How the Swedish Armed Forces work with gender equality – Employer Branding Talks April 4’th

Is your employer branding communication tailored to promote a gender-equal workplace? 

According to the LinkedIn Gender Insight Report, recruiters are now 13% less likely to click on a woman’s profile compared to a man’s. The gender distribution in high-level positions in the job market is predominantly male, and women still have an average salary that is 10% lower than their male counterparts. 

Even though Sweden has made significant progress towards a gender-equal working environment, there is more we can do, and much of it starts with raising awareness about the issue – sparking the conversation to drive sustainable change.

In our ninth Employer Branding Talk, we dedicated 45 minutes to the topic of gender-equal communication. Joining us were Anna Swahn, Chief of Relations & Communication at the Swedish Armed Forces, and Daniela Kramer, Chief of Analysis & Support, who shared their insights and thoughts on the subject. Watch the event recording here.

The impact of gender equality on the future work environment 

Gender equality is becoming an increasingly important issue as the lack of it is poised to create significant challenges for companies operating in male-dominated industries. 

An article published in Harvard Business Review by Hewlett, Marshall, and Sherwin also shows that in companies lacking diverse leadership, women have a 20% lower likelihood of getting their ideas accepted. This ends up costing companies market shares, which can be crucial for company growth, as the undiscovered needs of the market are directly overlooked. 

The fact that gender equality boosts innovation in a company is indeed proven. Differences enhance the ability to innovate, capture a broader audience, and are also directly linked to increased market growth. New solutions simply emerge because of multiple perspectives! 

So, how can you succeed in attracting a broader and diversified audience? Here, Anna Swahn and Daniela Kramer from the Swedish Armed Forces share their tips and advice.

Expert advice: 
Swedish Armed Forces’ Tips for Successfully Achieving Gender-Inclusive Communication 

The Swedish Armed Forces have long worked to attract a diversified audience through their communication – an effort that has yielded valuable insights on the subject. Here, they share their tips on how you can succeed in creating inclusive employer branding and recruitment communication. 

Use Your Target Audience in your Communication 

If your goal is to connect with young women, make sure your communication includes young women. Feel free to bring in outside perspectives if necessary and be upfront about the fact that your current presentation might not fully match your desired image. 

Adapt Your Communication to Your Audience 

Discover what inspires your audience, where they’re situated, the questions they seek answers to, and then customize your communication to address their specific requirements. 

No Plan, No Action 

Attending an event, reading a book, or listening to a podcast on the subject and feeling inspired is straightforward. However, the difficulty lies in sustaining that motivation and transforming it into tangible actions. Begin by jotting down your objectives and the required steps in a basic plan. Who will be accountable for each task? When is the action set to occur, and when will it be reviewed? 

Set Simple Goals and Follow Up 

Review how you currently portray and communicate your employer brand. Count the number of women and men in your images, educate yourself by learning how to avoid stereotypical communication. Seek additional perspectives through external surveys or open Facebook groups with communicators. Lastly, you can A/B test your communication in different channels to see if you’ve successfully reached your audience and what reactions you’ve received to adjust as needed. 

Work Consistently 

Many want quick results and expect to see immediate outcomes, which can risk making the communication appear less credible and actually have the opposite effect. For instance, only highlighting women on specific days like International Women’s Day, or adding the word “girls” to messages, might be seen as pinkwashing. To actively create change, you need to consistently work on implementing gender equality in your communication – allowing more perspectives, thoughts, and ideas to take center stage.