The key to promoting and retaining female executives

It has long been acknowledged that women at work face a unique set of challenges in balancing career with the responsibility of running an effective home life and the solution has, traditionally, been sought through the advancement of flexible working practices. The pressure on companies to acknowledge the importance of a balanced workforce has, indeed, brought about change in this area and yet the figures still indicate a low percentage of women at senior management level in almost all industries. Nearly half the UK’s top 100 companies have no women on their boards and the FTSE Female Index shows that women make up just 5 per cent of board members. Forward thinking companies are now searching for alternative options. The “top down” approach of changing the working environment has been welcomed and continues to evolve. The move is now toward a “bottom‐up” approach. In other words companies are beginning to ask how they can support individual women in coping with the many demands on their time. This article explores the unique approach of teaching the importance of personal development as well as professional development in ensuring the key female staff are motivated to succeed.