How to #breakthebias and make sure your women’s development programmes really work

On a weekly basis, we speak with tens of organisations looking to achieve gender parity. Many understand the implications of not addressing the numbers of women at increasingly senior levels within their organisations; most do not know the reasons behind why they experience a drop-off in women beyond management level, and few have the insights on what is effective and what will make a difference.

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day is #breakthebias. For some time, organisations have thought that unconscious bias training is the key to transformative change, however in most instances it rarely moves the dial on increasing gender representation. Here, we outline three biases which companies struggle to overcome, but must do, to make the business case for gender equality.

#breakthebias 1 - The meritocracy

The M Word is often used by businesses wanting to prove they promote on merit. The premise behind this is that the organisation supplies a level playing field within which all employees can thrive and advance. However, the myth of the meritocracy, inadvertently stops women from advancing.

Presently, there are more young women entering higher education than young men. Women are in the majority when they enter the workplace and, in most industries, the numbers of women in entry level and management roles exceeds the number of men. Yet between middle and senior management level, the numbers drop drastically, and it’s not due to women having babies. If your workplace was truly meritocratic, then the numbers of women should be comparable to the numbers of men at all levels. Saying you are a meritocracy when the senior levels of your organisation are populated by men sends a signal that men are better for the job and only men can be promoted, the result of which is your talented women leave, depleting talent pipelines further.

#breakthisbias 2 – The attainment trap

The phrase we promote in our own ilk is certainly true. There is a comfort in the familiar and an assumption that those whose experiences are closer to our own are more likely to thrive in the cultural dynamic of the organisation. As we have highlighted men are the predominant gender in most senior roles in most organisations, it makes sense that they are more likely to appoint a man than a woman. The FTSE Women Leaders report proved that whilst strides have been made in female representation at Board level (77% of the FTSE250 have achieved the goal of 33% women on their Boards), it also showed that of the 2340 appointments made in the FTSE100 direct reports, only 38% went to women. To increase the numbers of women at this level, investment needs to be made further down the pyramid.

Data shows that women do not have the same access to sponsorship, strategic networks and feedback as men. Men are 46% more likely to have a sponsor than a woman (Hewlett 2015), women are 20% less likely to receive feedback than men (McKinsey 2016). 85% of women who attended our Leadership Summit career development programme in 2020, told us that the management in their organisations tend to promote people who are like themselves.

These points go to show that whilst men are promoted for potential, women are promoted for attainment, repeatedly feeling they must show other reasons why they should be promoted.

#breakthebias 3 – “women just don’t apply”

If your organisation is delivering best practice DEI talent strategies, you’ll be measuring the gender balance of candidates applying for positions in your company and the gender of employees applying for and gaining promotions. A lack of women in the promotional pipeline would suggest that the attainment trap is playing out in your workplace.

60% of women we surveyed (2020) say they receive feedback in-role, however only 28% receive developmental feedback for the next role. In 2019, the CMI found that only 3% of practising female managers have a sponsor. This leads to women not knowing what it takes to be promoted.

For nine years we have been helping organisations advance and retain their senior female talent. We do this through a career advancement programme called Leadership Summit. Women regularly arrive lacking knowledge of how the talent systems and processes within their organisation work, and many feel they have delivered tirelessly and remained perplexed that they can’t ‘break out’. Over three days, we teach women about the barriers which exist (real and imagined), the importance of a strategic network, sponsorship and how to craft their personal brand to make an impact at more senior levels within the organisation

Leadership Summit consistently encourages women to apply for promotions, so companies which work with us including Aldermore Bank, Aon, Eon and the Civil Service see a marked difference on the numbers of women in their talent pipeline, changing the gender balance from middle management and above. Listening to the career stories the women share with us is a privilege, and our hearts are warm to know that within 12 months, over 50% achieve a promotion.

Right now, many organisations are fighting for talent (to recruit it and retain it) yet struggling to recognise the potential of many women within their workforce. This International Women’s Day, we want to encourage you to think about who you sponsor, who you put forward for developmental opportunities and how you can #breakthisbias one action at a time.?