Too bad we can't have Mel Gibson's ability in his movie "What Women Want" to hear what women are really thinking! My research provides the next best thing...what over 100 professional women in various industries and positions told me they were thinking. Following are a few of their insights with a couple suggestions (out of many options) for each.

As you read, notice how these desires/demands parallel those expressed by Gen Y! As I've always said, by addressing women's issues, you address the needs of all workers (it's just that women and Gen Y are generally more vocal about these needs) and your recruiting and retention results will improve accordingly.

 #1: Of no surprise, women want and are demanding flexibility. Even with men contributing more at home, women still handle the majority of child-rearing and home-making duties. The incoming Millennial Generation (Gen Y) is adding to this growing workplace requirement of flexibility for both men and women.

Combine this workload with the increasing desire to spend more time with family and to maintain some semblance of balance between work and personal lives, and flexibility becomes paramount. The workaholic phenomenon is over. Savvy employers have already incorporated some flexibility measures, but others have room for improvement and consequently, improved retention as well.

Suggestions: Form a task force to address this need. Let flexibility take many forms and options, such as flex time, part-time, extended days with Friday off, tele-commuting, individual schedule control, etc. Then while recruiting promote these important benefits. Happy, less-stressed employees are more productive employees - few HR leaders would argue about that. Every study I have read indicates that flexibility and performance measured by results, not by face time, improve productivity.

#2: Women want fulfillment from helping people in a meaningful way. They want to make a positive difference in their community, in their company, in the world. Generally, women are nurturers and want to help others and make things better for people. And Gen Y is committed to altruism, volunteerism, the green movement, and making the world a better place.

Suggestions: Certainly while recruiting, and continuing with regularity, communicate clearly and specifically how your company helps people and makes a difference in the world. Make the connection between what employees do every day to positively change lives, and talk about it internally and externally. Initiate a "The Good We Do" bulletin board, email newsletter, or segment of your staff meetings and other events.

#3: Women want to work where they are cared about and supported. Not mothered, but supported and cared for as an integral member of a community. Does your office feel like a community, a family of sorts? Even increasing your encouraging comments and acknowledgements can make a big difference. Do your employees have access to the training and coaching they feel they need?

Suggestions: For a simple example, as manager, do you acknowledge their birthdays? On a grander and critically important scale, does upper management talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk of a company that is serious about supporting women? Are they genuine? Women, whether they realize it or not, are very intuitive about genuineness and can see through lip service. Gen Y'ers don't trust executives to begin with and do not have the innate loyalty to authority that older generations have.

Taking this series of questioning a bit deeper, does the executive team even know how to talk to and about women in an inclusive, respectful, sincere manner? Do they offer a meaningful and effective mentoring program for all employees?

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