The battle for female talent in emerging markets

15 July 2010 - In China, India and other emerging markets, women often experience workplace bias. For instance, young mothers in India often must work in less-fulfilling positions or projects, or may get lower performance assessments.

Data from the McKinsey Global Institute found that just 25 percent of professionals in India are suitable for employment by multinationals, while less than 10 percent of university graduates in China are. Five global companies, Bloomberg, Booz & Co., Intel, Pfizer and Siemens, recently conducted a study on college graduates in emerging markets. The study found that women represent 47 percent of college graduates in China, and 50 percent of Indian women hold graduate degrees, compared to 40 percent of Indian men. The study also found that 85 percent of women in India and 65 percent of women in China consider themselves very ambitious, and 80 percent or more of women in India aspire to hold a top job. However, more than half of women in India and China said they faced difficulties due to societal disapproval of women travelling alone. Many of the women surveyed in India and China did not have children, but 70 percent or more were responsible for taking care of elderly relatives. The companies conducting the study concluded that it is crucial to attract and retain talented women in emerging markets by identifying talent early, differentiating their brand to attract women, helping women build networks, offering more international exposure and forming communities outside the company.

Source: Harvard Business Review (05/10)