In today’s workforce, in many professions, there is still a discrepancy between what men get paid and what women get paid. There are still many professions with a noticeable lack of women. And yet, women are a strong asset to any company.

Improve your management development by seeking to hire – and retain – more female employees. According to Doug Hirschhorn, a contributor to Forbes Magazine, there are many scenarios in which women are wired to make better business decisions than men.

Three Ways Women Outperform Men

1. “Men let their pride get in the way of their decision making process and women don’t.” (Hirschhorn)

Hirschhorn argues than men’s decision-making can be clouded by their pride. Women’s brains are not wired in the same way, however so they are more easily able to view a given situation objectively and make a decision based on the facts rather than on feelings. Indeed, many different recent studies have now established women as the more rational thinkers in many circumstances. This gender awareness information is crucial for managers to understand.

2. “Self-awareness is the single most important characteristic among elite traders.” (Hirschhorn)

Hirschhorn also mentions that since women are more self-aware, they are also more likely to recognize less rational thoughts that might be clouding their decision-making process. Men, on the other hand, are less likely to realize that they are letting their feelings get in the way of their reason or their logic when they are making important decisions. Management development decisions should take this important gender awareness difference into account.

3. “When men get into arguments, they get physical or start wars. Women pause, reflect, plan and then unleash a well-calculated mental warfare.” (Hirschhorn)

Hirschhorn again emphasizes men’s propensity for being swayed by emotion when he writes that men lose their tempers more easily than women. By extension, one can theorize that hiring and retaining female employees is an important part of any management development strategy, since women are more likely to excel at dealing with difficult people or with handling a variety of situations responsibly.

How to Retain Female Employees

Now that you more fully understand the need for female employees, how can you retain the talented women who are under your management?

1. Encourage family-friendly workplace practices.

2. Treat employees fairly and equally, regardless of race or gender.

3. Encourage work-life balance.

4. Offer flexibility.