As Global Mobility is on the Rise, More Women Take the Lead
By Michelle Clark (Keene, New Hampshire)
According to a recent study by Mercer, the percentage of women assigned to international projects currently sits at 13 percent, a 3 percent increase from 2010. Mercer’s research suggests that 39 percent of companies say that employees with international experience are promoted more quickly, it is encouraging to see more women are being considered for international assignments, and subsequently accepting these roles.
The dialogue around international assignments and female expatriates has most recently been focused on the question of fairness – are women receiving equal opportunities to take advantage of the international experience that can positively impact their career trajectory? A study conducted by Catalyst last fall indicated that women, in fact, are not being equally considered for critical international experience that will enhance their career. Or, if they are chosen for an international assignment, women are most likely to receive smaller projects with small budgets and less corporate impact, compared to their male colleagues.
However, Mercer’s Global Mobility study results paint a different picture of women in international assignments. Historically, eligible women have been overlooked for international assignments due to assumptions about work-life balance constraints and the potential safety risks of sending females to work in different cultures where views of women – especially of women in dominant business roles – were not yet widely accepted. Now, 13 percent of all international assignments belong to women. This number might not feel very significant in the grand scheme of things, but is actually a solid indication that there is a very noticeable sea change taking place within the international business community.
Female Breadwinners Rise to the Occasion
Like many of the debates about women’s advancement in the workplace, the key question here is whether or not companies are making more of an effort to include women during the selection process for international assignments, or if female executives are showing more interest and initiative when it comes to accepting international assignments. According to Ed Hannibal, North America Leader of Mercer’s Global Mobility Practice, “The dynamic is changing as more women are represented in upper management roles.” He continues, “This is resulting in an increase in female lead expatriates.”
If you take Hannibal’s explanation for the shift in the number of female expatriates, it seems like there is a very natural trickle-down effect taking place in multinational companies. As more women assume leadership positions, they also are proving to have more of the qualifications and experience required to take on the challenges associated with global mobility. These challenges, according to Hannibal, are not gender specific either. He notes, “Companies are not putting different resources in place to support more female lead expatriates. The overall support of the family unit is key whether the lead expatriate is male or female.”
Hannibal also stated that in addition to the career oriented challenges, the personal challenges involved with taking international assignments are also becoming more gender neutral. He says, “The non-working spouse piece has changed over the last 20 years. There are more dual career partners than ever before.” Having been involved with global mobility for 20 years, Hannibal has observed the evolution of female expatriates since the early nineties, when international appointments were rarely being offered to female leaders. Speaking about the 13 percent of females currently working on international assignments, Hannibal says, “This is an exciting statistic to see.”
A Giant Leap for Womankind
There is no question that a direct correlation exists between international experience and accelerated career advancement. As the playing field begins to even out, women in mid and senior level positions across large multinational corporations are seizing the opportunity to position themselves for success. These global trailblazers are paving an important path for younger generations of businesswomen to follow as the trend of females in international assignments continues to move upward.
In an article published by the Wall Street Journal last May, eleven female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies gave their thoughts about women’s advancement in the workplace in response to Jack Welch’s remarks that performance is the only important metric that determines an employee’s success. Angela Braly, CEO of WellPoint said, “Be open to opportunity and take risks. In fact, take the worst, the messiest, the most challenging assignment you can find, and then take control.” This seems like fitting advice for women questioning whether or not they should accept an international assignment.
