The business case for bringing more women into the workplace is compelling. The conversation about how to achieve gender parity is being had across many professions and industries. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that achieving gender parity in labor-force participation rates would increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 12 percent in developed countries over the next 20 years. With that in mind, we decided to look at our own profession by examining our base of over 15,000 DRI Certified Professionals in 100 countries who have dedicated their professional careers to business continuity in order to see what we could find out. The overall picture is mixed.
In order to gain additional insight into the experience of women in business continuity, we undertook a study, including a survey of nearly 1,000 women in the field, a statistical analysis of DRI International’s Certified Professional population, and one-on-one interviews with female continuity professionals. We discovered over the course of our research that roughly 34 percent of our Certified Professionals globally are female. With the goal of increasing that number and thereby achieving gender parity in the profession, there are four clear areas in which there is room for improvement:
Bias
Perhaps the most significant negative revealed by the survey is the bias and sexism reported by respondents. At 60 percent, the majority of participants report experiencing conscious bias, unconscious bias, or both in the workplace. Common themes from respondents include numerous mentions of the “good ole boys network” and favoritism being shown to male counterparts over their female peers and sometimes superiors.
Our respondents proffered up a whole series of disconcerting anecdotes to illustrate their experiences. One respondent told us that she has “walked into rooms with [her] more junior male partners for client meetings and had people immediately go to the male and introduce themselves and look to him as the lead”. When faced with similar situations, another woman found a troubling solution: In my organization, top managers are more likely to accept and act on reports, training, presentations, recommendations, etc. if presented by a man. For items of critical importance that will make or break continuity efforts, I hand them off to my male manager to present to improve the chances of them getting done”. Still another fails to see any discernible momentum for change: “The good ole boys’ club is alive and well and continues to be exceedingly hard to crack. Outward appearances have changed to project a more politically correct position, but supportive words are hollow and not backed up by actions and pay. True gender equality, even in this industry, will take generations to become a reality.” The perception of bias is troubling and while it may be subconscious, that bias is almost certainly reinforced by the lack of visible female leaders in the profession.
Visibility
There is a “tendency for women to be in the administrative/clerical end of things, rather than the risk, strategic, and leadership end of things,” reports one survey respondent, who added that women are “relegated to the ‘housekeeping’.” While overall many women reported feeling positive about their chosen profession, they are less so about the representation of women in continuity and related fields, with some 20 percent reporting they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied and just 35 percent reporting they are satisfied or very satisfied.
Worse, just over two percent of women surveyed rate the visibility of women in business continuity as excellent, while some 18 percent rank it as poor. A common theme among
respondents is the perception that women are well-represented at low and mid-level jobs (such as analyst and middle management); however, there are far fewer women in senior level roles. Remarks one optimistic respondent: “In the past 5+ years the female representation has increased tremendously. We aren’t where we really should be…but we will be.”
On that note, we decided to take a look at our own house and see what DRI can do to help the profession move along to be where it should be. One area in which we are leading is by paying attention to the gender distribution among those who we invite to speak at our events. The percentage of female speakers at DRI conferences tops 30 percent, while other conferences in the space lag behind with only 20 percent of speakers being female for a full 10 percent improvement over the industry standard.
Mentorship
Of the important findings revealed by the survey, none stand out more than those relating to mentoring. Given that only two percent of respondents think that the visibility of women in this profession is ‘excellent’, it makes sense when you consider that 45 percent of women responded that they have never had a professional mentor and 53 percent reported never having been a mentor either. This seems like an area in which we women in business continuity can help each other up the ladder toward greater recognition. If you want to improve your own skills, it helps to teach someone else what you know. In the end, everybody wins. That’s why DRI is committed to creating a strong platform for professional engagement through encouraging both formal and informal mentorship networks.
We plan to bolster DRI’s activities in this area since mentorship is an area where there is a clear opportunity for growth. With 45 percent of respondents identifying the lack of a mentor as one of the biggest challenges to entering the field, there is an obvious need. We have already started two programs to help provide mentorship for our Certified Professionals. The first is our Young Leaders in Resilience Program, which is dedicated to developing tomorrow’s risk leaders by bringing together emerging professionals and those who support them. The second is our Veterans Outreach Program that awards scholarships to qualified candidates transitioning from active duty through which they attend our training and become certified; dozens of scholarships have been awarded already. It is clear that there is a need to evaluate a mentoring solution for women in business continuity as well.
Certification
Certification is the gateway to the profession and is key to finding mentors, improving visibility, and hopefully even reducing bias over time. Many women report that certification works in their favor when seeking employment. Certification “provides additional legitimacy to who I am and what I do. When companies hire, they prefer certified professionals,” says one respondent. “When I found myself seeking employment unexpectedly, my certification helped sort my resume to the top of the pile,” says another. That value is why nearly 80 percent of women surveyed hold at least one professional certification.
Of DRI Certified Professionals, 34 percent are women, with the data showing that women are slightly more likely than men to hold multiple certifications in the same career track signaling that women are in fact moving into more advanced positions in the field. Additionally, nearly 40 percent of those holding the our most advanced credential, the Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP) certification, are female. We hope that these advanced practitioners will step into leadership roles at their organizations and effect positive change.
While there is reason for optimism, there is clearly work to be done. That is why we formed the DRI Women in Business Continuity Management Committee, with the mission of bringing together women in business continuity from various sectors in order to forge strong personal networks and assist women in advancing in their chosen fields. This research is part of a series of committee-led initiatives aimed at achieving a better understanding of and drawing attention to the unique needs, interests, and challenges of women in this profession.
This article was originally published in Crisis Response Journal in 2018 here.
Edgewood Insights 