In 2018,
The
The parent company of
'We know that men and women enter the workforce at an almost equal rate, but the higher a woman climbs, the less women she'll see around her. And we're changing that,' said Yum! Chief Operating Officer & Chief People Officer
Here's how the world's largest restaurant company is planning for parity.
Hire and promote the right talent for the jobs, ensuring women are in the mix for all positions
'At Yum!, we want the best talent for the job,' said
Research backs Verret's assertion. An often-quoted
Knowing this, Yum! and its brands' recruiters are purposeful in ensuring several of their job descriptions appeal to an array of applicants. Gone is a laundry list of qualifications and in its place, the essential requirements. Human resources has also enlisted the help of the artificial intelligence service Ongig, which reviews job descriptions and suggests words that are more inclusive. According to Ongig, women tend to factor in a job's salary when deciding whether to apply, so many of Yum!'s job postings now list a salary range, which also complies with a legal requirement in some
With these measures, Yum! aims to be seen as an employer of choice, attracting a variety of job seekers.
Support women currently in those jobs
Once hired, Yum! and its brands focus on retaining top talent.
'We keep employees by showing them that we embody an inclusive culture that supports them no matter what stage of life they're in,' Verret said.
Some of this is done through women-centered business employee resource groups (BERGs), comprised of all genders, with which Yum! and its brands support advancement in the workplace by building community, leveraging cross-functional knowledge and identifying and addressing barriers to growth. This is accomplished through several initiatives, like hosting networking dinners between vice presidents and middle management as well as organizing talks with local entrepreneurs to share their inspirational journeys.
'Our retention rate is high,' Verret said. 'Nearly 90% of our women employees rank Yum! as a great place to work on our annual
She credits that retention to the aforementioned programs and an internal statistical analysis that confirms pay parity by gender in the
'Many of our senior leaders are also parents,' Verret said. 'It's not uncommon for a toddler to walk across the background of a Teams meeting, and we welcome that.'
Insist on gender parity beyond corporate
As a predominately franchised organization with over 57,000 restaurants worldwide, Yum!'s belief in gender parity extends to outside its restaurant support centers. Since 2019, the company has run the EmpoweHER Leadership program, which connects women and men in its franchise organizations across
Two years later, Yum! and the
Yum! is also intent on creating more equality in the communities in which its restaurants are based. In 2020, the company launched a
One such program in
'This program is one of the best parts of my job,' said
All of this work extends from Yum!'s longstanding efforts with the
'We want everyone in our organization - whether they're in front of or behind the counter - to have an equitable experience,' said Skeans. 'It's part of who we are.'
Don't rest once gender parity is reached
Today, women are in Yum!'s C-suite, like KFC Global Chief Financial Officer
But Skeans says Yum! won't rest even when gender parity is reached.
'While we are committed to our Paradigm for Parity aspirational goal to have parity in senior roles by 2030, it's more than that,' said Skeans. 'It's about creating an organization that recognizes and celebrates this progress, so that parity becomes commonplace.'
In anticipating this need, Skeans has focused on bringing together women executive leaders to 'lead it forward,' finding ways to build community and inspire them to motivate the next generation within the organization.
'A recent study of women CEOs found that two-thirds of them didn't see themselves as CEOs before their bosses encouraged them,' Verret said. 'This makes me wonder, do we have women in our organization who don't see their full potential? If so, how can we help them see multiple pathways in their future?'
This reality is what motivates Verret and her colleagues to ensure the women leaders see their potential, so gender parity isn't about a goal, but it's about unlocking opportunity.
'You can't be what you can't see,' said Skeans. 'And the more I look around, the more I see others like me in decision-making positions, making me confident that parity is within our reach.'
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