Women ‘need a caring side to get top jobs’

WOMEN rather than men have to display their caring side to get promoted at work, a study shows.

Being ambitious alone can work against female colleagues. Both sexes need to show confidence and ability but women are expected to demonstrate they care about others and take interests to heart.

A report by business schools in Berlin, Madrid and Paris studied 236 engineers – of whom 22 per cent are women – at an unnamed multinational software company employing 4,000 workers.

Ambitious

Both sexes were rated equally by management for self-confidence but men were better rewarded in terms of influence and promotion.

Only women who were also considered to be “pro-social” appeared to get the same rewards.

Laura Guillen, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at ESMT business school Berlin, said studies show that when women display behaviour consistent with being ambitious, it affects them negatively.

She said: “In other words, they are not liked. Women currently need to show pro-social orientation to counterbalance this negative effect – something men do not need to do.

“Making sure this happens should not be solely women’s responsibility, organisations need to take concrete steps to promote it.”