Sign company adds record number of women to their workforce

Gelberg Signs was just named Business of the year for 2021 by the Chamber of Commerce, you might not be familiar with the name but if you live in the United States you have definitely come across their work. This company has been putting up landmark signs for the past eight decades. 

Other than their history, what keeps them apart is their initiative to have more women in leadership roles, which they are actively working towards. The new change is spearheaded by Sasha Clarke who was hired as the executive facilitator in 2020. Clarke believes that women are inherent teachers, having more women in leadership roles fosters a system of learning and teaching. When Clarke initially walked into the executive board room there were four men making her the only woman, from this point onwards she worked to create diversity by hiring more women. 

While the pandemic was raging and most companies were firing employees, Gelberg did the opposite and hired up to 15 new employees and offered to put up free signs for local businesses. These new hires constitute up to 20% of their workforce. Not only that, but they also helped their local business partners survive during the pandemic. Clarke recommended multiple women for promotions pushing them to take on additional challenges. Having Female leaders contributed to one on one training sessions and implementation of new software and methodologies. Lenor Vocal is one employee who has benefitted from their hiring practices. Vocal who is a single mother from Bolivia was promoted to a managerial position, heading the vinyl department. This allowed her to have better financial stability and even buy a house. Vocal said that contrary to other workplaces, here she feels hard and respected, her ideas are considered equally valuable as her male counterparts. 

Source: CBS News