Women make more profit

Debbie Goodman, MD of Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters, says: "Women are being employed in top jobs but the reality is that they are often overlooked for these positions because employers know that they are likely to leave or take a back seat- frequently because they have no option - once they have children."

Goodman says that many companies are rather inflexible and make it an unwritten rule that women at the top need to make a clear choice between family and work if they want the keys to the boardroom.

"But it is encouraging to see companies like Deutche Bank South Africa addressing this problem by implementing more flexible hours, log-in from home solutions and an ideology of a better work/life balance as a way of retaining and attracting their top women.

"With the renewed focus on results and intolerance of mediocrity businesses simply have no option other than to ruthlessly pursue their goals - which can only be achieved via access to the best talent. In this context one simply cannot exclude half the population."

And the value of women in the workplace is highlighted by a recent study of Finland's 500 largest companies that shows that those run by women tend to be more profitable than those run by men and that return on investment in companies headed up by women showed an average yield of 18.5%, while companies led by men yielded an average of 14.2%.

The study was limited by the fact that there are fewer companies headed up by women but it still shows that figures for female managed companies cannot be ignored.

"Fortunately or unfortunately many women still feel they need to prove themselves within the corporate world and often their contribution is more objectively judged on performance and results as they are subject to more stringent 'tests'. In light of their need to prove themselves women will often go the extra mile.

"There is strong evidence to suggest that a business team that includes women bring the 'different dimension', which improves general team effectiveness and boosts the bottom line.

"Accordingly the motive to enhance the role of women in the boardrooms of our businesses is not altruistic - it is rooted in tangible benefit."