Women at work good for business and the economy

We need more women in the workforce if we want to remain competitive on the global stage.

The 2015 Intergenerational Report proves we need more women in the workforce if we want to remain competitive on the global stage.

There have been numerous studies through the years to prove that having more women in business, especially in leadership positions, makes good economic and business sense. Despite this, there are still far too few women reaching senior leadership positions.

This is not because of a lack of aspiration or a dearth of talented female employees. It is because there are still too many barriers in organisations that prevent wom­en’s progression.

At Right Management, one-third of our board and top executive level are female. While this isn’t something that can be achieved overnight, there are plenty of measures businesses can take to help close the gender gap.

● Enable flexibility. Women feel most organisational cultures and structures are not yet conducive to having both children and a career. Research from ManpowerGroup shows that while 65 per cent of women say flexible work options are important to them, only 28 per cent of employers provide them.

To enable more women to join the workforce, we must consider part-time roles and job sharing, even at the highest level. Leadership should be outcome-focused, prioritising productivity over presenteeism, and recognise not all senior roles necessarily require somebody working five days a week or even traditional work hours. With the availability of technology, flexible working is even easier to achieve.

●Remove gender bias from procedures and processes.Gender bias still exists in many of the most fundamental business procedures and processes, which makes it difficult for women to have a voice, be involved in key decisions or be selected for advancement opportunities. Organisations should ensure more equitable networking opportunities that minimise traditional stereotypes of deals struck in the pub after work, and instead play into the collaborative strengths of women.

This extends to the selection process for promotions, advancements and development oppor­tunities as well, ensuring they are objective to ensure the right people are selected with the right skills, irrespective of gender.

●Provide clear career pathways and development opportunities. Our research has found that half of working women feel they lack development opportunities and have no clear career path.

We also know organisations providing career development opportunities have retention rates four times higher than those organisations that do not, and are almost 2.5 times likelier to be productive than organisations that do not. Strategic career planning benefits not only the individual but also the business by building a strong leadership pipeline that includes women.

●Provide role models.You can’t be what you can’t see. Women working in the corporate world often find it difficult to identify female role models they can look up to and emulate in their own careers. To overcome this, encourage female leaders to coach and mentor other women within the organisation. If you don’t have any female leaders yet, find trailblazers outside the company to inspire your future leaders.

We still have a long way to go in solving the gender parity problem, but it is certainly a problem worth solving — for women, for business, for the economy and for ­society.

Bridget Beattie is executive vice-president of Asia Pacific Middle East at Right Management.