Moving Up The Ladder: Why Successful Workplaces Are Putting Women In The Lead
Most business owners and HR professionals know that a diversified workplace has significant benefits, and gender diversity is critical. But do you know that the diversity of your firm compared to your competitors can affect your overall business success?
If you are a woman in this industry or thinking about entering, you’ll want to read this.
Having more women in key leadership roles isn’t just a good HR policy; it’s also directly related to the success of your business, according to a recent study from DDI and The Conference Board, titled The Global Leadership Forecast (GLF) 2014 | 2015, Ready-Now Leaders: Meeting Tomorrow’s Business Challenges.
The study examined 13,124 global leaders and 1,528 human resource executives representing 32 different industries from 48 countries. Of the 2,031 participating organizations, those in the top 20% of financial performance indicated significantly higher numbers of women in leadership positons.
Of the top 20% of surveyed businesses, the count of women in leadership positions was 37%, while those in the bottom 20% reported only 19%. The same went for women considered to have a “high potential” for leadership capabilities (or above-average employees with the potential to move into leadership roles).
| Firm’s Financial Standing | Women as Leaders | Women as “High Potential” |
| Top 20% | 37% | 12% |
| Bottom 20% | 19% | 8% |
Women In Print: Still Room For Improvement
When we compare these findings to the printing industry, numbers indicate that although we fall slightly below average, there have been strong improvements in the number of women leaders in print.
Take a look at the 2013 Best Workplace in the Americas (BWA) Key HR Metrics report, which analyzed 27 different graphic arts companies recognized for their outstanding human relations efforts that contribute to a successful workplace. The average percent of women in management positions at BWA award-winning companies was 26.4 or 33.4% less when compared to the DDI study of world-wide companies. While men in management positions averaged at 73.6%.
