CIPD warns business to use top female talent or lose it

-

femaleA new report by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned that employers will continue to lose entrepreneurial women if they fail to adapt flexible or innovative working practices that

Its report, ‘Inspiring Female Entrepreneurs’ states that “urgent action” needs to be taken by the corporate world to stem the leaking talent pipeline that could hinder the progress of growth.

Highlighting that although there are currently more than 2.4 million unemployed women who want to work, it also says that if there were as many female entrepreneurs as there are male entrepreneurs, GDP could be boosted by 10% by 2030.

CIPD revealed that it interviewed a number of women to find out what made them go solo, what has made them thrive and what they think would encourage more to set up on their own, in order to gain an insight into what motivates female entrepreneurs and makes them successful.

HRreview Logo

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

 

Commenting on its findings, CIPD Public Policy Adviser, Dianah Worman, said:

“It’s clear from our research that women have a lot to offer to the economy – be it by starting up their own businesses or by letting their entrepreneurial flair and business savvy shine in the corporate world.

“Employers need to act out of self-interest to broaden the pools of talent available to them and ensure they do not lose out on the skills, energy and passion women can bring to their workplaces if they were allowed to work more autonomously and flexibly.

She added:

“Government is right to actively stimulate the wider take up of flexible working by employers and to seek to support women in setting up and growing their own enterprises. It makes perfect sense to find ways of helping them to do this in order to build economic growth.”

The research also found that the key drivers that motivate women to set up on their own are the desire for more autonomy and the need for greater work-life balance, while the CIPD said that more women would be motivated to start a business if they had access to advice with quality guidance on financial business planning, franchising, up-skilling and training.

Pamela Flores is an events professional with experience at Symposium Events, a UK-based conference and events organization. She has worked in editorial and event coordination roles within the HR and expatriate management sector, contributing to the organization of major conferences including the Expatriate Management and Global Mobility conference. Her background spans online editorial work and events management within the professional conference industry.

Latest news

Curtis Holmes: Payroll is the driver for employee engagement

Payroll has long been treated as a back-office necessity: essential, but not something that shapes culture or drives engagement. This no longer stands.

Labour market yet to show major AI impact on jobs, govt adviser says

A government economic adviser has challenged predictions of widespread AI-driven unemployment, arguing labour market data has yet to show disruption.

Young workers ‘pressured into signing NDAs after workplace injuries’

Workers say injuries are being hidden behind confidentiality agreements while financial pressures leave many afraid to challenge unsafe conditions.

CIPD recognises 30 HR leaders driving change across UK workplaces

The CIPD has unveiled its HR30 list for 2026, recognising senior people leaders whose work has delivered measurable impact across organisations and workforces.
- Advertisement -

Brits dream of being their own boss, but still cling to the monthly pay cheque, survey reveals

Britons say they like the idea of self-employment, but most still value the security and stability of traditional jobs.

AI Coaching Won’t Replace Managers. It Will Expose Coaching Debt.

As AI coaching expands, employers may gain a clearer view of where manager support is falling short.

Must read

Clare Parkinson: Can we scrap our employee bonus scheme?

What can you do if your organisation can no longer afford an employee bonus scheme?

Iain Chadwick: 24 months later…How auto-enrolment shapes the workplace pension revolution

Two years since the first companies reached their staging dates, auto-enrolment continues to throw up a lot of new challenges to HR and pensions professionals.
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you