Despite the progress made over the years, women still face challenges in advancing to senior leadership roles. Bias in decision-making, a lack of sponsorship, and balancing career progression with caregiving responsibilities all play a role. Creating an equitable workforce is about more than setting goals. It requires accountability, transparency, and a culture where diverse leadership is truly valued.
Here, fieke shares her perspective on what still needs to change and the steps organisations must take to make it happen.
The biggest barriers to leadership and how to accelerate progress
Despite all the progress we have made in the last few decades, women still face systemic bias in the workplace. This is often compounded by a lack of sponsorship and the challenges they face in balancing career progression with caregiving responsibilities. It is important that women’s careers are not impacted negatively and that they are supported to achieve their career goals.
It is also true that many organisations still have male-dominated cultures that make it harder for women to integrate and thrive.
Companies can help to accelerate progress towards creating an equitable workforce by making leaders accountable, ensuring transparency in promotions, and fostering an inclusive culture where diverse leadership is valued.
How to ensure a more equitable promotional path for women
At Valcon, we have put in place structured sponsorship programs, clear and objective promotion criteria for all, and leadership training that actively mitigates bias. We monitor this on an ongoing basis.
Pay and promotion transparency is also a key focus. Under EU law, it will be obligatory for all organisations from 2025, so it is a key objective and vital in creating a more equitable workforce.
We also run regular talent reviews that track gender equity in promotions to help ensure women are not overlooked for senior roles. These principles work across the entire EDI spectrum, not just for gender equality. Other factors include EDI goals and metrics to track performance and the importance of leadership sponsorship.
The role of leaders in driving change
Leaders must champion inclusive policies, call out biases in decision-making, and actively mentor and sponsor female talent. Small actions, like ensuring women are given stretch opportunities, can create lasting change.
Leaders also have to actively sponsor activities around EDI and be visible doing it. It is important to encourage allyship and advocate that we have zero tolerance for any behaviour that contravenes a safe working environment. All leaders should be held accountable for gender equality. Ultimately, it is not a women’s issue but a business imperative.
The impact of mentorship and sponsorship
Mentorship and sponsorship are crucial because they help organisations move beyond advice and into advocacy. They create leaders who are actively pushing for women’s advancement in their careers.
Organisations should have formal sponsorship and mentorship programs in place and encourage senior leaders to use their influence to elevate female talent in the business.
Turning diversity initiatives into meaningful action
It is important that these initiatives are not just box-ticking exercises but are properly embedded in the organisational culture. It is about setting measurable goals, ensuring diversity outcomes are on the boardroom agenda, and creating accountability at all levels. Organisations should use the information they have on their workforces to create data-driven insights to track progress.
To foster an inclusive work environment, initiatives such as flexible working, parental support benefits, reverse mentorship programs, and continually acting on employee feedback are important.
Pivotal career moments that made a difference
Sponsorship and trust have always been game-changers for me. Right from the start of my career to date, a senior leader has not only actively sponsored me but also advocated for my promotions into senior roles. These opportunities eventually led to being the CHRO for Valcon.
What success looks like and how to get there faster
Success is when executive boards practise what they preach and start to reflect the diversity of their workforce. Valcon is on the way to doing well in this respect with a number of female representatives on the executive team, but we are not where we want to be yet.
To get there faster, businesses must implement policies like equal parental leave, transparent pay reporting, flexible working policies, and sponsorship schemes that ensure women have a fair shot at leadership. Valcon does all of this and badges it under our Valcon Unity initiative. Being strategic about employee engagement and inclusivity is key.
