The ICT and media sector shows a different trend than other industries. While other industries generally see a continuous decrease in the proportion of women at each level, ICT and media also show a downward trend but with some notable differences. For example, the share of women in lowest management (42%) is three percentage points higher than in non-management (39%). In top management, where women represent a quarter of the positions, the proportion is seven percentage points higher than in middle management (18%). The largest drop in female representation—13 percentage points—occurs on the step from lowest to lower management.
In the ICT and media industry, the share of women among those promoted to lowest and lower management is noticeably higher than their share among those recruited. Women make up 54% of promotions in these levels — 15 percentage points more than their current representation in these positions. It is also 15 percentage points higher than their share in non-management, which serves as the pipeline for promotions to lowest and lower management. However, recruitment does not contribute to increasing the share of women in lowest and lower management. This is because the recruitment rate of 28% is 11 percentage points below the current female representation in these positions.
In middle and top management, the differences between recruitment and promotion are much smaller. In these levels, 37% of new hires were women, and 38% of promotions went to women. Both figures are well above the current female representation in these positions (21%) but slightly below the share of women in the pipeline for these roles (lower/lowest management: 39%). However, it is important to note that there are large differences between individual companies when it comes to personnel movements such as promotions and recruitment.
The Glass Ceiling Index of 1.9 means that women are disadvantaged in reaching the upper management positions. This places the ICT and media industry slightly below the the Glass Ceiling Index of the full sample. Only the pharma / med-tech and tech industry report a lower Glass Ceiling Index for middle and top management.
In the ICT and media industry, part-time work is less common compared to other sectors. From the lower management level upward, employees work almost full-time, which results in only small differences between women and men. Gender differences are more apparent in lowest management and non-management positions. In lowest management, men work at average employment rates of 96%, indicating that most hold full-time roles. Women, by contrast, have an average employment percentage of 87%, which is nine percentage points lower. The same gap exists in non-management, where men work at an average of 93% and women at an average of 84%.
Women working part-time in lowest management therefore may not be considered for promotions to lower management. As a reminder, this is the stage where the largest drop in female representation occurs.