Based on interviews with more than 180 HR directors from companies across the UK, more than three quarters of respondents (78%) do not believe that men have an advantage over women in the workplace, demonstrating that there is progress being made on the gender front. Despite this optimism, 20% of HR directors do not think that women are on par with men in the workplace, indicating that there may still be inconsistencies based on gender. Half of the respondents believe family commitments are responsible for this imbalance and a significant number of HR directors consider lack of promotional opportunities (42%) and the desire to maintain a good work life balance (36%) the differentiating factors between men and women's professional development.
The research also reveals initiatives specifically designed to support women's advancement in the workplace are low on the agenda for a majority of UK companies, with only 41% of HR directors saying they have or plan to introduce programmes specifically tailored for women. Companies in London are leading the way here (42%), as are organisations in the public sector (48%). For those who do have policies in place, it is encouraging to see that an overwhelming 93% of respondents believe they are effective in helping women become professionally on par with men in the workplace.
This suggests that, in addition to improving a business' diversity credentials, these policies are a good employer branding opportunity to encourage more women candidates to apply to these roles. Phil Sheridan, MD of Robert Half UK, said: "While it is encouraging that nearly half of HR directors don't view men as having an advantageous position over women in the workplace, more needs to be done.
"Companies should regularly review their succession and remuneration plans to ensure that women are treated fairly and equally, with policies to take into account their family and personal commitments.
"HR policies should help to embrace a culture of progression and innovation within an organisation. This is particularly important in light of the recent report by Lord Davies, which pushes for targets to be implemented to ensure that more talented and gifted women can get into the top jobs in companies across the UK. "Companies can help break the glass ceiling by carefully managing the talents of strong female candidates early in their careers and implementing diversity programmes specifically tailored to women". HR directors were asked "What initiatives will your company implement to help women become professionally on par with men in the workplace?" Their responses:
Focus on professional development / higher education opportunities60% Setting performance targets47% Support for telecommuting / flexible working arrangements40% Support for alternative business travel arrangements13% Mentorship programmes13% Remuneration review13% Quota systems for recruitment intake7% Quota systems for executive promotions7%
