There is significant international variation when it comes to successes at getting women onto company boards. According to new research from European Women on Boards (EwoB), some countries’ efforts to get more women into business leadership positons have been successful, with 30% of board positions in Norway, Sweden and Finland now occupied by females. At the other end of the scale, European countries like Spain have female board representation below 20%.
The UK also scores poorly, with the fourth lowest proportion of female board members in Europe – just 23.2%. While some industries are undoubtedly worse than others when it comes to gender equality, it transpires that marketing and advertising is still someway off parity – despite its image as a fairly egalitarian sector. According to EMR’s
Salary and Market Trend Report 2016, only 8% of women in the industry work at director level – compared to 19% of men.
Companies with more diverse leaderships have advantages. Not only is a company with a diverse leadership able to draw upon a variety of view points and experiences, but it is also better equipped to market to a diverse customer base.
In order to attract and cultivate the best marketing talent, companies should think about how inclusive and open their organisations are. Initiatives like mentoring schemes and flexible working can more than pay for themselves over time.