#PressforProgress and thaw the frozen middle- Hays careers advice Viewpoint careers advice blog

#PressforProgress and thaw the frozen middle- Hays careers advice Since leaving university, I have always worked hard and tried to take ownership of my career at every stage, and it’s been a never ending climb. With each promotion, I’ve always had my eye on getting to the next goal. Most recently I had the honour of joining the UKI management board at Hays, a milestone which, unfortunately, few women in businesses around the world have managed to reach. In fact, according to the latest report from Fortune magazine, over 80 per cent of board seats are currently occupied by men. This got me thinking about why this is. Joining the board, and thus now having a wider voice within Hays, a voice beyond the strategic direction of our marketing activity, is a true testament to my continued focus on achieving professional success. But I understand that success will mean something different to every woman, which I completely respect. Some women will strive towards different objectives; be it work-life balance, solo entrepreneurship, or taking a step back from their career altogether to focus on family. But there are also plenty of women who do have their sights set on progressing their career upwards within their organisation. What’s getting in their way? Is it a lack of confidence in their perceived likelihood of success? The latest Women in the Workplace report led by McKinsey and LeanIn.org surveyed over 200 companies employing more than 12 million people, and they found that whilst men and women applied for promotions in fairly equal measures, women doubted that they would ever make it to the top executive level within a business. But this pessimism can’t be without reason, surely? There must be more to the conversation than this. Why are women cynical about being able to make it to the top, and how can we all act as change agents for this? Women are being frozen out Speaking from my own experience, reaching middle management is a critical turning point in anyone’s profession. It was at this point that I saw my career really start to catapult forward. I was exposed to the most influential people in the business, people I could learn from (and impress!), I felt closer to the strategic direction of the company, and thus in a better position to weigh in and prove that I could do more than what my current role demanded of me. Needless to say, the middle tier is a springboard towards further success, but if a person doesn’t make it here, they definitely won’t make it any further. And, if the latest figures are anything to go by, many women won’t. According to Women in the Workplace, the majority of companies have a middle management structure comprising mostly of men, and, worryingly, women are 18 per cent less likely to get promoted to it, despite the fact that both genders will apply for these roles in roughly equal measures. In other words, thousands if not millions of female employees are having their careers road-blocked by a frozen middle management tier. Thawing the pathway for female employees â€" whose responsibility is it? Collectively, leaders, middle management, and ambitious women themselves, need to work together to ensure that talented female employees are given the same opportunities as I have had to make it to middle management and beyond. Firstly, I strongly believe that these women need to seize their own career success with both hands, and have the confidence to drive it forward. Women, go get that promotion To echo last year’s International Women’s Day theme #BeBoldforChange, I would encourage any woman with her eyes set on the prize, to be bold and take active control of their career. For the women who want to make their next move upwards, think carefully about the promotion that you specifically want, the steps you are already taking to get there, and what you think you will need to stop, start and continue doing more of. Consider the types of stretch opportunities and training you may need to be given in order to develop as a professional. Next, sit down with your boss to share your ambitions and gain their insights on how you can progress further. Secondly, you will need to make yourself stand out from the crowd, because no one can do this for you. Some tactful self-promotion will probably be required if your new efforts are to be visible to those around you. Don’t be afraid to share your achievements with colleagues and senior management when relevant, whether this is in meetings, departmental presentations, or on conference calls. Just remember to be equally supportive and congratulatory of others in equal measures. I would also highly suggest seeking out a mentor within your company or outside of it. Your mentor shouldn’t be somebody who you report directly into, but somebody senior and who you admire; someone who can objectively advise you on how to accelerate your career journey. And I can personally vouch for the value of finding yourself a mentor I have always had one throughout my career. Right now, I’m lucky to have a mentor who I feel I can fully trust to have my best interests at heart, and, importantly, be brutally honest with me. They challenge me, they continually push me out of my comfort zone, and they make me see things from another angle. The relationship that I have with my mentor is one that is vital to my professional growth, both now and in the future, and it’s one that I truly value. Lastly, when you think you are ready for that promotion, ask for it (remember you don’t need to meet and excel at every criteria!) And if you are met with a resounding no, then ask why. As research has told us time and time again, women are less likely to speak up and ask for what they want in the workplace. Maybe it’s time you broke the mould and asked for what you want. Leaders drive the agenda forward I hope that sharing this advice with your female employees and team members will empower them, and thus create a more confident and forthcoming pipeline of female talent within your business. But note, this female talent is likely to fall at the first hurdle (and more than likely, look for opportunities elsewhere), if the people who hold the keys to their career progression aren’t willing to help. You need to create more urgency within your organisation, because according to Women in the Workplace, employees, namely men simply don’t understand and perceive that there is a problem. Worse still, 86 per cent of male respondents to the survey said that women have as many or more opportunities than men did, whilst only 57 per cent of women agreed. Education is key to changing perceptions here, and this needs to come from the top down. Educate your leaders and managers on the figures surrounding gender imbalance, and the fact that this is still a very real issue. Reiterate the many commercial benefits of having a more gender balanced team, including increased productivity, improved retention, meeting skills shortages, improved customer orientation and more innovative and eclectic dialogues between colleagues. Every hiring manager from thereon will need to be trained to adopt a more inclusive approach when managing talent. Middle managers should be making every one of their employees feel comfortable in speaking up. If a talented female employee doesn’t mention progression during one-to-ones or performance appraisals, managers should initiate the discussion to make females feel more comfortable in voicing their ambitions, supporting them from thereon. Whether youre a junior female employee, a middle manager, or a leader if your organisation comprises of a male dominated frozen middle, and you want this to change, then it’s your responsibility to #PressForProgress. Make it your mission to set a new agenda, one which empowers and inspires the female talent in your organisation to rise up through the ranks within the business, thawing through that frozen middle and paving the way for ambitious women both now and in the future.  You can view some more of our  Diversity and Inclusion blogs below:   Four ways women can be braver, bolder and more successful The one trait that female leaders need to remember Five women leading the way in the life sciences Ease the guilt: Tips to balance work and family for mums AND dads