Significant Wage Gap for Women in the Workplace Still Exists, Says New Study

Hillary Clinton famously shattered the glass ceiling as the first female to be nominated for president by any major political party.

You might say: “It’s about time!” It’s certainly encouraging news, but what about the plight of other women in the workforce? There’s still a significant gender wage gap, and according to a new study by The Executive Leadership Council, another subset of women — black executives — face even greater challenges in the workplace.

The ELC contends that black, female executives will “continue to be underrepresented in top leadership roles if companies do not recognize their contributions.”

The results were plain: “Only 27 percent of the 59 black women senior executives interviewed said they received promotions or advanced positions in the same or a different company from 2007 to 2015. More than half reported staying in the same position, making lateral moves or taking diminished roles in the workplace.”

Moreover, the study revealed that black, female executives who take on difficult assignments are frequently not recognized with promotions for successfully achieving or exceeding favorable outcomes.

So, how can companies do a better job of recognizing underused talent and rewarding these executives for their contributions?

The ELC focuses on four areas of opportunity:

Alignment of values. According to the study, a frequent reason for leaving a company was lack of alignment with either the corporate culture/industry or positional/interpersonal values. Perhaps there is a need for additional surveys within a company, policies that focus on advancement of underrepresented groups, focus groups to help ensure values are understood and so on.

Agility and career expansion. The study found that a black, female executive’s ability to move rapidly between challenges is fostered by continuous learning, cross-functional and boundary-expanding work, and intentionally planned career expansion.

Sponsor relationships. About half of the women in the sample reported having no current or past sponsor. However, most commented on the importance of a sponsor or mentor. Others said sponsors play a key role in career gains.

Relationship-building as politics. Nearly all in the study who commented said they had developed strategies and goals around relationship building. If black women ascend, they do so by managing the politics and continuing to cultivate a strong set of relationships.

If companies begin to focus on these four areas, perhaps black women will be able to create a track record of success, said Pamela Carlton, president of Springboard: Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership. The “runway” is important, and starting early is essential, she said of the study that her company conducted.

“The most successful take risks and have the opportunity for big roles early in their careers, allowing them to build a long runway of leadership experiences all executives need,” Carlton noted.

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Do you think your company has the policies and political framework necessary for black, female executives to succeed? Who is receiving promotions at your company? Do your promotion processes review underrepresented groups during hiring processes?

Perhaps your company has opportunities to make changes that can impact the career trajectories for all members of your workforce.

Be inclusive!