Working for Balance – APCO’s North America Advice Report 2019

We won’t create a balanced world if we don’t share how we each work to create that balance

Throughout Women’s History Month in the United States, we reflected on the past and the future we want to create for the next generation. This year, the International Women’s Day theme was Balance for Better; a theme that challenges us to think of bold new possibilities for how we live and work that are more sustainable, equitable and profitable for all.

We believe that listening and learning from one another is an important step in improving and generating balance — especially in a world where the gender pay gap, a lack of diversity among senior leadership, disproportionate work-life balance and hiring biases are still ever-present. A person’s experience is influenced by social factors such as race, gender, ethnicity, economic position and ability, and each of us carries unique ideas based on our social positioning. We cannot rely on any one perspective to influence change –– in order to truly understand how to create balance, we need to hear from all standpoints and perspectives and learn from the advice of others.

As a majority women-owned firm, these issues are close to our hearts. To help achieve balance in the workplace and the world, APCO’s North America 2019 Women’s History Committee created a report featuring advice, anecdotes and insights from our colleagues in North America about growing your career, mitigating bias, closing the gender gap and the workplace of the future. Employees in North America were invited to contribute to the report via survey in early March, and respondents were given the option to have their answers be attributed or anonymous. The advice within the report has been curated to include respondents from different genders, experience levels, geographies, ages and identities. By pairing this advice alongside topical research and data, the report aims to bring us one step closer to balance by giving actionable strategies and advice that colleagues, clients, friends and organizations can use to create change.

The design of the report was also intentionally created to reflect the collaborative and inclusive nature of the project. Six of our Studio designers have worked together to create a unique visual theme for each section to illustrate the variety of perspectives and voices depicted within the report.

For more information about the methodology or to replicate a similar report at your organization, please contact diversitycouncil@apcoworldwide.com.

Download the full report here or view below.