MILWAUKEE, April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Women are disproportionately impacted by a lack of Career Conversations, according to a report released today from Right Management, part of ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN). Only one in four has had a Career Conversation with their manager on how to develop leadership skills, at a time when progress towards gender parity has stalled and some say it could be as long as 17 years away^[1]. "Women, We Have a Problem" presents new research and practical steps to help employers achieve gender parity starting with the easiest and most cost effective step of all: Career Conversations.

Download the full report, "Women, We Have a Problem: Why It's Time for Employers to Get Talking," at: www.right.com/GetTalking.

The industries most affected by artificial intelligence, digitization and robotics will disproportionately impact women. They are underrepresented in growth industries like IT, architecture and engineering and overrepresented in the sectors set to decline, like office and administration, finance and accounting positions. We need to ensure that women's learnability - the desire and ability to learn new skills to stay relevant for the long-term is encouraged and they are given the opportunity to explore additional career options. 

"Employers need to invest in career conversations to develop and retain women and ensure they have the skills needed to take advantage in shifts in industries and jobs so they are not left behind." said Mara Swan, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy & Talent, ManpowerGroup and Global Brand Lead for Right Management. "While we cannot slow the rate of technological advance, we can invest in employees' skills to increase the relevance and resilience of our people and organizations, regardless of gender or social background. Fortunately, men don't own the corner on learnability. It's up to both employers and individuals to nurture learnability and upskill."

Career Conversations are critical in engaging women in a discussion to align career goals and motivations with the company's needs and to reaffirm strengths, development and career opportunities. Yet one in five women have never had an assessment of their skills. Right Management says it is time to shift the needle and for employers to get talking to help women explore development opportunities, take advantage of new roles and win in a Skills Revolution.

For more information on Right Management's Career Conversations research including insights from 2,200 women across 15 countries visit www.right.com/GetTalking. 

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) is the world's workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. We connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries everyday. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands - Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions - we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the seventh consecutive year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com.      

About Right Management
Right Management is the global career expert within ManpowerGroup®. We help organizations become more agile, attractive and innovative by creating a culture of career management and learning that nurtures future talent, motivates and engages people, and provides individuals with opportunities to increase their value through our expertise in organizational effectiveness, career management and individual development. Our approach is centered on the fact that organizations thrive when individuals are successful in their careers. We've spent the last 35+ years identifying workforce challenges and developing innovative solutions, enabling our globally informed methods to be time-tested across more than 50 countries. For more information about Right Management, visit: www.right.com.

^[1] The Global Gender Gap Report 2016, The World Economic Forum, October 2016.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/women-we-have-a-problem---just-1-in-4-women-has-had-a-career-conversation-on-how-to-develop-leadership-skills-300446895.html

SOURCE Right Management