Engaging the full potential of female middle managers

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Last week I attended the launch of the research report: Focus on the pipeline – Engaging the full potential of female middle managers by everywoman and Alexander Mann Solutions, hosted by BBC Academy.  This was especially exciting as it was one of the first events to be hosted in the brand new Academy zone in BBC's New Broadcasting House

The event brought together representatives from a variety of industries, and roles – all with one aim in common, the desire to address the gender diversity issue of female middle managers.

The event was opened by Karen Gill MBE and Maxine Benson MBE, founders of everywoman. Alix Pryde, Director of BBC Distribution then followed to share some of her experiences through working at the BBC. She was followed by Rosaleen Blair, CEO, Alexander Mann Solutions who spoke of the importance of talent management at middle manager level.

Then it was over to the panel -  senior level representatives from a cross section of industry including: Pamela Hutchinson, Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA, Northern Trust, Hamish Nisbet, Talent Attraction Manager, GE Capital, Stevan Rolls, HR Partner, Deloitte, and Nikki Walker, Senior Director Inclusion, Diversity & Sustainability, Cisco.

Of the findings within the report, five key insights were shared and discussed. The first was the business case for gender diversity. What surprised me was that only 40% of HR leaders see improved business performance as a benefit of increasing the number of women in senior roles, with other factors such as obligation and attracting talent being more prevalent in focusing attention on the issue. The panellists agreed that the root of understanding here is that senior leaders have to actually feel and believe that focusing on the issue is vital, rather than merely doing it because they are told they must. The message has to then be taken through to all levels, showing how it drives better business performance.

Another key finding was the striking differences between HR leaders’ views and the concerns of female middle managers. Although 81% of female middle managers feel lack of progression is a problem, just 62% of HR leaders agree – showing an real gap in perceptions.

But how much is the responsibility of the individual and how much the organisation? Again the panellists shared their experiences and insight here – all agreeing that the organisation must support and develop its female talent – through coaching, mentoring etc but that ultimately the responsibility for an individual’s career lies with that person. It’s an often quoted fact that women typically hold back more than men and don’t always push for the next promotion, the next raise etc - this was certainly a consensus shared here. This is key, women have to take control of their careers themselves rather than waiting for the proverbial ‘tap on the shoulder’. 

Aligned to this was  including female middle managers in succession planning - training, development and support for middle managers are HR leaders’ top succession planning priorities. But female managers are not prioritising their own training and development, believing ability and drive will lead to promotion. Companies also need to ensure that they are supporting this for example enabling women to discuss career ambitions through review meetings to enable these crucial conversations as part of the culture.

Flexibility in work was also discussed - although 74% of female middle managers are satisfied with the level of flexibility available in their current job, HR leaders and female middle managers both agree that individual or lifestyle decisions are the main factors holding women back.  Are some women ‘self selecting’ themselves out of promotions, believing that it would not allow them the flexibility they require? What’s more, it was raised, are women opting out before they even reach middle management? A common theme here was the ‘vibe’ within an organisation –all agreed that  it doesn’t matter how many policies a company can have – if the culture doesn’t seem to encourage flexible working then this will be a massive deterrent for women and will result in a drastic loss of talent. 

This brought the panel to close with one final point to be discussed – that of role models. Female middle managers would like more senior women role models, but many (40%) also say that senior women do not help other women progress in their organisation. This is in stark contrast to just 16% of HR leaders who agree with this. So what’s really interesting here is that the stats show that HR are actually overestimating the contribution made by senior women as role models. Women will be put off if they see the wrong kind of role model that doesn’t fit in with their values – meaning this can actually be a negative.  All panellists agreed that role models must be relevant and reachable – and at different levels of seniority. As a graduate listening to a female VP the gap is so immense that it’s not actually effective, but if a graduate has contact with someone a few steps above them this is much more accessible and valuable. Men as role models were also discussed – clearly this is vital and many organisations are encouraging this, to good effect.

The evening ended on a positive note with the panellists summing up. While the report itself highlights areas of concern and there is much to be done, the fact is that organisations genuinely want to do better and are implementing programmes and support frameworks that enable this. A very clear message that I will take from this is how, ultimately, responsibility has to lie with the individual as well – women should ask for what they want, be true to themselves and drive their own careers. There really has been no better time to do this and with the right support these women can and will achieve their goals.

Read the full report here>>

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