Having job security is a reassuring feeling but there is always a danger of being fired specifically for women. It brings a steady income, can make you feel safe and that you are able to provide for yourself and your family, and generally allows you to perform at your highest levels.
So how is it that after years of loyalty and dedication to your company, and a rise through the ranks, you can get fired? And if it seems you’ve been targeted because you’re a woman, it will feel like a stab in the back. Like the rug has been pulled out from under you and it can make you feel helpless.
Amanda Duberman writes about a trend of female CEOs being fired more often than men, saying, “…Women are 10 percent more likely to be fired from CEO positions than men. Over the past decade, 27 percent of male CEOs left because they were fired, compared to 38 percent of women who were forced out…”
This makes you wonder how valued women are in the workplace, especially when 11% more women than men are forced out or fired from jobs.
But putting that aside for now, [tweet_quote hashtags=”#womanceo” ]let’s think about the abilities of the women in these CEO roles[/tweet_quote]. To become a CEO of a company or hold some other top job, you need an amazing set of skills, not only to be able to do the particular job, but also in working with others.
Glenn Llopis writes about what, in his opinion and experience, makes a woman a good leader. “The women leaders I know invest in themselves and become knowledge seekers. They are not afraid to ask questions when given a safe platform to express themselves”. And with qualities like these, any woman can become a great, effective leader and co-worker.
But the issue of women in danger of being fired from leadership roles more often then men still remains and, it seems, are less valued than their male counterparts. Reporting on the same study as Duberman, Edward Helmore, writes,
… women’s higher rate of failure is not because they are placed in more challenging roles or set up to fail. The research looked at CEO turnover over the past decade…found that, while women represent only 3% of new CEOs, they are often forced out of top jobs sooner.
And while quality skills are no guarantee for job security, it is something that should be considered — not just when hiring someone, but also when it comes time to downsize — regardless of gender, pay grade or job title.
But whatever the reason a woman leaves, or is let go from a job, the qualities she holds are still there and are as strong as ever.
And as Llopis also wrote, “One thing is certain: [tweet_quote hashtags=”#fired” ]these women leaders understand survival, renewal and reinvention[/tweet_quote]”.
