Breaking the Glass Ceiling (from both sides)
Female leaders are on the rise and smart companies are ready for them
Despite comprising more than half the population, and having consistently rising labor force participation rates, women are still underrepresented in corporate leadership positions. But the percentage of female managers is on the rise, creating a new generation of women ready, willing, and able to rise in the corporate hierarchy.
Few people have the experience and insight into this phenomenon as does Hodes Executive Vice President, Carol Barber. Beginning her management career in an era when corporate leadership still rested solely in the hands of men, Carol has first-hand knowledge of the hurdles women face in their climb to the top. Carol is involved in every aspect of Hodes’ business, and is the author of numerous articles and white papers on recruitment and retention strategies.
We caught up with Carol at her Florida office to discuss the new challenges and opportunities facing female managers and executives, and how companies should be reaching out to them.
Q. How would you say the climate has changed for women in the workforce since you began your career? Is there significantly more equality and opportunity, or are things really just the same?
Actually, though women have become a force in leadership across many industries, there is still a disparity in pay compared to their male counterparts in similar positions. It seems impossible that this is the case, given the capabilities and commitment women bring to the table – not to mention the legal ramifications around pay inequities - but it’s true. Yes, there is more opportunity for women, but in terms of total equality, we’re not there yet.
Q. Why should companies be actively focusing on including women in their succession planning strategies?
Many companies do focus on women as part of succession planning, which is great, but when you look at only 10 female CEOs in the Fortune 500, you don’t see the connection to more women in the highest ranks. The key reason why companies need to include women in succession planning is simple: women are the primary checkbook managers and buyers in U.S. households. To appeal to the motivations and preferences of women as powerful consumers and influencers, companies need female leaders to help align business strategies with the preferences and expectations of their women customers.
Read more about the issues surrounding recruiting women in this month’s Diversity Matters newsletter.
Q. Which Hodes solutions do you think are essential to recruiting and retaining top female talent?
Our ability to design primary research studies specific to any group is of great benefit to our clients. Through focus groups or one-on-one interviews with current employees and studies of external audiences, we’re able to pinpoint perceived strengths and weaknesses in a company’s employment value proposition. It’s the critical first step in building strategies to attract, hire and retain high-quality talent from any target audience.
Q. What are some success stories you’ve experienced of breaking the glass ceiling, either women rising past previous limitations, or companies evolving beyond these limitations?
I’d like to address this in a broad sense, based on everyday observations. Early in my career, I worked with a company that wanted to add female aircraft pilots to its team. At the time, the number of women qualified as pilots was almost non-existent – it was a huge challenge. But now, it’s often that I hear a female voice coming from the first seat in the cockpit of a commercial airliner. And, when I look at the number of women pursuing careers in medicine, science, technology – and many other fields that were once totally owned by men — I’m thrilled and truly impressed. I see it this way: there used to be a “glass door” to entry into certain fields for women. That’s been shattered. The glass ceiling can’t be far behind.
Q. What are some challenges women face once they do reach higher level positions?
I’d like to say that the challenges of women leaders are the same as men, but that wouldn’t be an honest response to this. While the job duties and performance measures would likely be similar, male or female, that’s where things diverge. Here’s why. No matter their positions, the majority of working women still shoulder the primary responsibility for family needs and personal life management. Keeping personal and professional demands separate is very challenging, but it’s vitally important to maintaining focus and building credibility on the job. I call it, ‘compartmentalizing’ and it’s a good skill to hone.
Q. What are some good ways of attracting the best female talent? How is recruiting top female executives different than recruiting male executives?
Companies that promote work/life balance will be increasingly appealing to women and men going forward. Many of today’s workers have seen their parents give up their lives for their employers; work excessive hours; and still end up on the layoff list. Younger workers have every right to question that legacy, and certainly every right to seek a different path for themselves. While work/life balance has become an important selling point for companies – to both male and female candidates – I do think it carries more weight with women, who as I said before, tend to have more responsibility for their families’ needs.
Along with work/life balance, formal mentoring programs are another advantage for recruiting women. Having a ‘go to’ - a trusted, objective adviser – is of great importance in helping women (or for that matter, men) navigate the political landscape, gain deeper understanding of organizational dynamics, and avoid landmines. In today’s world, it’s not just skills and competence that make the difference; it’s also intuition, influence and a solid network. All those can come from access to mentors, coaches and professional development programs.
I’ve read many articles about executive women “dropping out” to stay home with their children. It seems to me that companies should find ways to keep these women engaged — and some solutions include job sharing, part-time schedules and telecommuting. Then, at the time those women are ready to re-enter the workforce full-time, their knowledge is current and their time-to-contribution is immediate.
Q. What advice do you give to women looking to break through the glass ceiling? What valuable advice did you get or wish you had gotten when you were starting out?
I coach a lot of people (women and men), and the one thing I try to get across is the power of personal accountability — doing what you say you’re going to do and doing it to the best of your ability. When your personal brand stands for quality, reliability, fairness and results, you’re usually rewarded with more and bigger opportunities. Frankly, if you’re with a company where that’s not case – and your contributions go unrecognized and unrewarded – you need to look elsewhere.
Q. What preconceived notions do you think people have about female managers/executives?
I’m not sure that today’s workers would have any negative perceptions about female leaders. In fact, there’s a lot of data showing that women are more effective in building collaborative teams, in empowering people, and in delegating work. They also rank high for regularly giving praise, being supportive and encouraging, and being open to new ideas. With all those good things to consider, I think people would welcome reporting to a woman!
Carol started her career with Bernard Hodes Group in 1983 and is responsible for the company’s Florida Region, which includes locations in Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa, and for managing Hodes’ national Health Care, Diversity and Public Relations consulting practices. With experience in all facets of our industry, including business development, client service, creative, account management, and new staffing solutions development and launch, Carol is the lead strategist on several key national accounts.
The author of numerous articles and white papers, Carol studied creative writing at the University of West Florida. Her most recent work, Quicksand, A Guide to Recruiting in a Wired World, has led to speaking engagements across the country.
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