ManpowerGroup: Developing Women Leaders is Key to Driving Economic Growth and Business Success

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions and World Economic Forum (WEF) strategic partner, advises companies on how to address gender parity and lack of women leaders to maximize human potential and drive better business results.

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Launched today at WEF Davos, ManpowerGroup's new insight paper, "Cracking the Case – Why you need women leaders. How to get them and keep them," details how unleashing the full potential of women leaders helps drive success across businesses and examines how companies can address the disconnect between what women want and what employers offer them.

ManpowerGroup's annual Talent Shortage Survey revealed that of the 35% of employers struggling with talent shortages globally, only 24% are seeking to recruit from alternative talent sources and only 2% of these are actively recruiting women. Data from the World Economic Forum suggests a strong correlation between countries that are most successful at closing the gender gap, and those that are the most economically competitive. The research found that the companies with a high percentage of female employees, particularly in board positions, fare better than competitors.

This gap presents a unique opportunity for companies that are impacted by the global talent shortage and are pressured to expand their talent pipeline. The 862 million women not participating in the global economy remain the world's greatest undertapped talent resource. As traditional ways of working are changing, organizations must address this conundrum by closely reexamining the one-size-fits-all HR programs that have not helped move women into employment or, even less so, into leadership roles. 

"Growing the pipeline of women in leadership roles is critical to succeeding in the Human Age," said Mara Swan, ManpowerGroup Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Talent, and member of WEF's Women Leaders and Gender Parity Program Advisory Board. "Women are being funneled out of the leadership roles through one-size-fits-all approaches to talent development that simply do not work. CEOs must adopt one-size-fits-one systems and reexamine their companies' policies and cultures to drive this needed change across entire organizations."

This week, ManpowerGroup leaders will be participating in sessions during the WEF 2014 annual meeting, discussing gender issues, including 'Gender Parity: From Momentum to Practice'. Swan and Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup President, will join participants to discuss the current efforts on global gender parity and create a gender equality strategy building on existing momentum, practices, tools and awareness.

"Cracking the Case – Why you need women leaders. How to get them and keep them" is available for download at:
http://www.manpowergroup.com/wps/wcm/connect/manpowergroup-en/home/thought-leadership/research-insights/#.Ut_DKRDnZQI

Follow @MaraSwan on Twitter and look for our official hashtag #HumanAgeEvolving for updates and news.

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN) is the world leader in innovative workforce solutions that ensure the talent sustainability of the world's workforce for the good of companies, communities, countries, and individuals themselves. Specializing in solutions that help organizations achieve business agility and workforce flexibility, ManpowerGroup leverages its 65 years of world of work expertise to create the work models, design the people practices and access the talent sources its clients need for the future. From staffing, recruitment, workforce consulting, outsourcing and career management to assessment, training and development, ManpowerGroup delivers the talent to drive the innovation and productivity of organizations in a world where talentism is the dominant economic system. Every day, ManpowerGroup connects more than 630,000 people to work and builds their experience and employability through its relationships with 400,000 clients across 80 countries and territories. ManpowerGroup's suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year in 2013, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible at www.manpowergroup.com. Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: Twitter.com/manpowergroupjj

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SOURCE ManpowerGroup