Cathrin Witte on the growing demand for female leaders in project management

The share of women in project management has stood at around 30 percent for years. In its Talent Gap Report published in 2021, the Project Management Institute estimates that 25 million new project managers will be needed worldwide by 2030 to meet the demand for qualified professionals as projectification of the working world continues to advance globally. If the demand for qualified project management experts is not met, Europe alone could lose 83.1 billion US dollars of gross domestic product, and worldwide this damage is estimated at a total of 345.5 billion US dollars.

These figures show that it is worth taking a closer look at project management. Women in particular could help close the talent gap in project management. But what does the demand look like at the micro level, i.e. on the part of companies, and what do project managers look for when considering a change of employer? Cathrin Witte, Director Consulting at CareerTeam, answers these and other questions in a conversation with Darya Schwarz-Fradkova, the operator of the blog www.die-projektmanagerin.de, which campaigns for more women in project management.

Dear Cathrin, do you observe an increased demand for female profiles in project management among your clients?

I can answer this question with a clear yes. In fact, my colleagues and I are seeing an increased demand for women among our clients, not only in project management but also in this discipline in particular. We experience heightened sensitivity to this topic especially among younger, smaller companies, but also among modernly structured corporates. In traditional SMEs or large corporations, this perspective is often still lacking. In these environments, women find it particularly difficult to take on leadership responsibility, as there are often more prejudices against them.

Unfortunately, we do occasionally encounter the view that hiring women is considered a "risk", as women could potentially be absent due to pregnancy. Project management in particular as a professional field demands a high degree of time flexibility, and in fact many women can provide this thanks to modern working conditions. However, we still need to do some persuading so that this is recognised by those doing the hiring.

How do your clients justify this demand?

Women are often more realistic in assessing their own abilities. This means that they set achievable goals for themselves and their team – which is important in project management, but also in other leadership positions. In addition, women as project managers are often more approachable and more empathetic, which means they motivate their teams in a different way. They are often driven by intrinsic factors themselves and are able to pass these on to their team accordingly.

What requirements do companies place on applicants for project management positions?

These depend heavily on the respective company. Particular attention is of course paid to the projects carried out to date and the experience gained. A high degree of flexibility is also a prerequisite for many of our clients.

It may come as a surprise that certificates are less significant than they appear at first glance. That makes the candidate's personality all the more important to us as intermediaries. It should be dynamic and solution-oriented. We look for people who, especially in peak phases, are keen to actively get involved and not merely intervene in a steering capacity. We try to gauge this by showing an interest in roles, responsibilities, KPIs, successes and failures from previous projects. Using projective questions – for example about the positive qualities of a supervisor or a self-description from a third party's perspective – we find out more about candidates' personalities.  

What does the pool of female applicants in project management look like?

Project management can be a springboard for all kinds of strategic roles. Good female project managers, especially those with consulting experience, are highly sought after on the market. The availability of female profiles depends heavily on the industry. In the consumer goods sector, for example, we still find numerous female profiles. In industry, by contrast, there are considerably fewer. Once it becomes more technical, as in the software industry, we hardly find any women at all. There are also differences across experience levels. It is significantly easier to find relevant profiles with less professional experience than at the higher levels. Once it comes to C-Level or managing director positions, we find far fewer women. At the start of our work, we give our partners a realistic picture of the market.

What do female project managers expect from companies?

For female profiles in particular, salary and status are important, but they are often not the decisive factor in a move. Far more significant are factors such as flexibility in how work is organised, opportunities to have a say and decision-making powers. In addition, female project managers want individual development opportunities – not only horizontal, but also vertical. Also important are the personal fit with one's own team and line manager as well as the right corporate culture. Last but not least, women repeatedly ask about flexible and hybrid working models.

Where do appointments of women in project management most often fail, and how could companies counteract this?

There are two main reasons for this. The first is the lack of flexibility in how work is organised. Here, not only but still especially women need more flexibility in working hours and workplace. Hybrid options offer a better balance between private and professional life. The second reason is that the corporate culture presented is not actually lived. What is needed is trust through scope for decision-making and shaping outcomes, and opportunities to have a say. The culture must be alive and must not consist only of buzzwords.