While many businesses today understand diversity fuels success, both at the economic level and within companies, many still fail to place women in leadership roles.
“The evidence is clear; when women do better, economies do better,” said Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund at the World Economic Forum, according to ManpowerGroup, an HR administration software provider. “Seventy percent of all consumption decisions in the world are made by women.”
ManpowerGroup’s 2012 Talent Shortage Survey found management and executive roles are among the hardest to fill and only one in five senior management positions globally is filled by a woman.
“The world simply cannot afford such a poor representation of half the talent pool when filling key leadership positions is posing such a global challenge,” said Mara Swan, ManpowerGroup’s executive vice president.
While women may only occupy a small number of leadership positions, a separate trend in female employment shows they are making gains elsewhere.
The number of women who work in welding is on the rise, reports Aiken Standard. While only 2 percent of jobs in the industry are occupied by women, a 15 percent increase in welding jobs by 2020 will likely lead to more balanced numbers.
The newspaper notes the American Welding Society’s president is a woman.
