The UK is lagging behind developing nations when it comes to female ambition in the workplace; according to a report from recruiting firm Hays.
To mark International Women’s Day (IWD) Hays conducted a survey of over 11,500 people globally to find only 11% of women in the UK believe they need to reach senior roles such as MD and CEO in order to be successful, compared to 14% of men.
However, the IWD report found that in Malaysia 28% of females believed they needed to reach senior roles, 22% in Colombia and 18% in the UAE.
British women were found to be more satisfied with reaching mid/senior levels with 36% saying they would need to reach Director level to feel successful, compared to 33% of men.
In the UK only 14% of men compared to 44% of women said they think equally capable male and female colleagues are not paid or rewarded in an equal manner.
Yvonne Smyth, Group Head of Diversity at Hays, said: “It is concerning that only one in ten women in the UK aspire to reach the most senior roles within their company, despite their ambitions to reach manager and director roles.
It has been proven that more diverse organisations not only outperform those, which are less diverse, but are also most likely to attract and retain the most talented professionals. Companies would stand to gain a competitive advantage if they encourage development from a wide talent pool, at a time when many industries are suffering with skill shortages.”
The report also found that 28% of organisations did not have a diversity policy or they weren’t sure if one existed (32%).
Smyth added: “Businesses need to ensure they are focusing on internal initiatives and policies in place to retain and promote their top female talent. By being aware of the different factors that motivate men and women and making career plans visible and accessible to all, employers can encourage and enable women to move into more senior positions.”
