are vs. wher e you want to be is worthwhile, sometimes circumstances increase the need for inspection- a new baby that necessitates a different schedule, a corporate merger that leaves your job shaky, a case of the Monday blahs five days a week that makes you wonder if youre in the right field.A key to this stage is zeroing in on what would make life better. Are you dissatisfied with the pay, the actual work, the environment, the hours, or something else? Without pinpointing the problem, you may switch jobs just because the grass appears greener elsewhere- and soon end up with the same difficulties. Once you know what it is you truly want you can brainstorm ideas on how to achieve it, perhaps seeking a new role with the same employer, learning a new skill to increase marketability, or exploring flexible options to achieve a saner work-life balance.LegacyThe final years of a career are a time to think about what lasting mark you wish to make on your field. Many workers find it rewarding to mentor younger employees or to hold leadership positions within professional or community organizations. Others focus on meeting personal or company goals theyd still like to accomplish.As one career path finishes, dont be surprised if a new one begins. People at this stage often seek alternate employment as a way to explore additional interests, keep active and social, and contribute to their income. And in their new role, they may find themselves passing through the five stages of a typical career once againReaders, how many of the five stages of a typical career have you experienced? Share your experience with us below