Written by: Esther Boffey, Learning & Development and Diversity & Inclusion Leader

With International Women’s Day approaching, it’s a great time to reflect on gender equality in the workplace. Sales is a core part of recruitment, yet the industry still lacks strong female sales role models, something we at Stanton House have been keen to understand and improve.

To explore this, I spoke with three of our top consultants, Kate Wood , Sharna Barrett, and Elle Zoma to get their insights and advice for other women in sales and recruitment.

Here are some takeaways from my conversations…

A Male-Dominated Industry

There's no doubt that the sales profession remains male-dominated, though this is gradually changing. Studies suggest that women make up around 30% of sales roles globally, but representation decreases in senior and high-performance sales positions.

B2B sales, tech sales, and finance-related sales roles tend to have the most significant gender gap, with men holding a larger share of leadership positions. While the proportion of women in senior Sales Director roles has risen from 4% in 2012 to 26% in 2024, it still falls significantly short of male representation.

Recruitment tends to have a more balanced gender split, with women often making up 50% or more of the workforce in many UK and US recruitment firms. Despite strong female representation at consultant and mid-level roles, recruitment still sees a drop-off at senior and leadership levels, mirroring the trends we see in sales overall.

First-hand Experiences from Our Consultants

Although, according to our last audit, female representation at Stanton House is 53% overall, gender imbalance is still something that our consultants Kate, Sharna, and Elle experience first-hand in their day-to-day roles.

All three consultants noted that they recruit in male-dominated sectors, where their customer base is predominantly male, particularly at the senior end, where they all operate:

• From our Chicago office, Elle specializes in the recruitment of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success professionals into cybersecurity startups - a sector with a notoriously low representation of women. Moreover, the customers she engages with are often C-suite executives, CEOs, and founders, roles that are even more rarely held by women. Fewer than 1% of security vendors are led by female CEOs or founders.
• In the UK, Kate and Sharna recruit at senior levels in Accountancy & Finance and Business Transformation within Private Equity - industries that, much like cybersecurity, remain heavily male-dominated. Their clients and candidates are typically senior leaders, where female representation remains significantly low, reflecting the wider gender imbalance in leadership roles across high-performance industries.

So, What’s Driving This Disparity?

As we have seen above, the gender disparity in sales may, in part, mirror the gender imbalance already present among decision-makers and senior leaders within the industries sales professionals serve. When the majority of key clients and buyers are men, it can reinforce existing biases and expectations about who is best suited for sales roles and leadership positions.

But is it just about representation, or is there a deeper perception at play?

I think it is fair to say that sales professionals have long been associated with assertive or even aggressive, target-driven, and competitive traits, often stereotyped as ‘male’ characteristics. Could it be that these ingrained perceptions contribute to the lack of women in senior sales roles, making it harder for female sales professionals to progress, even when they demonstrate equal or greater capability?

Research suggests that women in sales are sometimes perceived as less assertive, or lack confidence, even when their approach is equally effective.

It wouldn't be entirely accurate to say that confidence is inherently more common in men, but societal and cultural factors often contribute to a perceived confidence gap between men and women, especially in professional settings.

Why Confidence Appears More Common in Men

• Social Conditioning & Upbringing – From a young age, boys are often encouraged to be assertive, take risks, and speak up, while girls may receive more reinforcement for collaboration, humility, and perfectionism. This can influence how confidence is expressed in adulthood.
• The Confidence Gap – Studies suggest that, on average, men are more likely to overestimate their abilities, while women tend to underestimate theirs, even when performance is equal. A 2019 study found that men will apply for a job when they meet 60% of the qualifications, whereas women typically wait until they meet 100%.
• Risk-Taking Behaviour – Research suggests men are more likely to take risks, which can come across as confidence in competitive environments like sales.
• Workplace Dynamics – In male-dominated industries, men may feel more comfortable asserting themselves, while women may experience imposter syndrome due to a lack of representation in leadership.

Barriers to Women

Studies show that women in sales often outperform men when it comes to building long-term client relationships and driving customer retention. Yet, this ‘confidence gap’, fuelled by deeply ingrained gender perceptions, plays a significant role in the gender disparity seen in sales leadership. I believe gender bias often runs through the hiring, promotion, and performance evaluation of women - limiting opportunities and reinforcing gender stereotypes.

For example, Sharna highlighted that women in sales aren’t always taken as seriously as their male counterparts:

"When discussing this topic in the past, I have often heard sales leaders - mostly men - say, ‘Well, this isn’t a gender issue,’ or even, ‘Women have it easier because they can charm their way into a meeting.’ These comments reveal the unconscious bias that still exists in sales. Women don’t want it to be a gender issue, but dismissing the reality doesn’t make it disappear - acknowledging these barriers is the first step to breaking them down"

At Stanton House, we recognise these challenges and are committed to actively supporting gender equality within our business. We run a Women in Stanton House (WISH) Forum, a safe space for women in our company to support and challenge one another, helping to break down gender bias. The objective is to empower women to have a voice at the table in a male-dominated industry. Outcomes from these sessions are shared with the Board, ensuring that actions are taken to create a more gender-inclusive environment.

We also have strong female role models within our business, including Kate, Sharna, and Elle, who have excelled in senior sales and recruitment roles. However, structural issues like limited access to female mentors across the wider industry and persistent biases in hiring and promotion aren’t always easy to resolve overnight. Kate highlighted one of the biggest challenges she faces as a working mother in sales:

"Sales is a non-stop job - being available for clients at all hours is part of the role. But in many households, women still carry the greater share of childcare, making it harder to commit to long, unpredictable hours. It’s not about ability but about the way traditional gender roles impact career progression."

Sharna encourages women to view barriers through a positive lens:

"There are different ways to succeed in sales. If you bring resilience, persistence, and determination, you can carve out your own approach. Women are often socialised to be more nurturing, which makes them exceptional at active listening, building rapport, and earning long-term trust - all essential for sales success."

This is a perspective Elle shares. Having gained confidence in the male-dominated cybersecurity space, she has turned perceived barriers into motivation:

"Once I stopped seeing it as a disadvantage and embraced my strengths, I realised I could use these challenges as fuel. Being one of the few women in my space makes me even more determined to succeed."

Elle has even gone on to produce her podcast ‘Cyber Go-To-Market Girl Talk’ where she interviews female CEOs, Founders, and Investors discussing the challenges and successes faced by women in cybersecurity leadership. It’s a must-listen for aspiring female entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the dynamics of leadership in start-ups!

Check out Seasons 1 and 2 here.

Building Your Confidence

Confidence was a recurring theme in my conversations with Kate, Sharna, and Elle, so I asked them to share their top tips for increasing confidence as a woman in sales:

1. Set Clear Goals – Define what you want to achieve and trust in your ability to get there.

2. Own Your Expertise – Recognise your skills and don’t be afraid to challenge or speak up.

3. Find Your Source of Courage – Identify what empowers you and lean into it.

4. Seek Inspiration – Read motivational sales books and listen to empowering podcasts.

5. Learn from Others – Surround yourself with people who inspire and uplift you.

6. Celebrate Progress – Acknowledge small wins and the steps you take toward success.

By applying these strategies, women in sales can build confidence, push past self-doubt, and thrive in a competitive environment.

Sources:

· Stanton House – Cyber Go To Market Girl Talk Podcast

· Grant Thornton Insights - Women in Business 2024

· McKinsey – Women in the Workplace 2024

· Gartner – Labour Market Survey 2023