Why Companies Aren't Developing Women Leaders
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Why Companies Aren't Developing Women Leaders
Men dominate the C-suite and other high-profile management ranks, and few women think that their organization is doing a good job at addressing this situation. -
Uneven Field
92% of survey respondents said there is an imbalance of women in business leadership roles today, with 87% claiming there are more men than women in senior positions. -
Thumbs Down
Only 27% said their organization does a "good" or "very good" job in addressing the unequal balance of men and women in senior-level positions, and 31% describe their organization's response to this problem as "poor." -
Major Void
53% said it is "very important" or "extremely important" to offer programs that are specifically designed to develop women leaders, but just 24% said their employer has such a plan in place. -
Guidance Gap
Only 21% of the respondents said their company currently offers a formal mentoring and/or sponsorship program for women managers and leaders. -
Types of Available Leadership Training
Informal training (social networks, industry groups, etc.): 75%, Off-site conferences and events: 58%, Self-paced online learning: 55%, Classroom-based training led by an instructor: 53% -
Underutilized Resource
Just 35% of respondents said their organization provides executive education programs. -
Leadership Development Skills Sought By Women
Executive presence: 39%, Visibility building: 37%, Sponsorship/mentoring: 30%, Self-promotion: 27%, Career planning: 25% -
Pressing Issues, Part I
63% of respondents said that work-life balance is a top issue that women professionals face, while 53% cite the "glass ceiling" or "boy's club" mentality. -
Pressing Issues, Part II
50% said that unequal pay for equal jobs is a top issue that women professionals face today, while 37% cite a lack of mentors and sponsors.
The vast majority of women professionals believe their career potential is limited by an overwhelming gender imbalance within senior leadership roles at their company, according to a recent survey from Skillsoft. The accompanying report, "The Impact of Women in the Workforce," reveals that men dominate the C-suite and other high-profile management positions, and very few women employees think that their organization is doing a good job at addressing this situation. There's a glaring lack of leadership development programs made available to women, for example, and mentorship and sponsorship programs are scarce. The most common form of training, in fact, is made available through social networks, industry groups, online communities and other informal resources that are not sponsored by the employer. "From entry-level to C-level positions, women workers are facing more barriers and advancing more slowly than their male counterparts," according to the report. "Respondents note that even when training is available, the opportunity to advance and to apply skills may not be [available]. Women are underrepresented in leadership roles, which creates potential loss to the bottom line for many organizations. Investing in training to develop and support women leaders will lead to better business results." About 485 women professionals around the world took part in the research.