Recent research states that women make up only 30% of leadership roles and as an all girl gang at Wylde we certainly have something to say on the matter! This week in the Wylde blog we’re looking at the possible reasons for female representation remaining so low in a modern day and age.
Obviously the first step in increasing female management roles is by increasing the visibility of women in those positions – so that others know that these roles exist and that their is indeed a career path for them. Representation is key and the issue seem to be that women are promoted to manager at far lower rates than men, and this makes it nearly impossible for companies to lay a foundation for sustained progress at more senior levels. Call it the missing-rung if you like, but if women aren’t being promoted at lower levels, by the time we look at senior roles, there are no women left to choose from.
A heightened focus on racism and racial violence triggered a reckoning on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and research has proven that women leaders are much more likely to support fellow employees and spend more time on work around diversity, equity and inclusion, whether it falls outside of their official role or not. Women leaders are more likely to recruit employees from underrepresented groups and are more likely to speak out against discrimination and educate themselves on the issues faced by those groups.
So women are rising to the challenges, but their progress seems to be going unrecognised. The pandemic threw a spotlight on the need for care and focussed well-being support in the workplace. Yet again, collated research has shown that women leaders rose to the occasion; supporting their team members, realising the absolute demand to navigate work–life challenges and the affects on productivity, ensuring that their workloads are manageable, and checking in on their overall well-being.
We believe communication is key – not only does it turn the cogs of the business, igniting plans and strategy but it allows the crucial human element of connectivity and feeling supported as part of a collective group. Women in business are vital and important to a fair and progressive way of working, regardless of the industry. Check out the wonderful Wylde team here!
