Women make up more than half of the world&rsquo;s population, and yet, according to an article in Fortune, <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/06/02/female-ceos-fortune-500-2021-women-ceo-list-roz-brewer-walgreens-karen-lynch-cvs-thasunda-brown-duckett-tiaa/">women occupy less than 10% of executive positions</a> worldwide. That&rsquo;s a problem not only for women in the business world but also for companies and consumers around the globe. 
The simple reality is that we are all diminished by the relative dearth of women at the top of the corporate ladder. This article explores the reasons why women should pursue C-suite positions. 
<h2>Overcoming Imposter Syndrome</h2>
On the surface level, of course, the reasons why women should go for executive positions in business are obvious. They&rsquo;ll earn a significantly higher income. They&rsquo;ll enjoy more professional prestige. They will have enormous career mobility and a vast array of professional opportunities unfolding at their feet. 
These, however, are only the obvious and perhaps most immediate perks. Other advantages of pursuing a top-level leadership position may be less apparent but are likely far more meaningful. 
No matter the industry, a large number of women in business suffer from &ldquo;imposter syndrome,&rdquo; the pervasive and often debilitating sense that their best simply isn&rsquo;t good enough. Perhaps even worse, imposter syndrome leads people to believe that their successes, their accomplishments, are meaningless, a freak of chance rather than the manifestation and outcome of true talent and diligent effort. 
When you have imposter syndrome, you believe, whether you are consciously aware of this belief or not, that you and your accomplishments are fraudulent. That self-perception typically elicits one of two types of responses. 
Either you drive yourself relentlessly and mercilessly to delay the inevitable day when you are finally found out and you lose everything, or your lack of belief in yourself prohibits you from striving for more. Thus, you never aspire for the C-suite, because, in your heart of hearts, you don&rsquo;t think you belong there. 
Women, and women of color, in particular, have been found to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200724-why-imposter-syndrome-hits-women-and-women-of-colour-harder">suffer disproportionately from imposter syndrome</a>. This may come as no surprise given the traditional dominance of men, especially white men, at the highest echelons of the corporate world. Historically, companies have been led by men, and a corporate culture shaped by &ldquo;masculine&rdquo; traits, such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, and dominance. 
Heteronormative and patriarchal gender norms have historically counseled cooperativeness, compromise, and, yes, even submission, from women. These are characteristics that hardly spell success in the business world, at least according to traditional paradigms. 
A recent report by YPO on the issue of <a href="https://www.ypo.org/ypo-reports/gender-equality-in-the-c-suite/">gender equality in the global workforce</a> found that while 51% of male executives aspired to a senior leadership position early on, only&nbsp;one-third of female business leaders report having begun their careers with such ambitions. 
The researchers suggest that societal norms have served to temper women&rsquo;s career goals and, by extension,&nbsp;implicitly and explicitly characterize the C-suite as the proper provenance of men. It is little wonder, then, that women should experience imposter syndrome, that they should consciously or unconsciously perceive their success to be at once false and temporary. 
<h2>Behaving Your Way to Success</h2>
As pervasive as imposter syndrome may be, it can be overcome. Indeed, pursuing an executive position is probably the surest antidote for imposter syndrome, particularly when self-doubt takes hold. 
This is why it is imperative for women in business to always be future-focused, not only for their organization but for their own careers. Even in the earliest stages of their careers, women should be defining the trajectory they want their professional path to take. Ideally, this process would include partnering with management to <a href="https://onlinemba.montclair.edu/how-to-grow-within-a-company/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">formulate a strategy for growth within the company</a>. 
And once you have that strategy in place, you have to pursue it to the hilt, acquiring the training and <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/7-essential-soft-skills-for-getting-and-keeping-a" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">honing the essential soft skills</a> that make a leader. In other words, vision, when supported and affirmed by action, builds self-confidence and a sense of belonging in the halls of power. As those attributes grow, the effects of imposter syndrome inevitably decline. 
<h2>Redefining How Business Works</h2>
Every woman who aspires to the C-suite does more than simply cultivate her own career. She also systematically models success for other women and traditionally marginalized groups. At the same time, she reshapes what the corporate world looks like and, quite literally, how it works. 
When a female executive enters the C-suite, she establishes it as her own, and, in so doing, she chips away at the long-standing assumption that the executive office is the domain of men. 
However, women change the dynamics and culture of the C-suite not just by their presence but also by their ideas, values, and lived experiences. Female leaders, for example, bring new <a href="https://lucidspark.com/blog/understanding-voice-of-the-customer" rel="noopener" target="_blank">perspectives on the &ldquo;voice&rdquo; of the consumer</a>, who they are, what they want, and how they are to be served. &nbsp;
 After all, women aren&rsquo;t just half of the global population, they are also half of the global market, and yet their purported needs and interests have been defined and served almost exclusively by men. Women in senior leadership enable the executive suite to enjoy a much more accurate, holistic, and comprehensive view of the market &mdash; and there are few things more important to a corporation&rsquo;s success. 
<h2>The Takeaway</h2>
For centuries, women have played subordinate roles in business, that is, when they have been admitted into the corporate world at all. Even today, men represent a highly disproportionate number of senior executives. If a sea change for gender equality in the workforce is to occur, more women must pursue C-suite positions. Doing so will mean more than advancing her own career. It will, inevitably and systematically, inaugurate a shift in corporate culture and will revolutionize the way businesses operate.
&nbsp; 
Content Contributor:
Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She loves traveling to beautiful places and is frequently lost in a good book. <img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/ddtAhqjuRJGpTsY3S4lA" width="230" height="231">

Explore why women should pursue C-suite roles and overcome imposter syndrome to transform corporate culture.

Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions | Getting Hired

Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions

Part 1: Understanding Disability
Many employers do not know where to begin when it comes to creating disability-inclusive workplaces. In order to implement the most inclusive hiring practices, the best place to start, is fully understanding what a disability is, what the landscape is like, and some facts that might not be known.
Disability 101: Back to Basics
What is a disability? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),&nbsp;<a href="https://adata.org/faq/what-definition-disability-under-ada" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an individual with a disability is</a>&nbsp;defined &ldquo;as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.&rdquo; The ADA qualifies disability as a legal term, not a medical one, helping secure equal opportunities and civil rights for persons with disabilities.
You may not even realize that certain disabilities, limitations, or illnesses &nbsp;are actually disabilities that may need employer accommodation.
To help further this understanding, we&rsquo;ve provided some examples below &ndash; (this is NOT a full list, however, a full list can be found on the Job Accommodation Network&nbsp;<a href="https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a><a href="https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">.</a>)
AIDS/HIV
Allergies
Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease
Amputation
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig&rsquo;s Disease
Anxiety Disorders
Arthritis
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Auditory Processing Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
Bladder Impairments
Brain Injuries
Cancer
Cerebral Palsy
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Pain
Cognitive Impairment (Intellectual)
Color Vision Deficiency (Color Blind)
Deafness or Hard of Hearing
Depression
Developmental Disabilities
Diabetes
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Glaucoma
Heart Conditions
Hearing Loss
Hepatitis
Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
Huntington&rsquo;s Disease
Kidney Diseases
Learning Disabilities
Lyme Disease
Liver Disease
Lupus
Mental Health Impairments
Migraine Headaches
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Muscular Dystrophy
Parkinson&rsquo;s Disease
Personality Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Pregnancy
Psychiatric Impairments
Quadriplegia
Sickle Cell Anemia
Skin Disorders
Sleep Disorders
Speech-Language Impairments
Spina Bifida
Spinal Cord Injuries
Stroke
Stuttering
Thyroid Disorders
Wheelchair Use
As you can see from the list we&rsquo;ve provided, along with most recent statistics,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0816-disability.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1 in 4 Americans have a disability</a>. While many disabilities are visible, such as blindness or low vision, paralysis, or other physical disabilities,&nbsp;more than 70 percent of disabilities are non-apparent, such as cancer, autism, diabetes, PTSD, or depression.&nbsp;Additionally, more than 80 percent of disabilities are acquired throughout an individual&rsquo;s lifetime.&nbsp;Examples include long-term injuries due to an accident, diagnosis of an illness, decreased vision, hearing, or mobility.
Disability &amp; Employment
The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is almost twice that of individuals without disabilities, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/odep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">7.7 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed</a>, compared to 3.7 percent of people without disabilities. This isn&rsquo;t only about education levels either &nbsp;&ndash; persons with disabilities who have attained at least a bachelor&rsquo;s degree are still three times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2018/labor-force-characteristics-of-people-with-a-disability/home.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">less likely to be employed</a>&nbsp;than those without a disability.
For an in-depth look at these topic areas,&nbsp;<a href="https://go.careercircle.com/candidate-experience-for-job-seekers-with-disabilities" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">download our eBook, &ldquo;Understanding the Candidate Experience for Job Seekers with Disabilities.&rdquo;</a>
For more resources and guidance on Understanding Disability, contact the CareerCircle team.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.

Understand disability basics to create inclusive workplaces. Learn about Disability 101 and improve hiring practices.

The Candidate Experience Blog Series Part 1: Understanding Disability

Part 2: Accessibility and Accommodations
It is important for employers to understand the candidate experience for job seekers with disabilities. The first part of doing this is going back to basics to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/the-candidate-experience-blog-series-part-1-unde" rel="follow">fully understand Disability 101</a>. Secondly, truly understanding accessibility and accommodations are key to helping improve the hiring process for candidates with disabilities.
Inaccessible online job applications and misunderstandings about reasonable accommodations can be two barriers to employment for job seekers with disabilities. Accessibility is defined as &ldquo;the design of products, devices, services, and/or environments for people of varying abilities.&rdquo;
There are multiple federal laws that outline requirements and guidelines around access and employment. This includes Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities; Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), which defines how to make Web content more accessible to people with disabilities; and Title 1 of the ADA, which prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities with equal access to employment opportunities and reasonable accommodations by employers with 15 employees or more.
&ldquo;Accessibility&rdquo; can be broken into four categories:
<ol>
<li>Universal Design&nbsp;- making something accessible to all people regardless of age, disability or other factor. An example is using voice access on a cell phone.</li>
<li>Physical Accessibility&nbsp;- access to the physical environment. Examples are parking lots, conference rooms, workspaces, hallways, interview locations, and emergency exits.</li>
<li>Digital Accessibility&nbsp;- ability of a website, mobile application, or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users.</li>
<li>Assistive Technology&nbsp;- assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities.&nbsp;Examples are screen readers or speech-to-text applications.</li>
</ol>
Under the ADA, a reasonable accommodation is defined as &ldquo;a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process.&rdquo; If a job candidate requests a reasonable accommodation, the employer should provide or direct the candidate to the company&rsquo;s accommodation statement.
Other tips on providing accessibility and accommodations include:
<ul>
<li>Ensuring your social media posts are accessible! Job seekers often turn to social media for their job search and to research a company&rsquo;s employer brand prior to applying.&nbsp; One example of accessibility is having closed captioning in every video.</li>
<li>Ensuring all work-related, non-HTML content like PDFs, Excel, etc. are fully accessible. Acrobat Pro has a &ldquo;check accessibility&rdquo; tool to ensure your PDFs are accessible. Current employees who have not self-disclosed having a disability may greatly benefit from accessible documents.</li>
<li>The accommodation statement should be in an easy-to-find place. Best practice is to have it both at the bottom of all pages of the website in an easy-to-read size font, and at the bottom of all job descriptions.</li>
</ul>
While there is a common misconception that accommodations are expensive, most accommodations cost less than $500, and 59 percent cost nothing at all. In fact, remaining proactive about providing accommodations often benefits everyone in the workplace. Here are some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/Accommodations.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">examples of accommodations</a>.
Find an A-Z guide of disabilities and accommodations, as well as what actual candidates have to say about accommodations in our e-book&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="follow noopener" href="https://go.careercircle.com/candidate-experience-for-job-seekers-with-disabilities">&ldquo;Understanding the Candidate Experience for Job Seekers with Disabilities.&rdquo;</a>
For more resources and guidance on accessibility and accommodations, contact the CareerCircle team.&nbsp;
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.

Understand accessibility and accommodations to improve hiring for candidates with disabilities. Learn more here.

The Candidate Experience Blog Series Part 2: Accessibility and Accommodations

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Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions

The Candidate Experience Blog Series Part 1: Understanding Disability

The Candidate Experience Blog Series Part 2: Accessibility and Accommodations