Commercial Integrator November 2022 - 41

[them] questioning the benefi t of putting
in the extra time and eff ort when there's no
proper reward. "
Women in the Workforce
When it comes to quiet quitting, Neto
postulates that women might arguably
be engaging in it more than their male
colleagues. " If there's anyone who has
been overpromised and underdelivered
[to more], it's the women in our industry, "
Neto propounds. Expanding on his thesis,
he declares, " We have millions of stories
where women go above and beyond to
exceed target goals. And yet, they don't
receive their due. Instead, their extra
eff orts are seen as 'just part of the job.' "
Neto also points out that working from
home during the pandemic had profound
implications for parents trying to balance
the responsibilities of work and family.
Women oſt en juggle work-from-home
activities and running the household. " Companies
have been working on bringing
people back to the offi ce for some time, "
Neto notes. " What needs to be considered
is the strain that has put on families.... " It's
no wonder, therefore, that some women are
rethinking their current role and how it has
changed. It's not about doing the bare minimum;
instead, it's about being treated fairly
in their new, modifi ed role and resetting
expectations, he reasons.
Hansen ties together the issues of
female representation, equity and wages
in commercial AV. He acknowledges that,
no doubt, women in the AV industry face
underrepresentation. Analyzing further,
Hansen explains, " Looking at just the
broader trends, when you have that kind of
underrepresentation, you can end up with
lesser retention. " In his opinion, women
who are made to feel unwelcome and disregarded
will eventually quit working at such
companies, seeking instead to transition
to environments that value them and their
eff orts. " In fact, we [at AVIXA] are workshopping
an article that addresses the gender
parity in AV companies, and we will examine
the eff orts of the women workforce in
our industry and also look at gender[-based]
pay inequality, " Hansen reveals.
Moving on from the how and why of
quiet quitting, we turn to another important
question: What can be done to address
commercialintegrator.com
it? Hansen affi rms that quiet quitting can
oſt en stem from more general retention
issues. To mitigate those, he emphasizes
cultivating strong relationships between
managers and employees. " There needs
to be a mutual understanding and trust
between the two, " Hansen asserts. " When
managers attempt to accommodate their
employees, it can actually improve the
relationship. " He further underlines how
workplace-environment factors can persuade
employees to stay, as well as to put
in more eff ort. He says, " Maybe you cannot
aff ord to give a raise, but you can provide
fl exibility and respect your employees. This
shows that you value them. "
Neto again mentions how tensions
between managers and employees with
respect to return-to-the-offi ce mandates
can lead to a fraught environment. " There
defi nitely seems to be a tennis match of
sorts here, " he observes. According to
The Premier Supplier of Pro Audio, Video,
Lighting Equipment & Musical Instruments
Serving Integrators & Contractors
For Over 45 Years
Free Shipping | Free 2-Year Service | Low Price Guarantee | Flexible Financing | Certified Experts
800-356-5844 * fullcompass.com
NOVEMBER 2022 Commercial Integrator
41

http://www.fullcompass.com http://www.commercialintegrator.com

Commercial Integrator November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator November 2022