Our International Women in Business Report 2024 found that representation of women in the most senior roles in mid-market business has stalled over the last four years – with parity unlikely until 2053.
In our own firm, and in the professional services sector more generally, the representation of women starts to decline from middle management (senior manager) and upwards. To help us build a clear picture of the issues faced by experienced professional women, we asked 600 women who have worked in professional roles for between 10-25 years about their experiences.
The EmpowHer research showed:
of women who have worked in a professional role for 10-25 years are considering embarking on a new career path.
would like to do so in the next five years.
did not have a specific field in mind – they just wanted to do something different.
The top three barriers to exploring new career paths were:
69% said their employer offered access to learning opportunities, but only 31% said their employer offered options to retrain or explore different career paths within their organisation.
26% said they were looking for a new job. Why?
“Our research shows that the top barriers preventing women from exploring new directions in their career is mainly internal anxiety and perception; for example, feeling too old for a change career, worrying about loss of income and losing the flexibility to allow for personal responsibilities. Whilst a change in direction may mean a small step sideways or even backwards, perhaps in terms of pay or level of seniority, it can also be the first step to accelerating a career forward. Clearly communicating the pathways to career pivots and highlighting success stories to create visible role models (of all genders) in flexibility and enabling learning, is vital to creating a culture that encourages change.
“For employers, providing support that helps people to safely articulate their transferable skills and see possibility in a change of direction; as well as taking action to remove barriers to change; is beneficial not just for employees, but for business too. For example, embedding a truly flexible working culture, where people are enabled to take charge of when and where they do their best work is not only very attractive to people with caring responsibilities, but also supports people looking for flexible careers, supporting the next generation of working talent.”
“For professional women, pursuing transferrable skills with diligence and purpose is key. Focusing on areas that are of personal interest or that you are passionate about will help to raise your profile as someone with rounded skills, that add value to your own teams and to others, all of which builds valuable career capital, and will help to ensure that when opportunities arise, you are well equipped to pivot and make a seamless transition into a new role or career.
“Fear of the unknown can be daunting, but my advice would be to feel the fear and do it anyway. Focus on building self-confidence and be intentional about leading a rewarding and fulfilling life. Seek out a coach or mentor, enhance your soft skills and build your network. Your network is your net worth! Eventually, opportunities that align with both your personal and/or your organisation’s strategic goals will be available to you.”
Find out why women's career progress is still stalling at senior levels – and how flexible working can improve parity.
Join our panel event for women in the middle of their professional services careers who are seeking to navigate career pivots and develop in-demand skills.