Top Five Ways Employers Can Help Women Advance

12.06.2013
HR & Safety

Most women feel that having women in positions of leadership is important in considering a prospective employer

Equal pay, more visible female leadership and more family-friendly work policies are among the most beneficial ways in which companies can help women advance, according to male and female respondents to the latest Randstad U.S. Employee Engagement Index study.

  • When asked about the top ways in which their company can best help women advance to leadership levels, not surprisingly, equal pay was cited most often among women (49%) and men (37%).
  • Having more women in leadership positions was the second most cited (named by 34% of women and 31% of men).
  • More family-friendly work policies was the third most cited overall, selected by 31% of women and 26% of men.
  • The fourth way was more leadership development programs for women, named almost equally by women and men (25% and 24%, respectively).
  • Men and women differed significantly on their opinions on number five on the list, with 28% of women and just 20% of men noting that greater flexibility in terms of scheduling/telecommuting would help in the advancement of women.

The study also found that 67% of total respondents strongly/somewhat agree with the statement, “By 2020, I expect there to be many more women in leadership positions in my company or organization.” Additionally, more than three-quarters (76%) of women feel whether a company “has women in positions of leadership” is important when considering taking a position with a new company.

Respondents also weighed in on a variety of topics related to employee engagement and women in the workplace. Other relevant findings included:

  • Women are less likely to be considering a job change. According to Randstad’s Q3 2013 Engagement Study, in the next 6 months, 42% of men compared to 34% of women are likely to seek out a job in a different company, and 48% of men compared to 40% of women are likely to give a lot of consideration to a job offer.
  • Women are optimistic about opportunities for growth with their employers. Only 46% of women expect to have to switch employers to grow their careers, compared to 56% of men.

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