“I don’t believe you should be working at a company where you’re going to be beating your head against a wall,” says Betty Spence of the National Association for Female Executives of the subpar hiring and promoting of women executives in most major companies, ”When you’ve got so many other things to deal with in your life, why should you have to deal with Neanderthals?” Despite all the talented businesswomen in our country, the top 1,000 American companies only employ women in 4.6% of CEO positions, but the tides are beginning to turn as companies take on incentive programs and mentorship opportunities in order to increase female presence.
This week, NAFE released a list of 50 companies that are currently succeeding at getting women into office, hoping to steer working women towards fruitful and fulfilling jobs. All the companies considered had to meet the minimum requirement of 1,000 female workers and 2 female board members.
So what are the most gender progressive companies? Marriott comes in with about 55% female employees; in the upper ranks, that number drops to about 34%, but there are numerous opportunities for advancement available to women. IBM makes the top ten in part because of lady-CEO Virginia Rometty, with women’s numbers in the 20-30% range throughout the executive ladder. Earnst & Young’s partners, directors, and leading principals are up to 24% female, up from a reported 13% in 2000. AstraZeneca, General Mills, Grant Thornton, KPMG, State Farm, and Verizon also make the cut. We have a ways to go, but the fact that companies are given increasingly appealing incentives to hire women is certainly something to celebrate.
Thanks to Forbes
Image via Savvy Seniors Work
