More candidates are asking 'where are your female leaders?'

Job candidates aren't just asking about salary anymore. They increasingly want to see the gender balance data of your senior leadership.

Grant Thornton's Women in Business 2026 report reveals that 91.9% of mid-market leaders say they personally consider a company's gender equality initiatives when applying for roles, with two-thirds calling it a priority.

If leaders demand this in their own job searches, candidates at every level increasingly expect the same transparency. 

Indeed, nearly a quarter of mid-market firms report that potential hires have asked about the gender balance of their senior management team or evidence of a commitment to a program that increases or improves gender diversity, during recruitment – a 14.3 percentage point jump from last year. It's the biggest rise among all external sources requesting this information.

"Businesses in the mid-market have held firm on their investment in DE&I and gender equality, driven by strong leaders," says Greg Keith, CEO of Grant Thornton International Ltd. "They're seeing clear benefits of doing so, both in terms of commercial performance and attracting talent."

Mid-market businesses are winning talent from larger organizations. Among female senior hires who joined within the past six months, 43.5% came from companies with more than 500 employees – above the long-term average of 38.4%.

“Real inclusion happens when excellence is recognized without labels. By fostering a culture built on respect, balance and opportunity, we empower women to advance and succeed at every level of our organization” — Carlos Dolagaray, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton Puerto Rico

Visibility matters. When women see leaders who look like them, they believe advancement is possible. When future talent sees gender equality embedded in strategy, they choose to join and stay.

The research shows around two-thirds of recent female senior appointments were internal. Businesses that roll back gender equality initiatives risk losing these leaders and weakening their pipeline.

Yet 21.9% of mid-market firms plan to relax, or have already relaxed, some of their gender equality initiatives – a decision that risks losing talent and investment at a time when both are increasingly scarce. The percentage of women in senior management fell 1.1 percentage points to 32.9% globally. The report urges businesses to increase visibility of gender equality initiatives to unlock opportunity and attract talent.

Notes to editors: 

The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) is the world’s leading survey of mid-market businesses. Launched in 1992, the IBR provides insights into the views and expectations of over 15,000 businesses. The research runs quarterly, interviewing senior leaders within mid-market organisations across 35 economies. Including chief executive officers, managing directors, chairpersons and other senior executives from all industry sectors. Questionnaires are translated into local languages and fieldwork is undertaken through both online and telephone interviews. 

The findings in this Women in Business 2026 report are drawn from interviews conducted between July and October 2025.

ENDS

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For more information, please contact:

Joanellis Fernández
Director, Business Development 

787 754 1915
bd@pr.gt.com