Aug 26, 2024
Women’s Equality Day: How POWER is Championing Women in the Workplace
On August 26th, we recognize Women’s Equality Day — a day that commemorates the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. It is a celebration of the progress we’ve made towards gender equality, but also a reminder of the work that still needs to be done — especially in corporate America.
At POWER, we’re putting in that work every day. We strive to create a safe, supportive community where everyone is afforded the same opportunity to succeed. But when you consider the male-dominated construction industry, as well as the impact the pandemic had on women leaving the workforce, the odds are stacked against that mission even more.
However, POWER is proving that women not only have a place here, but that they can thrive here.
Through our Power Women’s Initiative (PWI), we’re not only creating a more supportive workplace for women, but destigmatizing the perception of an entire industry. Here’s how:
Building Community
Some of the most important work this initiative has achieved is the strong and supportive community its built for women here. Every quarter, PWI hosts outings and get togethers in all of our territories, giving women an opportunity to form deeper relationships with one another and give back to their communities.
PWI also organizes quarterly company-wide virtual meetings to check in on initiative goals and share their experiences, and has a dedicated internal chatroom, allowing for women to strengthen their networks across the business.
One of POWER’s Customer Development Representatives, Kiara Wilson, reflects on how POWER and PWI have impacted her experience here.
“My favorite part of POWER is this community. It is really rare that you have a job where the people don’t feel like coworkers but instead family who want to help you succeed and win. PWI has impacted me tremendously both professionally and personally. I didn’t know how much I really needed a group of boss women to talk through everything with. Teammates like Cindy and Jo have truly shown me what it means to be a boss woman. They have welcomed me and provided me with a sisterhood that I could only dream of.”
And part of PWI’s continued growth and success is also due to the male allies that support its mission. “Even though I’m in a male-dominated industry, every single person makes me feel valued and loved. Everyone stacks hands together to uplift everyone and I’m beyond grateful for Powers constant dedication to their employees,” said Wilson. “Tom, Matt, Kirk and Darius along with so many others have supported me and my family in ways I never expected. Whether it’s personal or professionally, I know I can always call them and they will always be there for us.”
Providing Training, Mentorship, and Opportunity
Through PWI, we’re ensuring that women at POWER have all the mentorship, training, and advocacy necessary to reach the highest levels of leadership, earning potential, and success.
For our Sales division, every employee belongs to a team with a dedicated team leader and mentor. This allows for everyone to be seen, heard, and receive coaching and mentorship for their specific role.
POWER also offers standardized leadership development programming to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to advance their career — no matter their gender, race, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Here are just a few examples of how we’re creating that equity:
- Our Quarterly Promotion Boards is a four-phase process that evaluates employees eligible for a promotion in a standardized manner, ensuring fairness and equity for everyone.
- For POWER’s Leadership Compass — one of our development programs that identifies the future generations of Directors and Vice Presidents — we created an even more clear and universal set of requirements for employees interested in earning a seat within the program. Not only do we have a wider net to pull from, everyone has a fair shot.
There’s not only opportunity to advance at POWER, but to choose your own path. Employees have the opportunity to apply to our internal training programs that can teach them new and valuable skills.
The Power Code Academy (PCA) is an immersive six-month program that teaches employees coding and other technical skills required for developer and other tech roles.
Our Dan Price Craftsmanship Academy (DPCA) trains employees from any area of the business to become master craftspeople and installers, even if they don’t have any construction or installation experience.
Tech and Construction are notoriously male-dominated industries. But POWER strives to change that. We’re seeing a growing number of women enter these programs, acquiring skills that are in high-demand and building a lucrative career.
If you’re looking for a supportive and equitable place to work, check out POWER’s open roles here.
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