Jobs for the boys? Not in sales according to new survey

Despite ongoing reports highlighting the shortage of women in senior positions in UK companies, a new study suggests that women see the sales route as one of the best ways into top management. According to the survey of nearly 200 women working in sales, 82% believed that there were advantages in their jobs to being female. As one respondent working in the IT sector put it, ìWomen always seem get meetings that men donít. Perhaps weíre just better at dealing with people than the guys or perhaps itís down to curiosity because weíre still relatively thin on the ground.î

The survey, which was carried out for specialist sales recruiter, Bladen Taylor, found that less than a third of women surveyed felt their industry offered equal opportunities to both men and women. Yet when asked specifically about sales roles, 66% believed that they had the same chance of progressing to a managerial position as a male colleague. ìI work in a male dominated industry,î said one respondent in the construction sector, ìbut any woman who shows that they know their business can be just as successful here as a man, if not more so.î

If there is a problem in male dominated industries, it may not be lack of opportunity within, but rather the fact that perceptions of discrimination deter so many able female sales professionals from considering them. ìWe often find that female sales specialists are snapped up by companies in industries with a male-oriented culture, because they stand out from the crowd,î says Damian Eyre, the managing director of Bladen Taylor. ìHowever there is always a shortage of women coming up through the ranks because not enough are entering these areas in the first place.î

A substantial number of those taking part in the survey believed that the sales sector could do more to encourage both the recruitment and retention of women, with 39% advocating the introduction of specific benefits to reward packages. 44% would like to see more formal career breaks to allow for pregnancy and bringing up a young family, while 48% called for flexible hours that would allow them to work around family commitments. However, despite calls for such measures, only 22% thought that they would have any significant effect on their career development. ìLetís face it,î said one female sales professional, ìsales is the one area where your gender really doesnít matter. All that really counts is delivering results. But if you think you can do that without giving 100% commitment, whether you are a man or a woman, then you are in for a very nasty shock.î