Despite gains women have made in the workplace, they are still underrepresented in strategic and leadership roles, according to recent research.

The research study from global talent development firm Novations Group also found that women self-rate their contributions to their organizations lower than men. The study, "Close the Gap: Overcoming Gender Differences in the Workplace," reveals that while more women than men are represented in traditional manager roles (58% vs. 42%), fewer women are represented in jobs that are focused on contributing strategically to the company (41% vs. 59%).

“The underrepresentation of women in senior leadership positions has been well documented, but what was surprising was the discrepancy between the self-ratings of men and women,” says Paul Terry, vice president of global partnerships for Novations. “It certainly calls into question that there may be a correlation between this mindset amongst women and perceptions about their contribution from male counterparts.”

The report suggests several reasons for women’s lower self-rating, including that women have been socialized to be modest about their work and the possibility that women go about their work so differently that their approaches go unnoticed or unmeasured.

“Managers need to recognize that they have to work with their direct reports a little bit differently and recognize that while they may have one general process that applies across the board in terms of evaluations or feedback, they’re going to have to extend themselves as managers a little bit more to some groups and draw them out,” says Terry.

Another lesson for employers, he says, is that they may have to tailor the development opportunities for different, diverse groups. “An assignment for a direct female report might look a little different than it might for others,” says Terry. “Managers have to recognize there are factors around work-life balance or particular needs that come up. They need to be flexible in the tailoring of their assignments.”

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