I have been
watching with interest the debate on whether setting quotas for the number of
women sitting on company boards is the way forward or pure folly. There are
compelling cases for each viewpoint – so what do you think?
From my
research it seems that the main issue preventing many women from reaching the
top – and by that I mean executive committees as well as corporate boards – is motherhood.
I must admit that I was astounded when I realised it was such a basic issue,
which could be so easily addressed, if there was a will to do so.
It seems
that the proposed EU quota would only address the issue of women on the board.
Now, beneficial as it would be to have more women on the board of directors of
the big corporate companies, I think their worth would depend on their
direction of appointment.
To ‘parachute’
women in to the board seems a pointless act – a mere gesture to demonstrate
(unconvincingly) that the company is addressing the issue and treating women
equally. Far more effective is to promote up to the board from within the
company on merit and ability. Currently women are falling out of the promotion
pipeline at an alarming rate because they are electing to have children.
In financial
terms alone, it is an unsustainable policy and very short sighted. Mixed gender
teams and committees have been proven to be more creative and give the company
a competitive edge. To lose half of the talent that a company had developed in
this way is pure madness. It makes no financial sense whatsoever.
The
government has made a small step in the right direction by introducing new maternity/paternity
leave guidelines recently. This may result in childcare being shared more
evenly between parents and could eventually eradicate the issue. However, I’m
not holding my breath while I wait for this to happen.
Ultimately
it is the responsibility of companies to decide for themselves how important
their employees are and – with convincing evidence demonstrating the having a
50/50 gender balance at every level of a company makes sound economic sense –
taking robust action to ensure that every member of staff is supported to
achieve their full potential. If this means introducing flexible working for
those who want it, workplace childcare or other measures then there is nothing
to stop them forging ahead – both in terms of staff management and
profitability.
The sad fact
is that many, many women find themselves electing to work for far less than
they are capable of in order to create a work/life balance once they have
children. It is a waste of talent that companies and the country cannot continue
to support. I absolutely realise that not every woman wants promotion. But
those that do want to reach the top and have the talent to support that
ambition should be encouraged to do so in the same way that their male
colleagues are.
What do you
think?
How is it in
where you work?
What
challenges or obstacles have you found in reaching for promotion?
I would love
to hear from you. Please send me your stories of success and challenge, good
and bad companies, achievement and disappointment. I would love to be able to
share stories of supportive companies and success. It is always inspiring to
know that there are beacons of good practice out there, so please let me know.
Copyright ©
2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.
