Laura Edwards-Lassner, the VP of Talent Management at BeyondTrust, says there aren’t enough women with seats in the C-Suite across the globe

How can companies empower more women and groom them into leadership roles?
Women want to see representation of themselves in more senior-level roles, so companies need to make the effort to recruit and hire women in those higher-level roles. Organizations should encourage women to apply for internal roles, as well as provide development opportunities, including having a mentor.

Do you believe there is a need to bridge divides in gender equality attitudes across generations?
I’d like to think there isn’t, but there is. There aren’t enough women with seats in the C-Suite across the globe, which is one of the reasons I am so proud to work at a company that has a woman CEO. Here, there is a lot of support for women of all generations. In 2023 alone we’ve promoted 23 women into leadership roles at all levels of the organization.

According to you, what are the top three tips to build inclusive cultures, where people feel like they belong and be more engaged?
Number one is to look at your culture; who’s showing up, and where are the gaps? Second, what is your employee value proposition? And, if you don’t have one, partner with your employees to create one. Ours is “Believe. Belong. Become”. These tie to how our work connects to our values, that we have a sense of community, as well as feel valued and treated fairly.

Finally, we are provided with opportunities to develop, grow and learn so we may accomplish our goals and our work supports our improving our capabilities. And lastly, ensure that all employees, including the executives, are living that culture and our values; when we see our leaders leaning into that EVP, we see our engagement scores increase.

How can future generations be inspired to strive for equality and inclusivity?
Commit to do better. Acknowledge that equality and inclusivity aren’t givens in any space; so you need to forge ahead and create that inclusiveness, space for diversity in thought and wisdom, and by supporting that, we will be able to connect more of the strings in the DE&I tapestry we’re all a part of.