Executive leadership in France is struggling to become more female, with only 17% of women in corporate Comexes, while this figure climbs to 44.6% when we look at boards of directors, spurred on by the quotas imposed by the Copé-Zimmermann law (nᵒ 2011-103 of January 27, 2011). Access to leadership is a QWL issue: management, career development opportunities, specific support – how can we bring together all the ingredients to promote parity in the workplace?
Parity in leadership, slowed down by mentality but accelerated by constraint
Many employers still regard the promotion of a woman to an executive position as a risk-taking exercise. And yet.., the good performance of companies run by women no longer needs proving. Doubtful? A study by Skema Business School has shown that a 240% growth rate among the 15 CAC 40 companies with the most women employees, compared with 43% for all companies in the index.
However, with the mentality of senior executives in many companies evolving at a snail’s pace, restrictive measures have multiplied to open up access to leadership positions to women. The Coppé-Zimmermann law of 20211, the Index d’égalité salariale homme femme in force for several years and most recently a LREM bill. In the wake of the Copé-Zimmermann law, the LREM bill introduces the imposition of quotas in the management of large companies. According to the proposal, companies with over 1,000 employees must have at least 30% women in senior management and executive positions by 2027, and 40% by 2030. This measure includes the obligation to publish gaps in representation, and a 2-year period for compliance in the event of non-compliance, on pain of a 1% administrative fine on salaries and earnings. Adopted on its first reading by the French National Assembly, the Senate has just taken up this bill last month, a matter to be followed.
Leadership quotas: a good idea or a bad one?
The debate about how to achieve gender equality in the workplace is raging. On the one hand, people wonder whether it would be better to leave companies free to organize themselves as they see fit ? Or, on the contrary, cut short and impose quotas to speed up inclusion? What about the risk of reprisals at the industrial tribunal? Indeed, today, the only way to replace a man with a woman on the Comex is to obtain her resignation or dismiss her. On the other hand, women who have spent their careers seeing opportunities slip through their fingers are more likely to be replaced by men. support the bill, citing a necessary evil. After all, binding legislation would accelerate a trend already set in motion over the last ten years by the Coppé-Zimmermann law. It would also be an opportunity for companies to measure the effectiveness of their recruitment and talent management processes, and their QWL in relation to this new imperative.
How does QWL support parity in the Comex?
Quotas are not the only tools for promoting parity in the workplace. But first, let’s take a look at the obstacles women face when it comes to accessing positions of high responsibility. Today, “making a career” is still too often opposed to a child’s project.. This limiting belief stems from a combination of professional factors (replacement during maternity leave, team organization, lack of flexible working hours, etc.) and personal factors (imbalance in taking on household tasks, childcare difficulties and pregnancy-related pathologies). What can be done to clear the way?
Teleworking, a false friend of gender equality
Gender equality, a victim of the telework pandemic telecommuting The realization came at the end of successive confinements. We realized that teleworking had a negative impact on employees’ QWL. On the one hand, according to a Ipsos – Boston Consulting Group survey, a teleworking employee is 1.5 times more likely to be interrupted at work than men. On the other hand, women have spent more time on household chores and raising their children since the start of the health crisis. Clearly, teleworking makes a moderate contribution to parity in leadership positions.
The right gestures to support parenthood in the workplace
A QWL favorable to parent employees must incorporate flexible working hours and a choice of workplace. (office, home or coworking), making it easier for women to organize their days. It’s also about adopting more agile ways of working to meet the needs of the home and the unexpected. Flexible, trust-based and results-oriented management develops autonomy and gives you the confidence to take charge of your career. Once they have proven themselves, those who wish to do so will have the confidence to run for leadership positions.
Extending paternity leave to 28 days contributes to offering more support to women, since a more present father takes the pressure off the mother, especially when it’s her first child. Facilitating men’s involvement in parenthood also helps women to return from maternity leave in conditions more favorable to resuming full-time work. A good practice to introduce is the interview after paternity leave to discuss the necessary adjustments and destigmatize employees’ desire to share tasks with their spouse.
Finally, the LREM bill also plans to guarantee dedicated crèche places for single-parent familiesthe majority of whom are mothers.
Paving the way to leadership, from recruitment to promotion
Right from the hiring stage, HR and recruiters can detect candidates’ potential to take charge of a team, a division or the company as a whole.. By identifying the soft skills that are conducive to success: ease of decision-making, complex problem-solving, empathy and open-mindedness, among others. Predictive recruitment identifies and measures character traits, work style preferences and motivations using psychometric tests and AI. This method of assessment, which focuses on behavioral skills and decision-making abilities, helps to break down the cognitive biases and masculine “entre-soi” that stand in the way of parity within the Comex. It’s high time we saw gender equality as a force, not a constraint.
Parity through recognition
Recognition is expressed in different ways. The kind of day-to-day support that women so desperately need must come from within the corporate ecosystem. Where they are overlooked, women’s contributions and achievements need to be communicated by managers, peers and decision-makers. This can be done through weekly e-mails, for example, a reflex to be adopted by team leaders.
The parity leadership toolbox
It’s vital to equip women to take their place in management bodies and on the Comex. Those who struggle to gain recognition for their work need to learn how to showcase their achievements and negotiate pay equity. Others rise to management positions without really believing it, and don’t dare ask for help with their new responsibilities. In a report dedicated to the feminization of management bodies, the consulting firm Deloitte suggests supporting women step by step, especially when they take on new responsibilities, with coaching programs and the support of a mentor or sponsor. The self-confidence resulting from such support paves the way for more assertive, and therefore more sustainable, leadership.
The more role models there are, the more inspired and empowered women will feel. In short, deconstructing and eradicating internalized gender biases is a collective effort. Parity on the Comex is a long way up the ladder, and to encourage women to take the path of leadership, we need to arm ourselves with concrete actions and, above all, listen to them.
