‘I’m not a quota person, but things won’t change otherwise’
Senior businesswomen want to make their mark on merit, which is why quotas are such a hot topic. While many women dislike gender quotas, a large majority in our survey believe they are one of the most powerful levers to quickly achieve gender balance in the boardroom. So, while fewer than one in 10 said they had always been strong advocates of quotas, eight in 10 agreed with the statement that, “I’m not a quota person, but things won’t change otherwise.”
Governments agree, as the number of countries introducing mandatory gender balance requirements on boards is increasing. “My view on quotas has evolved over time. As a lawyer I would like gender parity in the boardroom to have been achieved through a more organic process, rather than legislation,” Markaki added.
Securing your way to the board
So, you are experienced, qualified, and part of that boardroom pipeline, but which proactive approaches to a seat on the board work best?
Prepare for multiple routes to the board: Networks, executive search firms, and solidarity
Our survey participants disagreed on whether networking or executive search firms represent the best route to the boardroom, and the survey sheds some light on where the answer might lie.
Women seeking board positions placed a heavier emphasis on the importance of executive search firms in getting them onto boards than women with existing board mandates (more than six in 10 versus less than four in 10 respectively).
The vast majority (90%) believe that better networking opportunities are key to success. One note of caution was highlighted by the survey, which indicated that half of participants say women lack the time outside normal working hours to undertake networking.
There is also an overwhelming expectation that women who occupy powerful positions show solidarity and recommend other women for leadership roles. This is very strongly reflected in the survey results, which showed more than nine in 10 (92.2%) want to see this happening.
As board positions are recruited for via several routes, women will want to nurture all possible channels and contacts – both female-only and mixed networks – as well as build their profile with headhunters to increase the odds of being identified as potential board members.