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The uncomfortable truth, for women in the ‘messy middle’ of their careers, is in many cases it is them who will be forced to pay a price; often their careers. Whether overlooked for promotion, underpaid when compared with male colleagues, or penalised for flexible or part-time working, industry data underlines that the playing field is far from level. These inequalities and microaggressions are further exacerbated for minority ethnic women.
McKinsey’s 2022 Women in the Workplace report highlights that while only 1 in 4 C-suite roles in the US are held by a woman, only 1 in 20 are held by women of colour. Four in ten Black women believed they were not given the advancement opportunities of white female colleagues, and 52% intend to leave the workforce (compared to 34% of all respondents in the same survey).
According to data from the IPA’s 2022 Census, while 70% of the industry’s junior manager cohort are women, by the time you get to the C-Suite, only 34% of roles are taken by women. According to LinkedIn’s Gender Equity in the Workplace report, men are 21% more likely to be promoted than women.
So what more can be done to support women in the ‘messy middle’ of their careers and help them get to leadership positions? For Robinson changing the narrative surrounding leadership is key to change. She explains: “People being honest about their own journeys can be really powerful. It is not always a linear journey and there can be a lot of pressure.”
In an era where careers are far from linear, embracing the squiggly career and being honest and open about the bumps along the road can be transformative. Yet just as the advertising industry’s awards culture perpetuates the myth of the frictionless creative process, the narrow lens of leadership success stories leads many to feel they are falling short. The untold stories of terrible pitches, botched job interviews and difficult decisions can contribute to a sense of isolation and pressure.
In an ecosystem in which women leaders are the minority, even today, after a century of feminism, role models aren’t always there. Women leaders in the creative industry also face the double burden of being both a leader and a proof point. Whether you call it the glass ceiling or glass cliff; the universal experience is one of sharp edges. Yet these edges can be softened by the reassurance and community of shared experience.
“The honesty of career journeys can be really important,” explains Robb. “We don’t have as many examples of role models who have had more twists and turns on their journeys. The linear paths on the past may not be the future of what leadership relies on.”
Robb is honest in declaring that female leaders also face additional challenges surrounding how they are perceived. “Often women have the core attributes and traits required for a role, rather than the years of service. It is time to redefine modern leadership. We know that it is nonsense to assume that every aspect of a career can be perfectly planned.”
To close the industry’s gender leadership gap not only do companies need to be prepared to hire on potential but they need to recognise that the future leaders they need so desperately might not be applying for the roles in the first place. Notably, for women with caring responsibilities, it is all too easy to feel that leadership is beyond the realms of possibility.
“Consistency around policies such as flexible working will be key to attracting talent,” says Robb. She believes that there is much to be gained by companies supporting talent through creating that ‘baseline level of care’.
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