5th Annual State of Women in Revenue Report: The Paradox of Successful but Unequal

Women in Revenue conducts an annual report on the challenges facing women in business today. For 2023 we’ve identified improvements that employers can make to improve on a “successful but not equal” system.  

In our report, “Bridging the Salary Gap: The Paradox of Successful but Unequal,” three key themes emerged: (1) compensation challenges, (2) a demand for workplace flexibility, and (3) the need for mentorship. These challenges have led to dissatisfaction for many women. Nearly half of respondents in this year’s survey said they considered quitting their job in 2022, and 20 percent actually did. That translates into a big price tag for companies who now have to hire in a competitive job market. 

Pay Inequality

Compensation challenges among this group of successful women with seemingly well-paying careers shows a lack of progress. More than 25% said they made less than their male counterparts, and even more alarmingly, 52% said they had no idea! Pay transparency laws have been enacted across the country to address this issue, but they clearly have a long way to go.

Flexibility is Queen

Workplace flexibility was ranked the number one benefit by a landslide. More than 80 percent of women named working from home as the must-have perk in job offers, and it’s easy to see why. This is a group of high-functioning multitaskers who have emerged from a pandemic with a keen ability to thrive in a modern, flexible workplace. 

This group values this benefit most when considering a job offer or whether to stay at their current job. And the number is up 30 percent from previous years. The number two ranked benefit? Flexible work hours. 

Need for Mentorship

Along with the desire for a flexible workplace, women also cited the need for mentorship as a key challenge that can be exacerbated by the more virtual nature of work from home settings. Nearly 30 percent of women reported lack of training/coaching, lack of mentorship, and equal seat at the table as challenges in their organizations. 

Employers need to take these gaps seriously as they can be nearly insurmountable blockers in harassment situations. 

We love supporting our community with the same statistical and fact-based reasoning that makes us all successful sales and marketing leaders. Identifying the top career blockers and most valued workplace benefits is the type of knowledge that companies need to build strong, productive teams.  

Checkout the full report HERE!

The Great Renegotiation: The Definitive State of Women in Revenue Report 2022

Macroeconomic issues of inflation, the two-year drain of a global pandemic, The Great Resignation, and more all exacerbate a consistent and critical concern for women in revenue: equity. When prices rise, work rules fluctuate, and work and family issues emerge, women are left guessing. What is my financial worth? Is my salary on par? Am I afforded the same choices? Will I be penalized for choosing one path over the other?

But these issues, which compound on everyone equally, are just the tip of the iceberg in an inequitable workplace. It’s been shown, again and again, that diversity efforts are both good for business and good for people. So why do many companies still leave women, minorities, and others behind when it comes to recruiting, promotions, salary increases, and opportunities?

This report examines these and other critical issues facing women in revenue in 2022. Our organization has grown to more than 6,000 members, of which a remarkable 2,396 submitted responses — a 330% increase over 2021 — for this fourth installment of our annual report. We are amplifying their voices to help you make sustainable improvements to your company’s success and your company’s commitment to diversity.

Read this report now!

The Great Renegotiation: New Report Rings Alarm that Nearly Half of Women Executives in Revenue Roles are Considering Leaving their Company

Annual State of Women in Revenue Report Uncovers the Most Important Workplace Issues Impacting Women in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success

SAN FRANCISCO, Apr. 6, 2022 – Women in Revenue (WIR), a non-profit created to empower and elevate women in sales, marketing, and customer success careers, today announced the results of its annual survey to uncover the top issues facing women in business. The report: “The Great Renegotiation: The Definitive 2022 State of Women in Revenue,” surveyed nearly 2,400 women in revenue-generating roles. The survey found that more than 38 percent of all women and 49 percent of executive women considered quitting their job in 2021. Eight percent of women in revenue overall, and more than 15 percent in the technology industry actually did quit in 2021. The report dives into what’s driving this re-evaluation of work for women, what they’re looking for, and how companies can keep or hire these essential executives and future leaders.

Unsurprisingly, compensation was listed as the number one challenge among respondents, and it’s no wonder, since pay equity is a critical issue. According to the report, 17 percent of women said they were positive they were not being paid the same as their male counterparts, and 41 percent said they had no idea.

“These statistics should be alarming to any company,” said Deanna Ransom, Executive Director of Women in Revenue. “When 50 percent of your female leadership isn’t happy you need to take a close look internally. Marketing, sales, and customer success are the lifeblood of companies. We’re bringing customers in the door and closing the deals. Women aren’t being paid what they’re worth. They need equal pay, pay transparency and mentorship to trust that they’re valued, heard and have a clear career path. Otherwise, in this market they’re going to walk, take another offer or possibly strike out on their own.”

Among respondents, pay transparency rose dramatically in importance. This year, 52 percent said transparent compensation information is the most important consideration when evaluating a job offer. This number more than doubled from 2021, when it was just 21 percent. The report states that compensation transparency goes beyond just pure salary dollars and into knowing one’s worth and being equipped to effectively negotiate an equitable compensation package.

One respondent said, “I discovered I wasn’t being paid anything close to market rate. Went to another company and got 65 percent more!”

Compensation isn’t everything. The report offered some data for companies looking to hire and retain women in revenue roles. According to the report, the benefits most important to women in revenue when considering a job offer were:

  1. Transparent compensation
  2. Work from home option (once offices safely reopen)
  3. Flexible work hours
  4. Top health care
  5. Ongoing training/education
  6. Retirement program

Beyond benefits and pay, women need to feel safe to be successful. The report also examined how sexual harassment affects women in revenue, and found that it affects some women more than others, rising to a top 3 issue when filtered by demographics and job roles. One quarter of women in professional services and revenue operations roles listed sexual harassment as one of their top three challenges. In addition, women of color listed sexual harassment as a top challenge in higher percentages. Based on recent data, this means that the same women who are most impacted by harassment are also the ones facing the most inequitable pay.

The report provides companies with actionable suggestions to move beyond conversation and start making change for women in the workplace. For more information, download the report.

About Women in Revenue

Women in Revenue (WIR) is a non-profit organization created to empower and elevate women working in marketing, sales and customer success with the ultimate goal of workplace equity, WIR provides mentorship, speaker development and opportunities, community, education, and events to connect women and provide the safe space, support, and inspiration they need to grow in their careers. WIR has grown to more than 5,000 members since its founding in 2018. WIR is supported by esteemed sponsors including Adobe, Demandbase, Sendoso, 6sense, and others. For more information or to become a WIR member, go to: womeninrevenue.org

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Media contact:

Kim Abreu

415-260-6084

kim@aqualabpr.com

Annual Report: Women in Revenue Speak Out

In late 2018, a group of women sales and marketing executives came together with a common mission: to advance the careers of women in revenue positions. The new organization is called Women in Revenue and we are working to provide networking and mentorship programs. While new groups have formed to advance women’s leadership in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), there are very few groups for women in other executive positions, namely those that drive company growth. In order to assess the state of female revenue leaders, Women in Revenue began with a survey at the end of 2018.

This report outlines our findings:

• Why women make great revenue leaders

• What companies can do to attract and retain us

• Empowering advice from peers

Read our full report here.

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Check out our 5th annual State of Women in Revenue Report!
Bridging the Salary Gap: The Paradox of Successful but Unequal (June 2023)