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CO M P E T I T I V E A DVA N TAG E
A growing emphasis on realising
and achieving workforce balance to
enable genuine ‘diversity of thought’
is reflected in Retail Banking and
Insurance, writes Global Sector
Managing Director Vanessa Byrnes.
O
pportunities for women have never
been lacking at Alexander Mann
Solutions: we’re led by a female
CEO, have a number of women on
our executive and non-executive
boards and our workforce is comprised of slightly
more women than men.
However, this is not the case in all companies or
sectors. A 2016 report by McKinsey, entitled Women
in the Workplace: Corporate Pipeline, examined
employee pipeline data from 132 US companies and
identified two broad themes:
• on average, women are promoted and hired at
lower rates than men, so far fewer women
become senior leaders
• at more senior levels, we see women shift from
line to staff roles, so very few end up on the path
to the C-Suite.
These issues must clearly be addressed and, as a
woman, gender balance in the workplace is important
to me as well as to Alexander Mann Solutions (see
everywoman article, p28). But there are other less
recognised elements that will have a significant
impact on the future of work. We are only just
beginning to scratch the surface of the diversity
debate, and, unless we start proactively conversing
about diversity through a wider lens than gender,
there will never be the necessary research and
recognition to support in achieving true ‘diversity
of thought’ in the workplace.
alexandermannsolutions.com
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Vanessa
Byrnes
Global Sector
Managing
Director, Retail
Banking and
Insurance,
Alexander Mann
Solutions
Vanessa is globally
responsible for the
integrated growth
and service delivery
of talent acquisition
and management
solutions to clients in
the Retail Banking
and Insurance
sectors.
Hiring for potential
For example, one often overlooked aspect of
diversity is age, an area in which Alexander
Mann Solutions is particularly strong. What
we have historically witnessed within the Retail
Banking and Insurance sectors, however, is
that regardless of their skill set, younger people
are often overlooked for roles traditionally
viewed as more senior and therefore reserved
for experienced individuals who have the
appearance of being wise and learned. I see this
changing rapidly, however, with the vital need
for tech skills, and the ability to anticipate and
adapt to new technologies, which the younger
generations manage with ease.
When you consider the many aspects of
diversity, the other area which I believe is set
to take off exponentially is social mobility and