It’s a well-known fact that on the trading floors of investment banks, hedge funds or trading firms, there are hardly any women. Is it because not enough women are not attracted to these functions or is it a reflection of financial firms’ implicit bias in hiring practices to look for certain masculine traits? I think it’s a mix of both.
In a global survey on perceptions about various industries, financial services have been ranked among the bottom most over the last three years. And more so as a result of the 2008 financial crisis. Having worked in the industry for several years (with European and American banks), I can categorically say that the perception is far worse than the reality. Of course, there are several issues confronting women in this industry, but most of these are not very different from what women face elsewhere—late nights, business trips, constant juggling of professional and family commitments, the eternal dilemma of whether one is networking enough, and lack of adequate entry points after a career break.
There are no quick fixes for these. The deeply ingrained stereotypes demand a complete overhaul of the hiring practices. The good news is that recent events in the financial world are making managers rethink their hiring policies.
