International Women's Day 2023: Promoting diversity from the top

Authors

The working world is in a constant state of flux, yet perhaps never more than now. As we see the long-term social and economic consequences of a global pandemic play out, we can start to re-evaluate the telecom industry as it supplies a world more reliant on digital communication than ever before. With all this development, we must question why some areas have been seemingly left unchanged.

Women leaders are just as ambitious as their male counterparts.

Yet, where is this represented when only one telco board (Vodafone) has more than 40% female directors? While the industry contains incredible leaders such as Anne Chow and Belinda Finch, this is far from indicative of the sector as a whole: according to a 2020 study by GFL, in 70% of telco organisations fewer than 30% of technical roles are held by women. 

Why is the ladder to the top still full of so many broken rungs?

For International Women’s Day 2023, we recognise that our business has a part to play when it comes to equality across the industry. Despite having some incredible women in our team, we are committed to expanding this number and continuing to learn from a more diverse set of voices. We want to build on our vibrant and international team. To do this, we need to join the conversation on our industry as a whole; on how it is structured and the paths it offers for success.

The theme for IWD2023 is #embraceequity. Equity and equality are not the same.

• Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities
  
  
• Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

The goal is equality. But how we reach that goal is by equity. The telecom industry must work together to assess the opportunities if offers and then make sure there are adequate resources to make those opportunities equal to all of society.

We spoke to our Senior Partner Elizabeth Simaõ, head of carrier relations and The Carrier Club, to gain more insight into this issue. With over 20 years of experience in the industry in senior roles, she is candid about her experiences and provides her vital insight on how the industry can change for the better.

Advantages of Diversity in Leadership

The industry as it stands still has a long way to go to address diversity and the gender gap, something which sector leaders have an increasing awareness of.

Elisabeth describes how “for a long time, I was the only woman on the team”, something she has remedied when building her own team in leadership roles. Yet, this is not true in most instances. The telecom industry still largely relies on a traditional top-down approach and hiring policies reflect this. In times of uncertainty, like now, there is a tendency to privilege experience over potential, something which is shown to disproportionately affect potential female leaders who are less likely to have had the opportunity to showcase their talent at a senior level.

Neglecting the importance of diversity comes at a big cost. Studies reveal that gender- diverse companies are 45% more likely to improve market share, achieve 53% higher returns on equity, and are 70% more likely to report successfully capturing new markets. We must reinforce that diversity is not a fad, or mere virtue signalling but it is a powerful tool for our industry to have a better impact on the world.

There are always wins and losses in terms of power. Yet the benefits allow companies to truly attract the best talent and reflect their values, and the values of their client base.

“I think a diverse leadership body brings a different way of thinking” says Elisabeth. “Technology can be blind. Most of the time in this industry, facts are just facts. We all attend the same classes; we all learn the same content. Yet, the way you manage processes and people is different. We can bring a different way of working and thinking. I’m not against men, I’m not against women. I just think that if we combined all our different attitudes and viewpoints, the professional landscape would be a better place for it.”

How to Attract More Women to Tech

For real change to take place, we believe it must be tackled from multiple fronts. Perhaps most obviously, company values must be unambiguous, and actions must reflect this. Diversity affects all of us and this must be echoed in the sentiments of every employee, from the CEO all the way down.

However, fostering diversity begins before the boardroom, with essential grassroot initiatives that will introduce young girls to the possibility of working in tech. With only one in three STEM graduates being women, “it has to start from school”, Elisabeth proposes. “I didn’t see this was an avenue for myself when I was younger. We have to bring it to the forefront of their possibilities.”

Initiatives such as ‘Next Tech Girls’ and  #eSkills4Girls are opening up a world of opportunity and are essential to discovering and fostering new talent. Elisabeth herself did not see the tech world as a place for her, initially planning to go into the food industry: “I saw an ad and thought I had the skills since it primarily required knowledge of languages and management skills rather than technical skills.

“I sat through my interview opposite a panel of men. I wasn’t hopeful, but as it turned out that was the start of my career!”

Using Equity to Drive Equality

Once you have begun to drive change, how do you maintain it?

According to Bloomberg, female leaders are leaving their jobs at higher rates than ever before: having fought tooth and nail to reach the top, the climate in some organisations does not allow many future female leaders to fulfil their full potential. e Research shows that this pattern is also a product of other factors which make the climb so precarious. A traditional 9-5 job was not necessarily built to support those outside of a male framework. This is particularly true for mothers or caregivers: without support, you have an employee juggling two full time jobs.

Motherhood can become a penalty, particularly given the rising costs of childcare. This is an experience which Elisabeth experienced herself: “I didn’t find a nursery straightaway and so I had to take my daughter to work. She spent the day sat next to my computer. I had to change her in the dressing rooms. I had to breastfeed her in the middle of some meetings. As you can imagine this was not well received. I struggled with that.

“Everything became more complicated, and it was not an easy task. My other colleagues who had babies at the time wanted a more flexible working structure. Yet, the organisation was not ready for it. The working world wasn’t ready for women. You can still be productive and bring intelligence and empathy to work. It’s one thing creating a diverse leadership board; it’s another to keep them there.”

This is something which is changing slowly, largely due to the pandemic and the rise of a remote, hybrid working system which has allowed increased flexibility. Increased paternity leave is also becoming more and more important for potential employees, something which companies are beginning to respond to. Not only does it allow for a more balanced care-giving structure, but it also creates a sense of respect and equality to parents, regardless of their gender. Creating an inclusive culture does not happen just through hiring processes. It comes from the daily experiences of employees within the company and the structures that are put in place to support their professional and personal development.

This can take many forms, education and communication being two of the most important. Staying abreast of diversity laws and opening up discussions around inclusion in the workplace are essential to maintaining harmonious working patterns. By definition, more diverse leadership will bring together a range of different viewpoints and perspectives. By regularly taking the time to examine how our behaviour and language affects those around us, company culture can support new types of leaders with new ideas.

However, creating a zero-tolerance policy of disrespect is necessary for when this fails. Bigotry has no place in a modern workplace and policies need to reflect this. It is also essential to support this education with formal complaint procedures which ensure that employees can safely and effectively bring to attention behaviour which does not comply with values of respect. Diverse workforces bring diverse solutions. By fostering inclusivity and equality in telecoms, Elisabeth and the Cambridge Management Consulting team believe that the industry and individual businesses will grow more sustainably.

The Next Generation of Leaders

Mirren Mace, Chief of Staff for Cambridge MC, says she is positive about the future of women in the industry and in business leadership in general, but she recognises that there is a long way to go to truly achieve a level playing field.

“With only 24% of women holding STEM roles and the lowest percentage of female engineers, the UK is one of the worst regions in Europe when it comes to encouraging women into STEM-related industries.”

It is important that we find more ways to engage girls and young women into these areas and not allow their thinking to be limited to the more ‘traditionally female’ areas of education and employment. It is my hope that educators will continue to strive to break stagnant mindsets and to encourage more young women to see that qualifications in tech can also lead into creative industries: music, event production, environmental research—the possibilities are endless.

Speaking as the mother of two, it is also vital that boys and young men are raised and educated with a positive view and respect for their female counterparts in all ways. Women must be their equals in life, their peers and leaders in the workplace. This will become the norm and unquestioned if that understanding is there from the beginning.

About Cambridge Management Consulting

Cambridge Management Consulting (Cambridge MC) is an international consulting firm that helps companies of all sizes have a better impact on the world. Founded in Cambridge, UK, initially to help the start-up community, Cambridge MC has grown to over 120 consultants working on projects in 18 countries. Our capabilities focus on supporting the private and public sector with their people, process and digital technology challenges. 

What makes Cambridge Management Consulting unique is that it doesn’t employ consultants—only senior executives with real industry or government experience and the skills to advise their clients from a place of true credibility. Our team strives to have a highly positive impact on all the organisations they serve. We are confident there is no business or enterprise that we cannot help transform for the better.

Cambridge Management Consulting has offices or legal entities in Cambridge, London, New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Singapore and Helsinki, with further expansion planned in the near future.

For more information visit: www.cambridgemc.com