Last night we launched our first study into gender diversity in the UK financial services sector – Past perspectives; future change: a study into the experiences of senior women in financial services. Despite it being an incredible amount of work (we interviewed 100 women in top positions within finance), the massive turnout last night at the launch made it all worthwhile.
We’d love you to download the full report yourself, and if you click on Leader Training you’ll be able to right now.
To give you a bit of a taste of what the report revealed:
– Successful people do not hesitate to seize opportunities as they arise
– Women who achieve senior roles are called to exhibit a level of competence in excess of their male peers; in essence women think they have to work harder than men to get on
– The issue of practical support for working women remains fundamentally challenging. Among the most successful senior women, a supportive partner is common – frequently one who manages the home
– Reintegrating into the business after maternity leave is seen as a particularly difficult time to maintain career momentum
For your information, the report is divided into two sections; the first provides a first-hand account of the experiences of women who have achieved senior positions in the industry; the second includes practical recommendations from those interviewed on how companies can break down the barriers preventing many women from rising to the most senior roles.
Some of the recommendations include the fact that leadership from the top is essential, and that diversity should be identified as a business imperative. If not, efforts in this area will simply be regarded as lip service.
Please have a read and feel free to leave comments, either below this on HRZone or on the Muika Leadership site.
Karen Murphy
