Glass ceiling is cracking but women lack support in reaching the top

The majority of people in management positions feel that women in their organisation do not receive enough support when it comes to climbing the career ladder towards the top table, suggest new figures.

Interim findings from research by news and information website HR Gateway in association with the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) suggest that 59% of managerial level people feel that their organisation is not doing enough to help women to the top.

Encouragingly, however, the remaining 41% thought that their firm did offer enough encouragement. This optimism for womenís chances of making it through to the top table was augmented by further figures from the same research.

When asked if women were being overlooked for promotion in their company because of their gender, the majority (60%) said ënoí, suggesting that while lacking support, the glass ceiling is starting to crack.

Recent surveys have suggested that most women feel top positions are more likely to go to men, while women making it to board level are two to three times more likely to be divorced or single than men.

Todayís findings suggest that rather than men being specifically chosen over women ñ although this doubtless happens ñ it is a lack of encouragement and support for women that is the issue. The Equal Opportunities Commission
(EOC) agrees:

ëThis very much fits the picture we have of the situation for women in the UK. A womanís ascent up the career ladder is made up of many elements that do not affect men and they need to be taken into account.

ëFor example, organisations should be offering flexible working at all grades so that women do not have to move down the ladder when they return from having a child,í it said

The interim findings are part of a month long survey looking to gauge both men and womenís experiences of women and leadership. We are looking for management level employees to get involved. To have your say in the HRG/ILM ’Women in Leadership’ survey visit here: