Workplace cultures still need to be addressed to enable women to flourish

-

A year on from the publication of the Lord Davies report on women on boards, firms have made a conscious effort to increase the number of senior women. So far, however, there is still a way to go to achieve the aim of 25% women board members by 2015.

Board Watch recently reported that the percentage of female board directors of FTSE 100 companies has risen from 12.5% in 2010 to currently 15%. 26% of new board appointments to FTSE 100 companies made since last March were women.

Carmen Watson, Managing Director of Pertemps Network Group, said, “Progress has been made to increase the number of women on boards since the publication of the Lord Davies report. Companies in the FTSE 100 in particular have made marked improvement but this success should be taking place at companies of all sizes. The danger, however, is that if there are too many artificial means of attaining this goal, it could be counterproductive and will do a disservice to the many talented women already working in senior positions.

“Aside from merely focusing on the number of women on boards, we will be able to make further progress if we are able to obtain a deeper understanding of the issues and cultures within boardrooms. There is still a level of unconscious bias that takes place among senior decision makers that can affect the recruitment of women in senior positions. In addition, communication should be rolled out internally through all departments to embrace the benefits of a more diverse workforce. Buy-in on such themes should be company-wide if we are to promote a continued pipeline of female talent in the future.”

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Keep up with the latest in HR...
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Optin_date
This field is hidden when viewing the form

 

Latest news

Alison Lucas & Lizzie Bentley Bowers: Why your offboarding process is as vital as onboarding

We know that beginnings shape performance and culture, so we take time to get them right. Endings are often rushed, avoided or delegated to process.

Reward gaps leave part-time and public sector staff ‘at disadvantage’

Unequal access to staff perks leaves part-time and public sector workers less recognised despite strong links between incentives and engagement.

Workplace workouts: simple ways to move more at your desk and boost health and productivity

Long periods at a desk can affect energy, concentration and physical comfort. Claire Small explains how regular movement during the working day can support wellbeing.

Government warned over youth jobs gap after King’s Speech

Ministers face calls for clearer action on youth employment as almost one million young people remain outside education, work or training.
- Advertisement -

UK ‘passes 8 million mental health sick days’ as anxiety and burnout hit younger workers

Anxiety, depression and burnout are driving millions of lost working days as employers face growing calls to improve mental health support.

Employers face growing duty of care pressures as business travel costs surge

Employers are under growing pressure to protect travelling staff as geopolitical instability, rising costs and disruption reshape business travel.

Must read

Sue Baker: It’s time to talk about mental health in the workplace

Mental health problems affect one in four of us,...

Rachel Arkle: 3 ways to prepare for Theresa May’s workplace wellbeing agenda

On January 9th Theresa May pledged to tackle the ‘stigma’ of mental health and demanded that from a ‘moral and economic standpoint’ employers should join her. So where does this leave wellbeing and more specifically our role in the workplace?
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you