Organisations which refuse to promote women or give them the same opportunities as men are missing a trick, according to former politician Edwina Currie.
She referred to Margaret Thatcher’s men-only Cabinet as she addressed the HR Directors Club lunch briefing at Warwick Castle last week.
Currie said: “In politics and business, women who don’t get promoted will leave to set up their own busi-nesses, creating a competitor with an eye on your talent.”
Members also heard from TV Apprentice Lindsay Bogaard (who got fired by Sir Alan Sugar after a week). She said it was vital to engage with female staff after making a decision as “women’s relationships are based on trust, whereas men don’t need to establish those bonds before they start working together”.
The HR Directors Club is sponsored by Arinso, Hammonds, TMP Worldwide and XpertHR.