Women in the workplace
This page includes helpful information in relation to:
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women on boards statistics
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tips to improve representation of women in senior management
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other ideas for consideration to assist women move into leadership roles
Women on boards
Women currently comprise 45% of the total workforce yet hold only 2 per cent of chair positions and 8.7 per cent of board directorships in ASX200 Australian companies.
A study undertaken by Catalyst in 2004 found companies with a higher proportion of women in leadership performed better financially than those with low representations of women. Other positive business outcomes include improved marketing strategies, new product development and a broader clientele.
Women on boards not only benefit company profitability, but contribute in other intangible, yet important, ways. For example, appointing women to boards leads to a better public reputation for the organisation.
Encouraging women in positions of leadership provides positive role models to young women and other emerging leaders. An inclusive leadership model has flow-on effects for the organisation more broadly, and can result in the attraction and retention of diverse staff and better staff morale.
View Why women on boards? [PDF 92kB] on the Office for Women website.
Learn more about the Queensland Government's support for Women on boards on the Office for Women website.
Women in senior management
In the public sector, women in the Senior Executive Service and in the top three tiers of management continue to be under represented.
In the private sector, a publication available on the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency website - (A)gender in the Boardroom indicates there has been little progress in increasing the numbers of women in leadership since 2006. This includes women executive managers, directors and women in boardrooms.
To improve the gender profile of senior management ranks, agencies and organisations are encouraged to focus on the recruitment and retention of women in leadership positions.
Tips to improve the representation of women in management
Here are some tips to assist employers improve the representation and retention of women in the workforce and in higher level roles.
Make positions attractive
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Improve access to part-time work arrangements.
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Introduce flexible work arrangements for senior positions.
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Provide access to technologies that allow women in senior management roles to operate flexibly.
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Allow employees to schedule their own working hours on a daily basis with supervisory approval.
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Consider telecommuting, part-time work, job sharing and job splitting.
Maximise chances of a successful recruitment
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Develop a specific recruitment plan for key vacancies that provide the best opportunities to attract women to senior roles.
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Review and update job descriptions to attract a broader pool of applicants.
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Encourage women to apply for senior positions.
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Use diversity-friendly criteria in the job advertisement and selection methodology applied in the recruitment process.
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Use executive search firms that can promise an equitable representation of women in the applicant pool and hold them accountable for the gender profile of the applicant field.
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Use gender-balanced interview panels and provide equity training and targeted selection interviewing techniques for members of selection panels.
Actively create opportunities for women to demonstrate and develop their skills, experience and confidence
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Use secondment arrangements to create opportunities for women to be promoted into senior management to gain either breadth and depth in their experience.
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Encourage managers to identify and support junior women seeking promotion.
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Set up project-based developmental opportunities in your agency or division and offer them to high-performing, high-potential women.
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Facilitate networking opportunities with key internal and external stakeholders.
Recognising some of the issues preventing women from participating in higher level roles can assist employers address these issues. Information on gender issues being addressed by the Australian Human Rights Commission are available on its website.
Mentoring (using male or female mentors)
Mentoring is a supportive relationship between a senior employee and another employee, and provides an effective means of supporting women to make the transition into executive level positions. Mentoring relationships cannot be forced, but people can be encouraged and supported in seeking, developing and maintaining effective mentoring relationships.
A mentor provides:
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support and encouragement
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constructive advice
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assistance with problem solving
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a reciprocal learning environment.
A mentor should provide guidance in:
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decision making
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identifying opportunities
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meeting key stakeholders
When contemplating a mentor for yourself, or when thinking about a mentoring program for your organisation, consider using both male and female mentors.
"Mentoring could take more of a centre stage in organisations. Women could be encouraged to seek out supportive mentors for career planning and support and senior women could be encouraged to actively look for opportunities to mentor their female subordinates." Dr Paula McDonald, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, Queensland University of Technology
"We strive to foster and develop women working in the public sector and are continuously looking at ways where women in senior positions can mentor and motivate up and coming young managers - we achieve this primarily through our women's events and forums." Melanie Mead - Executive Manager, Marketing and Membership Institute of Public Administration Australia (Queensland
Other ideas to consider
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Encourage women to undertake leadership development courses.
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Review procedures for promotion in your agency and the concept of merit.
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Conduct exit surveys to determine why women leave a workplace.
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Monitor and track changes in women's representation at different levels over time.
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Support women to plan career breaks - refer to the Office for Women's Taking a Career Break - A resource for Women in SET available on Office for Women website.
