Glass ceiling thickest in government circles
Ambitious women are more likely to get a top management job in a blue-chip company than in government circles, the Volkskrant reported this weekend. Based on its own research, the paper said middle management jobs in government were largely held by men.
While women accounted for 41% of the workforce, they only held 19% of management positions. In industry, however, 37% of the workforce was female and women occupied 27% of management jobs.
Hein Knaapen, personnel director at telecoms company KPN, told the Volkskrant big firms were more likely to use young recruitment staff who no longer differentiate between men and women.
Top companies which operate globally – in particular in the US – are also more likely to have women in senior positions. The four most powerful women in 25 AEX-listed companies are all foreign, such as Marie-Christine Lombard (pictured), MD of TNT’s Express operations, the Volkskrant pointed out.
Dutch businesswoman turned EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes today called for a corporate code of conduct to boost the number of women in senior management.
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