Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles

The report from LinkedIn also highlights the presence of gender bias in internal promotion. 

Women in Ireland hold less than a quarter of C-suite positions showed a report from LinkedIn. 

In Ireland, men are 15% more likely to receive internal promotions to leadership roles than women, according to the report.

Globally, women hold under one-third of leadership positions.

The report also revealed that women in Ireland are more underrepresented at managerial and senior levels. Women make up 46% of those holding entry-level roles in Ireland.

The proportion of women holding manager positions declines slightly to 42%.

The report from LinkedIn also highlights the presence of gender bias in internal promotion. 

Comparing the average in Ireland for men and women in 2021, men were 15% more likely to receive internal promotions to leadership roles than women. 

However, out of all 34 countries reviewed in the report, Ireland was revealed to have the third lowest gap in probability for men to be internally promoted to senior positions within an organisation.

In Ireland, a number of sectors had a significant divergence between female participation and women in leadership roles. The largest leadership gap was found in the retail sector which had an overall female representation of 51%, this declined to 32% in leadership positions within the industry.

The report also noted that removing bias from job descriptions and incorporating women on interview panels can establish more inclusive and fair hiring practices.

Sue Duke, head of global public policy, LinkedIn, said: “The pandemic hit working women harder than men, as traditional gender roles took hold and female-dominated sectors bore the brunt of lockdowns. The serious lack of women in leadership positions continues to be a real problem, yet data shows that male colleagues are far more likely to be promoted into leadership roles."

Ms Duke continued: "It’s clear that taking a hard look at hiring and promotion practices is a critical factor, as is making flexible working the norm for everyone.”