The lack of women in major management positions is a problem that's been identified for some time. Not only has the lack of female presence in tech haven Silicon Valley and low number of female engineers been a significant issue that's drawn much commentary, women apparently make up fewer than 5 percent of fortune 500 CEOs.
However, it's possible that businesses might be planting the seeds to turn this trend around, one step at a time. The Detroit Free Press reports that auto manufacturer Ford is attempting to correct this, at least according to the company's Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields.
He reportedly has said that there would be an increased focus on hiring women, following in the footsteps of recently promoted CEO Mary Bara. But even though that appointment has made headlines and seems to have signaled improvement, the same source notes that most of the executive officers and board members working for Ford are still men.
Despite this, Fields used the platform at the North American International Auto Show to call for an increase in female employees in order to match the high number of women who make up Ford's buying audience.
"The Millennials will be the first generation where women buyers outnumber male buyers," he said.
The sooner your business recognizes this trend, the more likely it is that you will be able to profit from acknowledging and responding to changes in the market. Executive recruitment initiatives need to reflect the direction your company needs to take to move forward.
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