Women only make up 13% of sales leadership roles in India: LinkedIn

• In India, women only make up 19% of the sales workforce, says LinkedIn.
  
• Tier 1 cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai have the most number of women sales professionals in the country.
  
• IT services and retail sectors are most inclusive for women in sales but the automotive industry is among the sectors with the highest gender gap.

When it comes to building the sales workforce, Indian organisations still employ more men than women, reveals LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network. As per its data on the status of women in sales in India, women only constitute 19% of the sales workforce and only 13% of the sales leadership roles in India.

While women are nowhere close to even making up half the sales workforce in India, the gender gap is somewhat narrower in Tier-1 cities, especially in South India, and in the IT services and retail sectors.

“There remains a concerning gender gap in sales roles across the country but there is hope on the horizon as employers proactively combat unconscious bias by embracing skills-first hiring,” said Ruchee Anand, senior director, talent and learning solutions, LinkedIn India.

Tier 1 cities such as Hyderabad (26%), Bengaluru (25%) and Chennai (22%) have the most number of women sales professionals but Tier 2 cities such as Ahmedabad (14%), Lucknow (13%) and Jaipur (13%) promise vast potential to bring more women into their workforces, states LinkedIn.

Similarly, IT services and retail sectors are the most inclusive, with 27% and 23% of women, respectively, working in sales roles. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical (10%), manufacturing (14%) and automotive industries (14%) are among sectors with the highest gender gap.

Skill-first hiring is key

As per LinkedIn, organisations are already on their path to “combating unconscious bias” by focusing less on degrees, gender or previous sales experience, and more on finding talent whose skills match the role. In fact, 3 in 5 women hired in sales come from non-sales functions like marketing and business development, reveals LinkedIn.

Thus, upskilling or reskilling by developing the right skills for the job is crucial for growth - especially in the current job market.

As per LinkedIn, the top five skills that sales professionals in India are learning on LinkedIn Learning are Microsoft Excel, career management, business analysis, project management and public speaking.

A subsidiary of LinkedIn, LinkedIn Learning is an online learning provider with courses in four categories—business, creative, technology and certifications—taught by industry experts in software, creative and business skills.

“Diversity is important across all job functions and especially in sales because it boosts creativity, encourages innovation, and inspires a skills-first culture — all of which is key to business growth and success today,” said Anand.

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