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Preventing soft skill decay among early-career women in STEM during COVID-19: Evidence from a longitudinal intervention

Author

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  • Julia L. Melin

    (a Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305;; b VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305)

  • Shelley J. Correll

    (a Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305;; b VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305)

Abstract

Women leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at higher rates than men do. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this problem. As companies emerge from the pandemic, interventions that prevent the gender gap from widening are critical for retaining a diverse STEM workforce. We evaluate an intervention to improve women’s confidence in their soft skills, an important predictor of workplace retention among women. We leverage rare longitudinal data collected from biotechnology employees immediately before and during the pandemic. Early-career women in the intervention experienced significant gains in their perceived soft skills, while similarly situated women experienced a decline. Furthermore, soft skill improvements were associated with significant increases in retention, suggesting the importance of soft skill development for early-career women post-pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia L. Melin & Shelley J. Correll, 2022. "Preventing soft skill decay among early-career women in STEM during COVID-19: Evidence from a longitudinal intervention," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(32), pages 2123105119-, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:119:y:2022:p:e2123105119
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    Cited by:

    1. Giorgio Gnecco & Sara Landi & Massimo Riccaboni, 2024. "The emergence of social soft skill needs in the post COVID-19 era," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 647-680, February.

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