Not enough women stay in consulting: what can we do about it?

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a special series of Elixirr’s Challenger Network News on ‘Women in Consulting’, based on this year’s International Woman’s Day theme of #ChoosetoChallenge. Across three episodes, I spoke to women in the consulting industry, from the entry-level up to Partner, about the challenges women in our industry face, and solutions to the problem. 

The conversations during the series made me take a good look at what the industry and individuals can do to help fix the problem that not enough women stay in consulting. Frankly, I learned more from the series than I can cover in this article. However, here are just a few of my key takeaways.

1.    Less mentorship, more sponsorship

One viewer posted a Harvard Business Review article in the comments of one episode that discussed how high-performing women are over-mentored but under-sponsored. This really stuck with me, and we went on to discuss it on the show. If we’re going to get more women to the top, coaching or mentorship isn’t enough. We need sponsorship. Coaching is giving ad hoc career advice. Sponsorship is a long-term commitment. It requires a leader to dedicate time and energy to an individual and their growth – you’re making sure they have the opportunity to take on the most challenging and impactful projects across the firm. Over the years, I’ve sponsored both men and women and helped them make Partner; it’s a process that takes years.

Leaders need to more actively sponsor women. Historically I have sponsored more men, in part because the talent pool I’m picking from – at senior levels – is mostly men. In order to end this whole lifecycle, leaders need to sponsor women earlier in their career. This should help the problem by actively helping more women reach the Principal or Director level.

My second realisation on this point is the uncomfortable reality of why sponsorship for ambitious women can get neglected. Male team members often approach me to ask if we can have a drink or a meal together after work. There’s no denying that this informal and regular quality time helps their career progression. I equally understand why female colleagues looking to advance their careers don’t approach me with the same request – instead, women seeking coaching or sponsorship typically ask me to go for a coffee. The problem is that having a coffee is a typically shorter interaction. This imbalance means that men get more of the quality time that helps their career progression, which contributes to women getting edged out. It’s unintentional, but it happens – and it’s a problem.

--> Action: The next time a woman asks me for a coffee to discuss her career, we’re getting lunch instead. We’re going to sit down to a meal and take the time to have a thoughtful and lengthy conversation so that every individual seeking to advance their career receives the quality time – and sponsorship – they need and deserve.

2.    Non-inclusive conversations are a problem

In episode 1 of the series, Natalie Milner and Lara Kottsieper, both Consultants at Elixirr, raised the point that they’re often the only woman (both client and consultant) in the room at work. They also highlighted that one consequence of this is that the conversation often turns to mutual and male-oriented conversation, the example used being ‘football chat’. As a relationship-based profession, consultants work to build a rapport with clients and therefore seek conversation based on mutual interests. Talking about this made me realise just how important it is to cover topics that are broader and more open.

--> Action: Rather than jumping straight into what happened during the game at the weekend – can we talk about something else, something more inclusive? This is something I’m going to consciously do myself and within my teams moving forward.

3.    Policies alone don’t work

Fabiana Amiouni shared a personal story in episode 2. She talked about how she never felt that being a woman in a male-dominated industry hindered her career. But that changed when she became a mother. This new chapter affected how she perceived her career and how she felt her career was being perceived.

Company policies are important, but this conversation made me realise that they don’t work alone. Women who are only meant to work a three-day week feel guilty that they can’t be 100% committed, and colleagues get frustrated that a member of the team can’t be fully present. Simply slapping a flexible working policy onto this kind of situation is not a viable solution. Yes, you need the policies to exist – but they should act as guidelines.

--> Action: We must tailor policies to the individual. It must be 100% bespoke. As leaders, it’s our duty to design a flexible way of working around an individual’s unique circumstances. One that works for the individual and the team. This will mean the ‘policy’ actually works, avoiding feelings of self-guilt for different working arrangements, or the common scenario where ineffective flexible working causes people to leave a firm altogether.

4.    Be committed to staying connected

This is deeply linked to my previous point. When women (or men) adopt a flexible working arrangement, the firm must remain connected to that person. Not a fa?ade connection – but tangible tentacles that maintain the relationship and provide real contact. By preventing people who are taking time out from getting out of the habit of working and instead keeping them in the fold, you help individuals maintain the confidence to step back into their roles, preventing them from feeling like outsiders upon their return.

--> Action: We need to make the effort to stay connected to all talent (but particularly female talent) when they’re taking time out or working flexibly. By keeping people connected to the business they will hopefully be more inclined to return. This could be continuing a few hours’ client-facing work each week, supporting business development activities, retaining company options, or attending company social events.

As a leader, I’m committed to helping our female talent become Partners in our business. I certainly don’t always get it right, but I’m committed to learning and actively working to make things better. I’m also committed to taking action and implementing change within our business to make sure we can play a part in eradicating this industry-wide problem. Watch this space.