Equality in the Agency

The government’s decision to place GlaxoSmithKline boss Sir Philip Hampton at the head of a body looking at gender equality in the boardroom attracted criticism – with some saying that this appointment is representative of how women are passed over for top jobs. 

Marketing and communications has been a magnet for top female talent and EMR’s forthcoming 2016 Salary & Market Trend Report shows that two-thirds of the profession in the UK are women. Some of the most high-profile jobs in the sector also belong to women, including the Chief Marketing Officers of the National Football League and JP Morgan Chase.

However, while there are certainly more women in marketing than there were thirty years ago, and definitely more in industry-leading positions, there are still barriers that prevent more women reaching the pinnacle of the profession.  According to EMR’s 2016 Salary & Market Trend Report, just 8% of females working in-house were doing so at director level, compared to 19% of men. Interestingly, agencies are much more gender balanced than marketing departments; the report found that 29% of male and 28% of female respondents worked at the director level there.

When it comes to gender equality, agencies are doing something right. The wider industry on the other hand needs to up its game; organisations with greater diversity benefit from a wider range of views. While it may be a stretch to say that a lack of female talent contributed to the FTSE’s recent 20% slide, big corporates could certainly benefit from the fresh perspective that more senior female marketers can bring!

EMR’s 2016 Salary & Market Trend Report will be available from Mid-March 2016.