How to Break the Glass Ceiling in the Business Industry - 4 Actionable Tips for Women

By Penelope Finley

Corporate America has a greater awareness of gender equality and inclusivity—but the business industry is still lagging behind when it comes to translating this into action. A McKinsey study revealed that the glass ceiling in the industry prevents women from having equal access to both entry-level and higher-level positions. Women are already less likely to be hired in starting positions to begin with, but the disparity further increases as employees move up the corporate ladder.

This vicious cycle will continue to bar women from positions that they deserve, unless you take action. You can pursue your career goals and inspire many women to achieve their dreams by doing your part in breaking the glass ceiling.

1. Make an Action Plan for Your Succession

Succession is crucial in moving employees up to higher positions, but gender biases can easily block women from progressing up the corporate ladder. As such, it’s important for you to work on moving up the ladder by asking your seniors about the requirements that you have to meet to be promoted into higher roles. You can also ask them for feedback about your performance so that you can recognize which skills you may need to improve to become better in your role. Once you’ve identified the qualifications required for the position, create an action plan so that you can develop the skills and the experience needed to make those goals a reality.

2. Create Your Own Opportunities for Growth

Now that you know the requirements that you need to meet, you can create your own opportunities for progress by investing in the development of your skills and expertise. An advantage of working in a digital centric world is that it is possible to do some serious upskilling without putting your career on hold. Online courses on Udemy are short programs that cover every aspect of business you could be interested in. For those who want to explore an in-demand business area like marketing in more depth, many top universities offer online courses. An online marketing degree allows students to decide when they want to start and is done 100% remotely. This gives you the flexibility to study in your own time around your job. Alongside growing your knowledge, upskilling remotely will create more opportunities for promotion as you will be showing how dedicated you are to growing in your chosen industry.

3. Broaden Your Colleagues’ Perspectives

Aside from doing the work to drive your career progression, you also need to break the glass ceiling by broadening your colleagues’ perspectives on women in the business world. In her book on interpersonal intelligence in the workplace, Anneli Blundell stresses that having a good discussion on equality with male leaders can improve their attitudes, moods, and beliefs regarding the gender disparity in business. By understanding their motivations and concerns, you can have honest conversations about the benefits of equality in the workplace and their role in leading a systemic change. Educating everyone about the importance and the benefits of gender equality will be pivotal to bridging the gender gap in business.

4. Push for More Diversity and Inclusion

While conversations are important in enlightening business leaders, you have to further promote diversity and inclusion by pushing for programs that can implement equality in the workplace. One strategy that can be implemented is to encourage business leaders to adopt inclusive behavior, such as curiosity, cultural intelligence, and collaboration. According to a Cambridge University study, reverse mentoring programs have helped senior business leaders understand the experiences of their junior and minority employees. By being curious and open to their employees, these leaders can get a clearer picture of the barriers their employees face. Similarly, establishing programs like these will help leaders shape policies that can improve gender and cultural equality in their businesses.

The glass ceiling has prevented women from achieving their career goals within the business industry. However, you can break this cycle by being proactive about your progression and by pushing for equality in your business workplace.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring insights with us Penelope. We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!

Author bio: Penelope Finley aims to break barriers by learning and writing about technology and business. Despite the challenges that she encounters in the field, she hopes that her articles can empower women to pursue their own passions and dreams.