Inspiration for Career Development
Here you can find inspiration for working with gender equality, diversity and inclusion in career development.
Case: Career Development Program at Faculty Level
The Faculty of Health conducted a Career Development Program for tenured academic staff. The objective of the career development program is that the participants develop managerial competences on a high professional level which are targeted for the academic world, so that they have a better starting point for performing managerial tasks in the future. In the selection of participants for the program, equal gender representation was an important factor.
In the video Anne-Mette Hvas, Dean at the Faculty of Health, explains about the program.
Selected points from the case
- Challenge: Concern for a robust and diversified recruitment base for future management positions at Health.
- Desired outcome: The objective of the career development program is that the participants develop managerial competences on a high professional level which are targeted for the academic world, so that they have a better starting point for performing managerial tasks in the future. In the selection of participants for the program, equal gender representation was an important factor.
- Activity – this is what we have done: The faculty's career development program was for tenured academic staff at Health, with an open possibility to apply. The department heads nominated the department’s prioritized candidates and the dean made the final selection. The career development program was developed in collaboration with AU-HR Development and Work Environment. It consisted of four sessions/workshops lasting one or one-and-a-half days, focusing on different topics of relevance to career development, personal leadership, diversity and inclusion etc. The program consisted of presentations, discussions, and individual and joint home assignments. The participants’ immediate supervisors acted as sparring partners during the program.
- Response from employees: The evaluation of the course showed a very high degree of satisfaction among the participants. A majority of the participants expressed an increased appetite for pursuing a career in management.
- Pay attention to…..: Pay attention to how to continue the career development process after the completion of the program: What are the next steps and how can the participants motivation for pursuing a leadership position be sustained.
- If you are curious to know more: contact: Anne-Mette Hvas, dean Faculty of Health or Michael Martini at AU-HR.
Listen to #DiversityAU podcast: Gender equality, diversity and inclusion in career development with Claartje Vinkenburg from the Netherlands
"One of the things I always recommend universities is to up their game in terms of dual career policies,” says gender equality expert Claartje Vinkenburg in this episode of the #DiversityAU podcast. She presents the lastest research in the area and makes suggestions to how gender equality can be considered when working with career development.
Watch keynote by Jeremy Sanders, Cambridge University, from the Gender Equality Conference at AU in 2021
Initiatives for improving careers, particularly for women
Professor emeritus Jeremy Sanders presents initiatives at the University of Cambridge designed to enhance leadership and workplace culture for everyone, but particularly benefiting women. These include the Returning Carers Scheme, which assists with returning to research after a career break, and improved procedures for academic promotions.
About the project "Gender and Networks in Early-career Academic Advancements"
The project, which was carried out in 2018, examines the role which gender plays in the networks that young researchers are a part of and how it affects their careers. The project was carried out by a group of researchers from The Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy.