Empowered women empower women, especially at Yakkety Yak
Yakkety Yak is committed to maintaining a workplace in which all employees have an equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to the success of the business. Our commitment to diversity—to valuing the unique experience, skills and perspective of all individuals—is integral to the way we do business at our agency. As a woman-owned business—as well as one where more than half the employees are women—we take a particular interest in the inclusion, professional development, advancement and leadership of women in the workplace.
We Shatter The Glass Ceiling
Gender diversity in the workplace continues to be an important issue in business. Even though there is a significant number of women in the workplace today, women’s representation in the corporate world “hasn’t improved much at all in the last few years,” according to the 2018 Women in the Workplace report released by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org.
In the study, McKinsey found that the glass ceiling—the concept that women can only advance so far in their career trajectories—is still alive and well. Data showed that over the past few years, “the proportion of women at every level in corporate America has hardly changed.”
“Progress isn’t just slow. It’s stalled,” the study found.
At higher levels, men continue to hold a disproportionate percentage of management positions (62% to the 38% held by women). And let’s not forget about the persisting gender pay gap that causes women to earn less than men for equal work.
Given the current workplace gender equity situation, we keep the importance of women in business top-of-mind. We understand that retaining women workers has real benefits, like diverse perspectives, higher profits and more effective collaboration.
“Our office thrives on the attributes that women bring into the workplace, like account management, creativity and effective problem-solving,” says Ashley Logan, founder and CEO of Yakkey Yak. “As an entrepreneur and a woman, I want to make sure my company extends to women as many opportunities to thrive, be challenged and contribute their skills as possible.”
How We Uphold Our Commitment to Diversity
Yakkety Yak takes decisive action to include women in the workplace. In doing so, we empower everyone to advance their careers and contribute their talents to the business. All of us Yaks believe that when everyone has a seat at the table, we work better and smarter.
Hiring Women
The biggest takeaway from McKinsey’s 2018 report was that businesses need to hire and promote more women in order to achieve gender equality in the workplace.
“The two biggest drivers of representation are hiring and promotions, and companies are disadvantaging women in these areas from the beginning,” the report says.
At Yakkety Yak, we make a point to follow through on our commitment to workplace diversity by hiring qualified women onto our teams and providing opportunities for them to advance their roles.
“Our commitment to diversity begins in the interview process,” Logan said. “We are really proud to have evolving roles at Yakkey Yak that allow everyone to learn and perfect new skills. Our goal is to give that growth opportunity to women, especially those early in their careers, to fix that disparity.”
Women in Leadership
We are proud to say most of the leadership roles at Yakkety Yak are held by women! We know that women in leadership roles are competent, innovative and resourceful. Andi Summers, YY account director, views women in leadership roles as critical.
“Being a woman leader is an extremely important role to me, personally,” she said. “I want to see more companies with diverse management and leadership styles—something I think is essential to creating a dynamic work culture. When we see more women at the helm, we also see the unique traits and skills they bring to the table. I hope that as a woman who leads in this office, I contribute to that proactive environment.”
Women in leadership roles also create a great environment for the younger, less experienced women coming up behind them. At Yakkety Yak, women in entry-level positions have rare access to female mentors who can teach them, share advice with them and advise them on practical matters.
For Kate Heinz, a content strategist who began her professional career at Yakkety Yak, this ease of access to women-mentors has been significant.
“Transitioning into the workforce while surrounded by intelligent, professional women has been a huge blessing,” she said. “Since my days as an intern, the women on this team have offered advice, listened to my ideas and included me in the conversation. It’s true what they say: Empowered women empower women.”
We’re happy to spend every day working with our talented, women-led team. Are you or someone you know interested in working with us in a fast-paced agency environment? Apply for our Summer 2019 Internship Program!
