Let’s look at the fastest growing population for organizational leadership: Millennial Women.
Women today are dominating the workforce, and the next generation of 61 million Generational Z individuals will continue this trend. Dominating in numbers does not always equate to domination in leadership roles for Millennial women. However, women in Generation Z have taken more of an interest in the growing degree areas for the future.
Are American Millennial women ready to lead in competitive, female dominant job markets?
No.
Why?
Comparing data from American colleges and universities in 2006/2007, 2012/2013, and 2014/2015 from the National Center for Education Statistics, the data has not changed regarding the educational needs for the workforce today and the future. The climb up the ladder into leadership roles will remain very difficult for most women. This should be a concern for businesses around the world that want to create diversity within their organizational leadership. Women would be wise to also take note of the struggles for the future job market and leadership role requirements.
What will be the future leadership roles for women?
In a few areas, women have obtained educations to compete for leadership roles within some industries. However, the most significant gap in education is in sectors that will experience the most substantial amount of growth in the future. Therefore, Millennial women will continue to find themselves lacking the opportunity to move ahead unless they get re-educated or organizations take an interest in developing women for leadership roles.
The leadership gaps:
- Computer and information sciences and support services
- Construction trades
- Engineering and engineering technologies
- Engineering technologies/construction trades/mechanics and repairers
- Mechanic and repair technologies/technicians
- Physical sciences and science technologies
Closing the leadership gaps:
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Business, management, marketing, and personal and culinary services (except in Accounting & Finances)
- Health professions and related programs
- Mathematics and statistics
- Science technologies/technicians
What can fix the situation?
Organizations must prepare women for successful leadership. Past and current data indicates that climbing the ladder is a challenge for everyone, especially women. Organizations today and in the future will have to play a huge role in developing female leadership around the world.
Where can organizations begin?
Understand that women have great potential from past professional and educational experiences to lead. Topics to think about;
- Transferable skills require review by hiring managers and recruiters
- Additional educational objectives can be accomplished easily with the assistance of an organization
- Mentorship can be implemented to change every aspect of leadership development
- Personal Life. Understanding that women’s own life will affect leadership abilities within organizations is critical to their success.
- Organizations must encourage women to seek a work-life balance.
- Women will become the primary caretakers of elderly parents and elderly in-laws.
Reality
A lot has changed in many career areas that have increased women’s roles in leadership around the world especially in the United States (U.S). However, as 80 million U.S. Millennials and approximately 2 billion global Millennials face a world full of career competition, multi-generational family obligations, and technology advancements, companies have plenty of options to fill leadership roles. Therefore, many women lacking educational requirements for future jobs shows that an American female leadership crisis will continue.
A strong economy!
For some women, a strong economy that we are experiencing today allows organizations to take chances on women that may not have the exact qualifications and education required to obtain leadership roles. However, the economy will always experience boom and bust cycles that change the competitive work landscapes.
The best advice I can give women and current female college students is that if you want to advance into leadership roles, prepare yourself with the educational requirements and real-world experiences to create your own career path.
Will the corporate world take a serious interest in women’s ability to lead?
