A blueprint for building a diverse and inclusive business

More Filipino women are taking on senior leadership positions.

Research from Grant Thornton’s 2019 Women in Business report reveals that 95 percent of businesses in the Philippines have at least one woman in senior management. This is higher than the global percentage of 87 percent. The survey also shows that, in the Philippines, women occupy 37.46 percent of the senior management roles—the third-highest in the Asia-Pacific and the highest in Southeast Asia. Globally and regionally, our percentages are better. Hence, when gender diversity is discussed, not a few proudly claim that this is not an issue in the Philippines.

When we dig deeper into the numbers, we still see a big opportunity to bridge the gender diversity gap across job roles and industries. There is a huge concentration of women in the areas of human resources and finance, where women are typically known to be good. The percentages are lower in other areas— business development, marketing, sales, technology—that are equally important to understand the factors that drive growth and sustainability. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons the percentage of women CEOs and directors in boards in the Philippines is below 20 percent.

There are different initiatives and programs that can be introduced to address the gap.

The Grant Thornton study cited the most common barriers to reaching senior management level. These included, among others, lack of access to developmental work opportunities, access to networking opportunities, caring responsibilities outside of work, employers not willing to invest in their education, and not having the money to invest in their own education.

If we want to continue seeing female representation trend upwards in senior positions, more deliberate action needs to be taken to lessen the impact of these barriers and increase the chances of women being prepared for senior leadership roles.

The study provides a framework that businesses may use to draw up their action plans. While the approach is applicable to most situations, the action plans to be developed must address the specific situation in each business. The blueprint triggers action points that can be classified into six pillars of purpose.

1. Champion the business case

Research from the Grant Thornton Women in Business report suggests a strong link between diversity at a leadership level and business results. Business leaders must understand why gender diversity is important to their business. In our own business, 50 percent of the talent market are women. If we are not making the firm attractive for women to stay, we are losing.

Once the importance is established, business leaders must articulate it and connect it to business goals. Setting a target, like 40 percent of leadership roles are occupied by women, and monitoring progress against said goals will be important.

2. Know your diversity data

Aspiring to an inclusive culture includes recognizing where the business stands right now through data analysis. Before leaping to general action, it should benchmark the organization’s data to understand its talent pipeline and where it needs to take action. Mapping the journey of employees will be helpful in identifying the gaps.

3. Identify and source talent

A business cannot benefit from diverse leadership until gender bias in recruitment and development is eliminated. Women are still experiencing gender discrimination when applying or interviewing for a job. From talent sourcing to identifying leadership traits, there are many unconscious biases impacting on women’s progression to leadership positions.

4. Open up development

and advancement

Forty percent of Filipina executives surveyed say that the lack of access to developmental work opportunities is a hindrance to growth. In addition, 34 percent also cite the lack of access to networking opportunities as a hurdle. But development work and networking are vital to anyone who aspires for senior leadership. Training is not enough. Businesses must consider providing female workers the opportunity to have actual experience and be really involved in the process. So instead of asking the female to attend a training program on business development, she can be asked to participate in developing a marketing strategic plan.

5. Retain diverse employees

Research by Catalyst reveals that 83 percent of women with access to flexible working arrangements—such as paid parental leave, flexible hours, part-time working and remote working—aspired to the C-suite level, versus 54 percent of those without. To keep the best people, a flexible approach is needed to create the most effective working structures, allowing people to design systems that work for them.

6. Create an inclusive culture

People need to feel unique, valued, and that they belong.

To achieve this, leadership must demonstrate empowerment, courage, accountability and humility.

We need business leaders to champion the case of gender diversity and create an inclusive culture. Creation of plans and setting clear goals, against which progress can be measured, is an important responsibility that we must embrace. The power to create impactful change lies within all of us. INQ

This article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines, or MAP. The author is the chairperson and CEO of P&A Grant Thornton and is a member of the MAP Board of Governors. For previous articles, please visit map.org.ph.