Women in Financial Services
Women in leadership roles could prove critical to organisations’ success.
Tina.Freed / 23 Nov 2015
Gender diversity isn’t a box-ticking exercise, it’s a corporate advantage. Research shows that companies that invest in this area are less likely to fall victim to fraud, exploitation and shareholder clashes.
The glass ceiling is becoming a thing of the past, as more women than ever before, now serve on our British boards, however, the proportion still falls short of 50%. Research shows that more women in leadership means better business.
Why are Women leaders good for Business?
Mainly because Women make decisions differently, their thinking and their strategy tend to take a longer view of success and have less of an appetite for risk.
Also, Women have innate qualities that are now a strategic imperative for business, such as the ability to multi-task and empathise.
Crucial elements of business, like listening and engaging for example, comes naturally to Women. This might sound like a sweeping statement, as not all women are good listeners and not all men are bad at engagement, however, having a good mix on the board means decisions are more likely to be balanced.
Driving results…..
Establishing gender balance doesn’t just improve corporate governance, it also enhances bottom line performance. Research shows that if there is greater diversity, this results in higher returns and more innovation. Several studies have shown a percentage improvement to the bottom line where businesses had women in their senior ranks.
The reasons for this effect are varied, Women at the top can bring fresh ideas to a business. For small to mid-size firms especially, access to finance can be challenging, so a robust plan needs to be constructed along with an innovating, engaging story to take to the banks. A mixture of minds are more likely to explore new opportunities and creative ideas.
It seems only logical to consider the social context that businesses trade in, to survive, a company needs to reflect its client base to truly understand it.
Simply, a board needs to represent the citizens in their organisation and society at large. Without women, young people, disabled people, gay people, businesses are not representing the community they aim to serve.
So whichever way you look at it, having gender diversity from the very top down makes good, solid business sense.
After all, women make up half the population and 83% of consumer purchases.
Here at E2W, our teams devote significant resources to promoting gender diversity and in particular the challenges faced by women. In addition to our own groups, we support a number of initiatives, groups and organisations who are aligned to our objectives.
Do you have a gender diversity story you would like to share? Why not contact us here at E2W via our website http://www.e2w.co/flexible-agile-working/ or call us on +44 (0)1732 897708
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