On the 13th August 2024, fifteen senior women from across science, technology and innovation met to network and discuss the concerning drop in retention of senior women across their sectors. This event was initiated and coordinated as part of McLean Public’s commitment to resetting the dial for leadership positions in these sectors.
Overview
Recent data from May 2024 indicated a drop in the percentage of women working in engineering, technology and innovation from 16.5% in 2022 to 15.7% in 2023. This decrease represents nearly 40,000 women leaving the sector. Particularly troubling is that this decline is predominantly across women aged 35-64, a trend not observed in non-engineering and technology sectors, where retention levels have remained relatively stable.
Within this context, the roundtable sought to ‘dig deeper’ into the key factors contributing to this decline, drawing insights from their experience across the sector. 4 key themes emerged:
Business needs versus agile working
A significant portion of the discussion centred on the tension between organisational profitability/deliverables and the need to adapt to more agile business approaches. Women often navigate their professional careers whilst managing responsibilities and challenges such as childcare, menopause, maternity leave and the subsequent return to work, and broader caregiving duties.
Against this backdrop, there were discussions on how much an organisation can be expected to flex away from the traditional 9am-5pm business model so that they get the best from their employees but still meet organisational objectives. Most people agreed that one of the only positives to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic is that there were significantly more opportunities for flexible working which made a work/life balance far more achievable. From a business perspective, this also meant that organisations could recruit more broadly and in a broader geographical area. However, some thought this was beginning to revert back and these opportunities are now less prevalent that they were 2 years ago. Other methods of working flexibly were also discussed, such as working part time or job sharing, but again it was felt that there was initial suspicion within some organisations regarding the success of this and the onus is often on the job-sharers to choose a compatible colleague and make it work.
Questions remain about how traditional business models across the sector can be adapted to support modern day needs and create a more inclusive environment. The point was also raised of whether we are trying to fix things to fit into a traditional model. And if so, surely it’s time for a more radical way to do things?
Ensuring an equal approach
The discussion also touched on the role of line managers in balancing flexibility with the need for clear deliverables and outcomes – and doing this in an equal way. For example, one participant discussed recent carer responsibilities of one of her team members and outlined how they have arranged flexibility around actual office time and moved to making sure they have clear deliverable outcomes that they are regularly achieving. As a result, the group considered whether this approach meant that if accommodations were made for individuals such as these, whether equal accommodations should be offered to other colleagues – even if they were not required – and if so, how to ensure productivity did not drop and the interests of the business were looked after.
Navigating challenging conversations
Nearly all the women present had experiences of needing to have “difficult conversations” regarding maternity support, childcare, menstrual disorders, menopause, and caregiving responsibilities. It was noted that sharing personal information in a professional setting can be particularly challenging in the absence of understanding, recognition, and support, which in turn can impact motivation and retention.
Conversely, some participants reported being asked highly personal questions, such as whether they have children or plan to have them, before being offered roles or promotions. In both scenarios, the underlying issue appears to be that many managers do not currently have the appropriate training to be able to hold these sensitive conversations, and this often instilled a sense of mistrust and wariness about having these conversations at all.
“Am I becoming invisible?”
Many women expressed concerns about not being offered the same progression opportunities as their male counterparts, leading to feelings of demotivation. On a more micro level, some women reported feeling overlooked and ignored during meetings. There was also a worry that as women aged, they were no longer being taken seriously – particularly when it came to innovation. The consensus was that there is certainly an element of ageism at play when it comes to retaining women in the sector as women increasingly feel they have hit a roadblock in terms of progression, are no longer listened to or their input appreciated in spite of their extensive experience, and an overall feeling of being undervalued and overlooked more and more as they age.
McLean Public are planning a follow-up session in November for those interested in continuing this discussion, to share best practice and celebrate successes. Please do get in touch if you’d like to get involved or would like to hear more about McLean Public. Please reach out to Rebecca Jones, Associate Partner: rebecca.jones@mcleanpublic.com
