Our recent International Women in Business Report 2024 found that the percentage of women in the most senior roles in the global professional service sector has grown by only 2% in the last four years.
In our own firm, and in the professional services sector more generally, representation of women starts to decline from middle management and upwards, and like many organisations, we're looking at data, investing, and taking action to address this.
One of the major findings was the significant impact that both flexible working and returning to work following a career break to look after family have on women’s career progression.
54% of women who had taken parental leave said it had a negative impact on their career, and 31% of women with a flexible working arrangement believe it had a negative impact on their career.
40% have a flexible working pattern (any variation on full time)
77% have already taken a career break of some kind
69% have caring responsibilities
While women felt employers’ policies on flexible working were clear (72%), one in four (24%) didn’t feel that different working patterns were promoted and encouraged.
66% said they want to progress into more senior roles, but one in four felt there was no opportunity to do so with their current employer.
Source: Censuswide survey on behalf of Grant Thornton conducted in July 2024
“The findings of this research reflect the most systemic of barriers that women face in career progression – that we still live in a patriarchy, where men predominantly hold the most senior positions. Those in positions of influence tend to promote and support those who work in the same way as them and whilst no one gets to the top of an organisation without working incredibly hard and making sacrifices, if those at the top have never worked flexibly, never taken time off and expect others to do the same, it is unlikely that different ways of working hard will be recognised and rewarded. For this to change, established views and systems need to be unpicked so that there is more diversity in the most senior positions – and this will take time.
Today, there are more women in senior roles than there were a decade ago, but as Grant Thornton’s International Women in Business Report shows, this increase in representation is starting to plateau – and if equity is the goal, investing in progress should be a priority. Equalising leave for new parents of any gender is an important step in tackling this embedded societal problem, as it establishes a culture that encourages and supports men who want to be more involved in home and family life.
It is also important to challenge the view that flexible working is just for women. For employers looking to embed a culture of flexible working, transparency of policies makes it clear that flexible working is something everyone can access and normalises different working patterns. Good first steps to take include publishing flexible working policies externally, advertising every role as flexible unless it really can’t be, and investing in good job design to help manage risk, increase output and focus on outcomes.
Another challenge for women, outlined by the findings of this research, is returning to work following parental leave. Providing coaching for line managers focused on supporting returners helps to ensure that returning to work is a consistent experience, and not one that is dependent on individual line manager preconceptions. Formal training will also help to ensure that senior people understand the needs of families, but also the expectations of the business. A comprehensive view of childcare is also vital to address this challenge, as the current system is broken, not in terms of quality of provision but in terms of affordability and access.”
Jenn Barnett, Head of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
“Creating an environment that mitigates the negative impact of parental responsibility, the need to work flexibly, and the challenges of balancing competing priorities on careers is complex, and there’s no magic solution.
We know this still has more of an impact for women that it does for men as they're still taking on the majority of childcare responsibilities. We can't get to equality in the workplace until businesses enable more equality in childcare responsibility in the home. Policy changes in family leave to improve paternity leave or shared parental leave can help as well as giving people more support, eg, through mentoring and flexibility.
A good place to start is seeking to understand your own business challenges and the unique barriers faced using data, employee surveys and focus groups. Data can help to build a clear, evidenced picture and insights can be used to educate leaders about the subtle issues women in the workplace and therefore the actions that need to be taken. It can also help you to compare how your flexible workers and returners are performing and progressing, as well as specific business areas or levels where there may be issues to address.
Potential challenges you may uncover could include everyday actions like microaggressions – for example, men talking over women in meetings, or finding that within teams most office admin tasks such as organising socials or remembering birthdays default to women and aren’t recognised or rewarded in the same way. It could be that part- time people aren’t progressing to more senior levels in your organisation or socialising is mainly completed in the evenings, which doesn’t help those trying to juggle other responsibilities.
The challenges could also go beyond the everyday. Studies show that women are far less likely to put themselves forward for promotion, and that affinity bias (the tendency to gravitate to people who are like us) exists in choosing people for high-profile projects and work allocation. Are the processes around promotion and work allocation in your business clear and equitable? Do managers understand and have training on what equity is and the hidden barriers that exist for women, and have the tools and support to have conversations about these issues?
Culture also plays a key role in creating an environment for inclusion. People can only perform at their best if flexible working is normalised and people feel safe to talk openly and share their concerns and ideas. Leaders should role-model openness, creating psychological safety for people to speak up, as well as openly displaying the behaviours that they want to see embedded across the organisation. For example; being openly flexible with diaries, being open to different ways of working, embracing the digital tools to share information work out loud, that enables job sharing to work.
Job sharing is clearly an area that many businesses have yet to fully embrace, with only 2 of our 600 respondents saying they were part of one. At Grant Thornton we’ve been encouraging job shares and are gradually increasing the number of people who work in this way. The more people that try it, the more we can see what works, what doesn’t and hopefully create role models for best practice to demonstrate the benefits.”
After an 11-year career break, Ruth Walsh rejoins Grant Thornton, facing challenges but finding success. She reflects on her transition to a full-time role and personal growth, progressing from an executive to a director.
Emma found the New Parent Mentoring Scheme helpful upon returning to work after a year-long leave. She appreciates the discussions with a mentor in a similar role, which made her transition back to work easier.
Amy, a parent returning from maternity leave becomes a mentor to support others transitioning back to work, finding the experience rewarding and mutually beneficial.
Abi joined Grant Thornton in 2021 after 16 years in a different industry. The firm's accommodating culture allows her to balance work with her children's school schedule, transforming her family life and work-life balance.
We all learnt during the pandemic that everyone benefits from some level of flexibility. Moving flexible working away from a gender-related issue and experimenting with different work patterns for everybody will help to create a culture that goes beyond individual requests for time off, focusing instead on output, client needs, and team dynamics.
Showcasing stories of both women and men seeking flexibility, for childcare and beyond, can be helpful in dispelling flexibility myths, particularly ideas like working part-time means you’re less ambitious. Sharing experiences will help others to understand and showcase how flexibility can be used and can highlight men in the workforce taking parental leave, normalising shared domestic duties.
Pairing returning women with mentors or colleagues who have a shared experience can provide guidance, support, and resources to help them navigate their return to work. Internal support networks or affinity groups also help to foster connections, share experiences, and provide a sense of community. Returnship programmes specifically designed for people returning from extended leave can offer structured reintegration into the workforce, mentorship, and skill refreshers to support a successful return to work.
Access to training, professional development programmes, and opportunities for skill development will support women in resuming their career progression after returning from leave. It’s also important to ensure that managers have the necessary resources and training to ensure returners have fair access to development opportunities, whether that’s in terms of development opportunities or work allocation.
It’s impossible to enable equity in the workplace, if businesses aren’t trying to create equity in the home; in terms of care giving benefits, time off, and encouraging shared responsibility. Therefore, it’s important to regularly review and enhance policies and benefits, such as parental leave, childcare support and other resources that can ease the transition for women returning from leave and support their work-life balance.
“I joined Grant Thornton nine years ago as an executive after an 11-year career break. We moved from Azerbaijan to Aberdeen while I was pregnant with my first child, and we agreed that it was a natural time for me to take a short break to adjust to the move and to being a mum for the first time.
My family then moved to India, where working wasn’t a feasible option for me, mostly in terms of a lack of a work permit but also logistics and childcare. Seven years later, when we made the move to London, we were a family of five. I loved our itinerant life, but also felt a little sad about leaving my career behind for so long – it wasn’t my intention when I initially left work and so, once in London, with the children all a little older, I was excited to put the focus back on me and get my career back on track, so I started job hunting.
The process turned out to be more difficult than I’d imagined. I believed that if I got an interview, I would be in with a decent chance of securing a role. In addition to my qualifications (I earned an MBA while living in Scotland) and experience as an account manager and business controller, I developed new and transferable skills during my career break. I’d organised the logistics of moving our family across the world several times, I adapted to living in different cultures, I raised funds and managed projects as part of a volunteering organisation, liaising with businesses and people from diverse backgrounds. I knew my stakeholder management, conflict resolution, and time management skills were well honed – and I really wanted to invest in my career again.
Despite applying for many roles, I didn’t get a single interview. Eventually, I decided to take a different path and started to do freelance work as a business translator. It was then that I met someone that I used to know many years ago from Azerbaijan who was at that time a director at Grant Thornton. He encouraged me to apply for an open executive-level role in the business growth services team. He was open-minded about my unconventional CV and could see how the skills I had built would suit the role.
Having succeeded finally with this application, I returned to work in a full-time role, determined to work hard. In theory, the executive role level was a step backwards from my previous roles, but in practice, it was perfect, and I had more to learn. I had 11 years to catch up on and an immense amount of optimism and determination – I just wanted to develop and do well, and I loved the variety of the role.
The biggest challenge on returning to work was the family (and me) adjusting to me not being around. In those early years I often worked long hours, had a daily commute and work wasn’t as flexible as it is now, but my family was incredibly supportive – they understood that it was my turn. I loved my job (I still do!) and I took on everything that was given to me with my best efforts.
Another big challenge was building resilience and learning to recognise the signs of burnout. It’s possible that every parent, and particularly women, may be familiar with the overwhelming feeling of not quite doing anything as well as you know you can. Learning to build my own version of what is a priority and how I define success and failure has been a steep learning curve, and there was a time when everything just got too much, and my mental health took a tumble. The firm and colleagues were super supportive, and I had the space I needed to work it out. Now I’m much better at catching the warning signs early and making any necessary changes.
I’ve been working at Grant Thornton for nine years, and in that time, I’ve progressed from executive to director level. Since I joined, the way that the firm works has become much more flexible and inclusive. For me personally, one of the most notable changes in culture is the ability to have open conversations about how your personal life and professional life intersect, where people can talk meaningfully – about how they can deliver the best work possible in a way that best suits them.
I wouldn’t necessarily say I have an even work-life balance (I still have some work to do there), but I'm comfortable that I have the balance that’s right for me just now. While I never intended to take such a long career break, I can’t imagine what life would have been without it, and I’m certain I wouldn’t be where I am now without those experiences. The skills I learnt then, as a full-time parent, in the nont-for-profit sector and embracing the changes of living overseas, are skills that I still use today – everyday. I can’t pretend that it was easy, and it certainly took perseverance, resilience, positivity, and an entire village of mentors, friends, family and colleagues to make it work, but it has been a thoroughly rewarding personal experience.”
“I learned about the New Parent Mentoring Scheme from my people manager during one of my catch-up days while on leave and decided to sign up. Returning to work after a year off can be daunting, and my needs and demands outside of work had changed. I wanted to hear someone else’s experience on what’s worked for them, how to set expectations, and how they overcame struggles. The mentoring session exceeded my expectations. It provided a fluid and open space to discuss different subjects. Learning from someone in a similar role, but who doesn’t directly manage me, has made my return to work easier. It's the first time I've had a mentor and I’ve found the experience very supportive.”
“Having recently returned from maternity leave (twice!), I understand the challenges of going back to work. I became a mentor because I wanted to support someone with that transition and show that it's possible to thrive both at home and in a career. Speaking to other parents when I returned to work helped me, and I wanted to provide similar reassurance to my mentee. The mentoring relationship has been mutually beneficial, and I've gained a new friend. I encourage others to become mentors; it's a rewarding way to make a real difference in someone’s day and build relationships within the firm.”
“I made the leap to Grant Thornton in 2021 after 16 years in a different industry, opting for a term-time only work schedule. Initially, I had never envisioned returning to professional services, but the firm’s culture was a major draw. My prior experience felt demanding, with a constant office presence and late nights being the norm for career progression. However, I explained to the Grant Thornton recruitment team up front that I wanted more flexibility due to my children being in primary school, and to my surprise, they were receptive and accommodating.
The resulting flexibility has transformed my family life, eliminating the struggle of coordinating annual leave with school holidays. It allows for quality family time and helps me rejuvenate after work. Achieving this balance requires careful planning, especially during the extended six-week holidays, but my wider team's support is invaluable. I meticulously manage my working hours and availability in my diary to maintain my work-life balance.”
The statistics and lived experiences of the women who responded to our survey are clear – there’s a lot of work to do to achieve parity, but these stories show that there are actions employers can take to accelerate progress towards it.
You can find out more about what we’re doing to build a more inclusive and diverse firm below.
