I was intrigued to read a February 2008 white paper by Hudson, a talent management service provider, The Ambition Divide: Differences Define Women’s Career Aspirations.  Both as an HR leader and as a female, I wanted to learn the results.  When asked if they aspire to the executive level or higher, 77 percent of the female respondents said “yes.”

Approximately one in five female mid-level managers are not interested in reaching the executive level according to a recent study by Hudson.  Those who said “no” are referred to as “decliners” in the survey.  Interestingly the study found no correlation between respondents’ aspirations and their family commitments. The report indicates that 69 percent of “aspirers” are married, compared with 61 percent of “decliners”. 63 percent of aspirers have children, compared with 59 percent of decliners.

Decliners should not be viewed as unengaged. Rather than advancement, 37 percent of decliners said they seek intellectual stimulation, compared with just 17 percent of aspirers.  The opportunity to do interesting and challenging work is what 39 percent of decliner respondents like most about their job, compared with 22 percent of aspirers.  By contrast, the opportunity for growth and development was the single most important goal for 48 percent of aspirers, compared with just 28 percent of decliners.

The vast majority of aspirers (78 percent) said they want their next career step to be a promotion or lateral move at their current company.  So what is the call to action for the corporate world to keep these women? 

Female respondents said they favor opportunities to work with senior management, access to leadership development, mentoring and training programs, and the chance to work on companywide strategic initiatives.  Respondents reported that they believe their employers are most effective at offering training programs and formal schooling and least effective when it comes to providing mentoring programs, offering flexible hours and instilling an understanding of the business. 

If employers understand the goals and aspirations of female managers, they should be able to develop strategies to retain them.