and to replace why step thinking about women

The fourth Women's forum will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Deauville, supported by "Les echos". To raise curtain, here are the findings of a study that could feed the reflections.

The percentage of women members of the Executive Committee of the 100 largest companies listed in London grew only by 2 to 3.6 between 2000 and 2007.

A study just to Bain & Company with 25 European groups shows that the search for diversity and potential senior management have many things in common. By linking the two issues, companies are better able to improve their mix, while more rapidly developing their high potential viviers.

Companies have today a vision partial and insufficient of the mixed nature of their group of "high potential" and its evolution. About 30 do not measure still systematically their rate of mixed by hierarchical level. But what makes the most failure, it is a dynamic vision of diversity. 70 of companies do not know precisely how their recruitment figures, starting and promotion rates compare between men and women. Difficult in these conditions to set an encrypted ambition of co-education for the team. Indeed, only a company five seems to want to risk this year.

A good knowledge of the numbers has many benefits. It allows to eliminate a number of misconceptions which are perpetuated in the headquarters, starting with a chronic underestimation of diversity issues. Lack of regular indicators, many companies, and especially their leaders, think progress in their diversity while they are the strangest!

Taking account of diversity in the evolution of the workforce projections also to the most dangerous traps. Will based on a perfectly balanced population, a company be twice more men than women after ten years if the rate of women is higher than 5 of men. Progress on a dimension can be quickly swept away by one retreat on another. Is known that gains from 30 to 50 of female recruits are completely deleted over ten years if the annual rate of retention of women worsens 5 points

To advance on the front of the diversity, therefore a rigorous approach comparable to the efforts made today by large companies to manage their high potential. We offer three simple and practical steps:

First, know the starting point in assessing diversity by level of seniority. Then, to observe the dynamics of development of high potentials by measuring the percentages of men and women on the recruitment, retention and promotion. The company is then army to the third step: choose initiatives best adapted to its actual priorities. Should recruit more women Do everything to keep them Focus instead on the careers of women or the number of promoted Focus in priority on the younger or more experienced

The most effective levers can vary dramatically one company and one division to another within the same enterprise. These choices must naturally take into account the company's strategy and the social, cultural and legal environment in each country: is it growing What is the legislation on quotas What infrastructure exists for mothers to work...

This systematic approach was essential if things are really changing. But it must be that this approach is driven by the CEO and builds on a culture of business open to change and diversity. We shall follow with interest the discussions of the "Men's Corner" installed in the heart of the Forum of women of Deauville and this that say bosses invited to discuss diversity in companies. And the emergency is, as a figure that even banks in these tumultuous times cannot forget: by 2015, 37 of executives will retire... and to replace why step thinking about women