One of my new clients surprised me today by saying that he was looking for new staff and that he would only employ women.
He has a successful business in Norway that only employs women. The new positions in UK are key sales roles.
I did mention to him this was discriminatory and he would be breaking EU law. He just disregarded my comment.
His reasons for employing only women are:
- His customers are middle aged men who prefer to deal with women
- Women are more loyal
- Women are not selfish and generally not there just for the kill.
The question I asked myself as my practice builds up, should I do the same? It is tempting but I would not do this. This is not for any legal, moral or ethical grounds. It is simply because it would be more commercial to have a mixed team. My experience has proved that a mixture of people in a team is good for creativity, productivity and staff motivation.
Having said all this, I hope the all important criteria for me would be is the person the right fit for the job? Sex, creed or race should not come into this. In the end I am human and may just go for the looks! I hope not.
Can you share your experience of working in a single sex or mixed teams? Do you have a preference?
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Replies (8)
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I would prefer women when dealing with men and vice versa
But I wouldn't choose on that basis because it is illegal.
God bless the Norwegians!
Now if your new client lived in Wales he'd probably only have a woman to make the tea or polish the professional plaque outside the front door :)
I think any team can have difficulties. Far more important to get the skillset and particularly the personalities right. I've known mainly female teams that have worked well and ones that have struggled, and likewise mixed teams. If you can get people who work well together you'll have a quieter life! Mix the sexes, mix the ages and so on. As long as you have people who respect each other's differences the more variety you have the better.
Individuals
Like BillyBob says, it is the people who work together that are important. It obviously wouldn't work having a raving chauvinist working in an office occupied by women, and vice versa with a feminist. There has to be tolerance and understanding in the workplace and there is no room for prejudice.
To get along well together you have to either like the people you work with, or respect them for being good at their job. If you don't have either of those then you are in trouble, if you have both then you have the makings of a very good team.
Feminist?
A feminist could work with a group of men because a feminist merely believes that she should be treated equally and does not hate men or think they are inferior.
A raving chauvinist on the other hand does think women are inferior.
@hazeljohnson
Good post. I agree with you. :)
Hazel's post
It certainly shut up the men! :-)
??
Aren't you a man, Peter? ;)
OK
I should have clapped silently!