Numerous pieces of research have indicated a positive link between the level of female representation in business and a stronger business performance. Given this correlation, what’s holding women back in the workforce?

I speak to female leaders and executives within Marketing and PR on a daily basis and I’ve learnt a lot about what drives these women and the challenges they have faced becoming leaders within their field. Sadly, many of the challenges they’re confronted with arise because of an underlying social gender bias. Let me share some of my observations on what I’ve learned from some regional female executives on how to succeed.

Gender Bias

Research has determined that society has very different expectations of how men and women should behave. When male or female behaviour is not consistent with our expectations, a person is often viewed negatively.

Studies show women tend to embody ‘feminine’ traits such as being less self-confident, less analytical and less emotionally stable — traits not typically associated with capable leaders. In contrast, masculine traits tend to include being aggressive, dominant, objective and competitive which are often listed as requirements for leadership.

Broadly speaking, women are often not seen as managers first; but women first, managers second. As Sheryl Sandberg wrote, “Bias [is] at the very core of why women hold themselves back… and it’s also the very core of why women are held back.”

Articulate what you want

It may seem obvious but to be successful, you need to have a goal. More often than not, when I speak to mid-level female executives looking to transition to a bigger role, they have not defined their own personal and professional goals.

Many of the women I speak to consider a new position because it’s the “next step” or an “attractive package” but women who have developed successful careers have been more careful and thoughtful taking time to consider every position and how it may align with their long terms goal.

Ask for what you want

Another behaviour difference that can often be an obstacle for many women hoping to make a transition to a more senior position can be their ability to negotiate, particularly around remuneration.

Sara Norton, a communications expert in the financial services industry shared with us that, ‘“Women generally look at pay gratefully rather than as a measure of worth. There is a degree of guilt and hesitation involved in requesting a raise, and crucially, women look at their performance critically rather than celebrating success.”

Many of the candidates I speak to are experienced negotiators in their professional roles. They can negotiate budgets, deadlines and internal conflict, however when it comes to their own salary negotiations, they often stall.

It is crucial that female candidates are able to adopt the same shrewd negotiation tactics they apply in their working lives to their own career development. I urge candidates to work with their recruiter to define not just the role you want but also the salary you feel you deserve.

Demand Support

The reality is that many female executives choose to become mothers, taking on the added responsibilities that this entails. Employers need to ensure that they’re supporting their female employees in this regard to ensure they retain the best talent.

Candidates are increasingly attracted to companies who encourage a balance between work and family. For example, Unilever’s MAPS program (Maternity and Paternity Support) helps employees fulfill their parental roles and lends support in making a successful transition into parenthood. By engaging female executives before they go on maternity leave and discussing their future plans, return to work rates have increased among new mothers within the business.

At Prospect, we are able to accommodate our staff’s requests for flexible work arrangements or a four-day working week. In our experience, offering ‘flexi-work’ options not only means higher productivity but also happier staff and lower turnover.

In my personal opinion, offering flexible work arrangements is key and we need to continually look at what we can offer to increase staff retention.

Be a Mentor, Have a Mentor

Madeline Albright, once said, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women”. Whilst it’s a strong statement, I do believe women need to do more to help each other in the world of work. A great way to help develop your career is to actively seek out a mentor in the workplace. If you speak to senior female executives, many attribute their success to the influence of a key mentor early in their career.

For mid-level female executives, there is a propensity to feel like you need to have all the answers for your manager, your team and your career. I suggest women seek out a mentor as not only someone to advice on your career but also on how to overcome daily challenges.

A mentor offers not just an opportunity to learn from someone who has been there before you, but someone who helps you define your career objectives and offers a new perspective or vision for your future.

As a mentor of The Women Foundation HK mentoring programme, I have worked with several female professionals to help them develop the confidence in specific job skills such as presenting and negotiating as well as more anecdotal areas on how I have built a global business and manage a diverse team.

Whether your business has a formal mentoring network like Sapient Women’s Leadership Network, or you offer more informal mentoring to junior executives, women will find greater success through these schemes.

I am confident that businesses recognise the talent and tenacity of the high-performing female executives. To secure their business future, we all need to get serious about supporting them. As the data shows, a gender diverse workforce at all levels of seniority is good for business.

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