Data inspiring action – getting to the heart of women's career progression

Abstract

PurposeThis article aims to introduce a three‐level, 11‐factor framework for women's career progression. The framework summarizes the factors that genuinely do make a difference when it comes to women's career progression.Design/methodology/approachThe article combines the introduction of a theoretical framework based on a review of academic literature with a real life client case study to illustrate the power for using a structured, research based and data driven approach to identifying career barriers for women's career progression.FindingsThe article shares high‐level findings from the organizational audit and highlights the main lessons learnt during this process.Practical implicationsThe article sets out the key areas for consideration when trying to boost the number of senior women in an organization and outlines the reasons for failure of many programs. Furthermore, it points to best practice in designing interventions to increase the number of women in senior roles.Originality/valueThe article introduces a new, research‐driven framework for women's career advancement and provides a client case study that illustrates how a rigorous, research and data‐driven approach to identifying career barriers for women helps to provide and defend recommendations for increasing the number of women in senior roles.