Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association Celebrates 47 Women During Women’s History Month

The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) today launches a celebration of 47 women in talent acquisition who were recognized by their peers. This year’s celebration highlights ongoing barriers to advancement and the critical role of recognition in talent acquisition.

Now in its sixth year, RPOA’s Women in Talent Acquisition Celebration honors women who are making an impact in their workplace through leadership, innovation, and mentorship. Throughout March, the RPOA will feature each nominee on its LinkedIn page and publish the complete list on its official celebration page: https://rpoassociation.org/2026-Women-in-TA-Celebration/.

For 2026, this celebration comes at a pivotal moment for women in the workplace.

According to the 2025 Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & LeanIn.Org, progress for women in corporate leadership has stalled. Women hold only 29% of C-suite roles, a figure unchanged from the prior year. At the critical first step to management—the “broken rung”—only 93 women are promoted to manager for every 100 men, with an even steeper drop for Black women, where only 74 are promoted for every 100 men. While women represent 49% of entry-level roles, their representation declines at each higher seniority level.

“The data is clear: progress is not inevitable,” said Lamees Abourahma, CEO of the RPOA. “While women remain ambitious and deeply committed to their careers, systemic barriers, from unequal sponsorship to caregiving pressures, continue to limit advancement. Recognition alone does not solve these challenges, but it does amplify voices, create visibility, and signal what leadership looks like in our industry.”

The 2025 report also identifies a widening “ambition gap,” with 80% of women expressing a desire for promotion compared to 86% of men. However, this gap narrows significantly when women receive equal levels of sponsorship and managerial support. Employees with sponsors are promoted at nearly twice the rate of those without, yet women, particularly entry-level women, are less likely to have access to senior sponsors.

In addition to sponsorship gaps, the report highlights structural pressures that disproportionately affect women:

• Pay Equity: Women earn approximately 84% of what men earn, with wider gaps for Black and Hispanic women.
• Care Infrastructure: College-educated mothers with young children have been exiting the workforce since late 2023 due to rising childcare costs and sector instability.
• Flexibility Stigma: Women who work remotely three or more days per week are less likely to be promoted or sponsored, a penalty not experienced by men at the same rate.
• Corporate Commitment: Only 54% of companies report women’s advancement as a high priority, and just 46% say the same for women of color.

Despite these headwinds, women remain highly committed to their careers, with 98–99% reporting that their careers are important to them. Young women and Latinas rank among the most ambitious groups in the workforce.

The RPOA’s Women in Talent Acquisition Celebration is grounded in the belief that peer recognition strengthens professional communities and elevates role models who are actively driving change. Nominees span seniority levels of talent acquisition in their organizations:

• Influential Women in Talent Acquisition (6+ years of experience), honoring established leaders who have made a measurable impact.
• Rising Women in Talent Acquisition (less than 6 years of experience), highlighting emerging leaders shaping the future of the profession.

“Talent acquisition professionals sit at the front lines of workforce transformation,” said Abourahma. “They influence who is hired, how teams are built, and how organizations create opportunity. Celebrating women in this field is not just symbolic—it reinforces the strategic importance of inclusive leadership within hiring itself.”

Throughout March, the RPOA will publish individual recognition posts, sharing excerpts from peer nominations that highlight leadership accomplishments, innovation, resilience, and commitment to mentorship. By showcasing real examples of impact, the RPOA aims to provide both inspiration and visibility at a time when corporate investment in gender advancement initiatives has declined.

The RPOA launched the Women in Talent Acquisition Celebration in 2021 as part of its broader mission to advance, elevate, and promote recruitment process outsourcing as a strategic talent solution. As a trusted convener within the RPO community, the Association seeks to create platforms where leadership stories are amplified and industry best practices are shared.

The complete list of the 47 nominated women and daily celebration features can be accessed at: https://rpoassociation.org/2026-Women-in-TA-Celebration/

For more information about the RPOA and its programs, visit www.rpoassociation.org.

About the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA)

The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association is a member-driven organization committed to advancing, elevating, and promoting recruitment process outsourcing as a strategic talent solution. Through research, thought leadership, educational programming, and community engagement, the RPOA serves as a trusted voice and convener for the global RPO ecosystem.