Leaders often find themselves detached from their employees' experiences, yet executive Women tend to be more attuned to the realities of EX !
Sentiment gap in Leadership - Culture AMP - July 2024

Leaders often find themselves detached from their employees' experiences, yet executive Women tend to be more attuned to the realities of EX !

?? Leaders are having a markedly different experience to employees.

?? The disconnect between leaders and employees is especially pronounced at the C-suite level, where we see up to a 20% difference between executive leaders and individual contributors.

?? As one ascends the leadership hierarchy, the sentiment gap between men and women widens.

?? Also as women ascend to higher levels of leadership, the perception of equitable opportunities tends to diminish.

Women, especially those in leadership positions, often encounter distinct challenges in performance management, career advancement, and recognition compared to their male counterparts, according to a new interesting research published by Culture Amp using data ?? from enterprise-level company data accounting for over 1.3 million employees.


?Leaders are having a much more favorable experience

Leadership level and Employee Experience

Researchers found that leaders consistently score higher than employees in evaluations, especially in areas that reflect leaders' understanding of employees' needs, desires, and contributions.

They suggested that leaders might be positioned closer to where actions are being planned, in proximity to other leaders to observe their influence, and so forth.

? The disconnect between leaders and employees is especially pronounced at the C-suite level, where we see up to a 20% difference between executive leaders and individual contributors.


?Sentiment gap between men and women are higher in the top leadership

Sentiment gap between men and women

Researchers noticed that the higher up the leadership ladder you go, the bigger the sentiment gap between men and women.


?The gender gap is significant in performance management processes.

In performance management processes, researchers observe significant gender differences predominantly at the highest organizational tiers, specifically within the VP and C-suite echelons.

??As men ascend the organizational structure, their perception of fairness in the performance management process improves.


?Women executives are more connected to the realities of Employee Experience


Realities of Employee Experience: Men VS Women

Researchers discovered that women leaders often experience the workplace in ways that are more similar to lower-level employees than to their male counterparts in leadership positions.

?? At their best, these disparities may inspire women to become essential links between the C-suite and the broader organization, anchoring the lofty viewpoints of their male counterparts.


Researchers suggest three actionable steps that organizations can implement today to foster greater equity for women in leadership roles:

?? Foster inclusion and DEI across all levels:

  • Implement structured sponsorship programs that pair director and VP-level female leaders with senior executives who can offer broader recognition across the organization.
  • Measure your company’s DEI progress against global benchmarks

?? Improve systems and processes:

  • Develop transparent criteria for promotions, and ensure all employees are aware of these standards.
  • Regularly review and audit your performance management process to remove biases.
  • Audit your tech stack, selecting tech that is accessible and user-friendly.

?? Make decision-making more equitable:

  • Utilize decision-making frameworks (e.g., DACI) to ensure multiple perspectives are considered in critical business decisions.
  • Standardize a decision-making process that raises critical questions about power dynamics, psychological safety, and voice.


?? ???? ???????????????? ????????:

This research sheds light on the troubling gap between leadership and employees, and its effect on the employee experience. Women executives often have a better grasp of the needs of lower-level employees compared to their men counterparts. This underscores the ongoing significance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as key factors in employee satisfaction. Researchers advocate that organizations proactively tackling these disparities to empower female leaders to excel and contribute significantly at top levels will likely surpass those that neglect to do so.


Thank you ?? Culture Amp researchers team for these insightful findings:

Fresia Jackson Heather Rose Walker, PhD Julie Knight-Ludvigson

Dave Ulrich


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David McLean

LinkedIn Top Voices in Company Culture USA & Canada I Executive Advisor | HR Leader (CHRO) | Leadership Coach | Talent Strategy | Change Leadership | Innovation Culture | Healthcare | Higher Education

2 个月

Thank you for sharing Nicolas BEHBAHANI

Dr. Bhanukumar Parmar

Industry Veteran | Exploring Future of Work | Great Manager’s Coach & Mentor

2 个月

Excellent share on leadership trends Nicolas BEHBAHANI. ?? John Maxwell on Leadership - "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, & shows the way." - If the C-Suit is distanced from the ground realities, how they will they show the way. - Ideal, is Management by walking around - pulse check. ? ??♂? Ideal is E.A.G.L.E.S. approach?(From the Top). E?-?Empathy & Experience: Leaders should demonstrate empathy by actively listening, & giving an world class Ex. like customers. A?-?Accessibility: An open-door policy encourages approachability. - Building trust & transparency. G?-?Growth: Continuous discussions & provide learning opportunities -promote personal + professional growth. L?-?Leadership Connect: Regular town halls for alignment, & vision sharing. E?-?Engagement: Dip sticks (pulse check) to gauge engagement levels. S - Success & Soar High. ?? Remember, an E.A.G.L.E.S. approach ensures that leaders soar high & lead by example! ???

Namita Gopinathan,MBA

Human Resource Professional | MBA | Coporate Recruiting Professional- ASA | Ex-Wirtgen Group,A John Deere Company

2 个月

Great learning! The research reveals a critical challenge that extends beyond leadership and gender disparity. The disconnect highlighted is concerning because it creates a blind spot in leadership, where decisions are made without a full understanding of the workforce’s needs and challenges. Organizations need to rethink their approach to leadership development and succession planning. Rather than focusing solely on traditional leadership qualities or hierarchical progression, companies should prioritize empathetic leadership and ensure that leaders at all levels stay connected to the experiences of all employees, not just those in similar positions. This can be achieved by encouraging leaders to spend time in different roles across the organization, particularly those involving direct interaction with frontline employees. Additionally, it’s important to recognize and formalize the role that women leaders play as connectors between the C-suite and the broader organization. Thank you so much for sharing!

Hector Wong

Executive & Leadership Coach??Helping new & emerging technology leaders elevate their performance & achieve exceptional results

2 个月

It's not surprising to see leaders who prioritize results & performance metrics over building relationships struggle to connect with their employees. Everything ends up becoming transactional.

George Kemish LLM MCMI MIC MIoL

Lead consultant in HR Strategy & Value Management. Enhancing Value through Human Performance. Delivery of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training. Lecturer and International Speaker on HRM and Value Management.

2 个月

If leaders are detached from their employees then they are also likely to be detached from what is actually happening in the organisation, leaving them somewhat blinkered when making decisions that affect the workforce as a whole. I agree with Dave Ulrich - actually wandering around the organisation and connecting with employees is a great way to get a feel for what is actually happening. As for women in leadership, I owe much of my development to female bosses that actually took the time to help their staff. What is more, they brought different thought-processes to the table that added value to planning sessions. Thank you for sharing this insightful research Nicolas - something else to think about this week.

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