While 70% of firms still promote from within to fill the CEO’s chair, increasing numbers of companies have looked outside for their new chief executives in recent decades, reasoning that they can leverage their experience in another domain to promote innovation, learning and high performance. The literature is mixed on how these external hires do, but it does seem that insiders have a slight edge.
When Medical Institutions Hire Leaders, External Female Candidates Have an Extra Disadvantage
Yet another reason women are underrepresented in academic medicine.
November 07, 2019
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Summary.
In a study of leadership hiring at 13 major medical centers, the authors found a preference for hiring female leaders from within, while favoring external male candidates. They conclude that this gender skew is unlikely to be due to chance and say it raises important questions about gender bias in health care hiring. They note that this external hiring bias isn’t just unfair; it also puts the hiring institution at a disadvantage.
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Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.