A major project to help more women get to the top of the career ladder was launched in London this week.
Professor Lynda Gratton asked for help from government officials and 150 business leaders at an event at the Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business.
She revealed that although women make up 50% of graduate recruits, they represent only 30% of managers and 15% of senior executives.
After the event on Wednesday, Gratton drew up a research agenda and declared that her team would find ways to help women get further at work.
“I am confident we will come up with something exciting,” she told Personnel Today. “There is a talent drain when it comes to female graduates and firms are losing out. We want to find out why this is happening.”
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Gratton revealed research showing that teams led by women, and comprising high proportions of women, are more collaborative, have greater knowledge transfer and access more knowledge from outside the team than those led by men or comprised mostly of men.