DE-GENDERING GENDER DIVERSITY IMPROVING FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN THE WORKPLACE. Hays Gender Diversity Report hays.net.nz

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1 DE-GENDERING GENDER DIVERSITY IMPROVING FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN THE WORKPLACE Hays Gender Diversity Report 2017 hays.net.nz

2 INTRODUCTION Hays is dedicated to placing people in roles where they can flourish and succeed. By valuing diversity, we re better informed to support our clients and candidates in finding the right job to change a person s life and the right person to transform an organisation. Organisations that both recognise and harness the different experiences and opinions of their workforce outperform those that are less diverse and inclusive. These organisations are also better placed to attract and retain talented professionals. At a time when skills shortages are an increasingly critical issue across many industries, companies need to take action to increase access to the recruitment of diverse, talented individuals. In our 2017 report, we shine a light on how women, who represent a very significant proportion of the existing and future workforce, often experience very different career experiences to men. While many of the findings of this report have stemmed from questions asked through a lens which focuses on greater gender equality, many of the insights and recommendations can be readily applied to support talented people from all backgrounds to advance in their careers and realise their full potential, as well as to assist businesses to develop their talent pipelines for the future. This report aims to offer relevant insights based on a survey of 173 New Zealanders and is supported by our views and observations. We hope this report is both useful and informative and we look forward to working with you to realise the full potential of both you as an individual and the organisation in which you work. Methodology This report has been compiled using data gathered between November 2016 and February The findings of our gender diversity report are based on a survey of 173 male and female respondents from New Zealand (53% female, 47% male). Thank you We would like to express our gratitude to all of the respondents who provided their valuable insight. Your contribution has allowed us to produce this report which will help influence and shape business decisions.

3 ARE KIWIS ONE STEP AHEAD? New Zealand is doing better than Australia at working towards equal pay, flexible working options and career advancement for women, according to our survey. Despite this, we re still far from achieving workplace gender equality. Compared to their Australian counterparts, women working in New Zealand are 11% more likely to have received a promotion in the last 12 months, 14% more likely to have the opportunity in their current role to promote themselves and their ambitions and 12% more likely to think that equal career opportunities are open to them. However we re falling behind in two key areas: 84% of New Zealand respondents said the most senior person in their organisation was male (higher than Australia s 80%), while 65% said their line manager was male (also higher than Australia s 61%). In addition, 92% of New Zealand s working women compared to 61% of New Zealand s working men think women encounter barriers in their career progression. As for how we can make further gender diversity progress, the survey suggests that de-gendering gender diversity and the offering and acceptance of equal parental leave and flexible working options without career consequences for both men and women could improve female representation in the workplace. Yet just 22% of those surveyed said their organisation offers parental leave for male employees on equal terms to female employees. In addition, the majority say men in their organisation rarely take (30%) or only take some (37%) of the parental leave they re entitled to. Why? 53% said men may be viewed as less committed to their career, 33% said it s the right and responsibility of the mother and 14% put it down to the financial impact. Meanwhile respondents said opting to work flexibly is a career-limiting move for women (49%) more so than for men (37%). And while the consensus is that less than 10% of men work flexibly, more than 21% of women do so. Referring to the resignation of John Key, Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand says, To help to make real and lasting gender equality progress, I believe we need to start talking in terms of family-friendly rather than women-friendly policies and offer and accept the decision of men to work flexibly and take paternity leave. While we re ahead of the Aussies in this regard, we still have a long way to go before real gender equality is achieved in New Zealand s workplaces.

4 SURVEY FINDINGS: PARENTAL LEAVE Do you believe shared parental leave and more shared responsibility associated with child rearing would help break down unconscious biases and improve gender diversity? 35% Very much 42% Somewhat Does your organisation offer parental leave for fathers? Yes - on equal terms to mothers Yes - on lesser terms to mothers Unsure No 22% 34% 26% 18% Do you think the men in your organisation take the parental leave they are entitled to? 37% Yes - some of their entitlement 33% Yes - the full amount 30% Rarely Why do you think men don t take the full parental leave? Parental leave is viewed as the right and responsibility of the mother 33% Men who take parental leave may be viewed as being less committed to their career 53% Unduly adverse financial impact 14%

5 SURVEY FINDINGS: FLEXIBLE WORKING PRACTICES How important is it to you that agile/flexible working options be available to you in your organisation? of men said it was important of women said it was important 80% 98% Do you think opting to work flexibly is a career-limiting move? Yes, for men Yes, for women Men Women 42% 32% 40% 58% Approximately how many men vs women do you think work flexibly at your organisation? <10% >21% of men work flexibly of women work flexibly

6 SURVEY FINDINGS: EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & PAY Please select the gender of the following in your organisation: Male Female Balanced The most senior person in your organisation Your line manager 14% 31% 35% Your working team is mostly comprised of 35% 30% 65% 84% Do you think women encounter barriers in their career progression? 92% of women said yes 61% of men said yes Do you think you and your equally capable colleagues have the same career opportunities open to you regardless of gender? 26% of women said yes 56% of men said yes Do you believe you have the opportunity in your current role to sufficiently promote yourself & communicate your ambitions? Men Women 61% 76% Do you think you and your equally capable colleagues are paid/rewarded in an equal manner regardless of gender? 66% of men said yes 26% of women said yes

7 WHY I'M A MALE CHAMPION OF CHANGE As the leading recruiting expert, Hays has a duty to be at the forefront of trends and issues regarding the world of work. While there is no single silver bullet which will deliver gender parity, a better understanding of the perceptions and experiences of both men and women in the workplace will help to inform policies and actions to help narrow the gap. There is a keen interest on the part of both employers and individuals, men and women, to better to understand these perceptions and to take steps to encourage the greater recruitment, retention and progression of women in the workplace. Jason Walker Managing Director, Hays New Zealand Tell us about your progression into your leadership role? It s been a 20 year journey, which started when I went to live and work in the UK and joined Hays as a consultant. I moved my way up the ranks based solely on setting targets, achieving them and being promoted off the back of them. I ve also been fortunate to have managers who always delivered on their commitments to me. I returned to New Zealand in 2002 and built our business here from the ground up. We started with a team of five; today we employ 120 people in four offices. I also learnt a lot through the difficult times it s only by being in situations that make you feel uncomfortable that you learn how to face challenges and discover solutions. Were you surprised that so many women feel they do not have the same career opportunities as men? No. Over the duration of my career I ve had the opportunity to work and network with very talented women and there s a prevailing feeling that they lack confidence in terms of how they measure their own abilities when compared to their male colleagues. I think it comes down to each individual building confidence in their own ability. 84% of NZ respondents said the most senior person in their organisation was male. As a male MD, what do you do to ensure female employees have strong female leaders to look up to? Women form a large part of my New Zealand management team and the tier below. That s not because we ve purposely selected women to promote; they ve come through the ranks on the back of their performance in an environment where they have equal opportunity to compete with men. We have a very robust promotion and appraisal process in place that looks past gender and focuses solely on merit. 76% of men compared to 61% of women say they have the opportunity in their current role to sufficiently promote themselves and communicate their ambitions. What s your response to people managers? You ve probably heard the widely reported finding* that men will apply for a job if they meet 60% or more of the requirements but women will only apply if they meet 100% of them. So it comes down to focusing on the positive aspects of your abilities to promote yourself forward for promotion. Were you surprised that respondents said opting to work flexibly is a career-limiting move for women more so than for men? No I m not surprised because that s a true perception of what a number of women have experienced in the workplace. That needs to change. It s important to treat everyone individually on their own merit. It shouldn t come down to gender. How can an employer encourage men to work flexibly and take paternity leave? I don t think men need encouraging; they just need the opportunity to do so. If the opportunity is there, without fear of judgement, then many men would take paternity leave. Having the opportunity is encouragement in itself. How can employers ensure that any employee female or male who chooses to work flexibly isn t limited in their future career growth and development? I m not sure that s possible. Most organisations operate in a competitive environment. Those who work hard and achieve the greatest success are promoted. It s hard to look past that. It s also important to be realistic. In certain roles there are limitations if you work part-time or flexibly. For instance, I can t be PM and work flexibly. I can t be CEO and work flexible hours I d be coming in earlier and working later! Ultimately a decision needs to be made based on an individual s circumstances. For example, if in a relationship with children, a couple needs to decide between themselves how their children will be cared for and who will take on the caregiving responsibilities at home. They need to decide who has the greatest career potential and what support is required to make that happen. That s not a decision I can make as an employer. It s a family s choice as to who is going to be the main breadwinner. * Based on Hewlett Packard internal research, cited in The McKinsey Quarterly.

8 What s interesting is that we re seeing more men in New Zealand taking time off work to look after children because their partner s career is stronger. Three of my friends are part-time stay at home dads choosing to support their wives thriving careers. The stigma attached to being a stay at home Dad has reduced significantly, with many now preferring the option. 54% of New Zealand respondents believe that flexible working options have improved the representation of women in executive and leadership roles. Do you agree or disagree? Why? More women are now on governance boards and are strong examples of female leaders. As a non-exec leader on a board, it is possible to work flexibility. Do you agree with the 84% of New Zealand respondents who said greater gender diversity in the workplace would improve an organisation s success, with more women (96%) than men (70%) believing this. Yes I agree and I d like to expand the view past gender diversity to diversity in all its forms, including diversity of thought and ideas. That does make an organisation more successful. Having a group of professionals who come from different backgrounds and experiences adding to the pool of ideas that you can grow your strategies from can only be a positive thing. What advice do you have for female professionals who are in, or are looking to work in, a management or leadership role? Have confidence in the value that you can add in a leadership role. If you are suffering to some extent from a lack of confidence, then try to seek development or support that will give you a different perspective or perception of your ability. That will provide you with confidence to promote yourself more. Then understand what steps you need to take to get into a leadership role. I d also say that some organisations aren t as supportive of women as they should be. If you re working within one of those organisations, don t be afraid to leave. Why did you decide to become one of New Zealand s Champions for Change and would you encourage other male executives to do the same? For me there were two main reasons. Firstly, I believe that diversity in all things can only be good and should be embraced for the success of your organisation, to build your own talent and to get more diverse ideas within your organisation. Secondly I grew up with a strong role model in my mother, so I understand the commitment, motivation and hard work a woman will make in order to achieve goals, whether that s to become an executive or provide for a family. There s an intrinsic work ethic in women that I m sometimes envious of.

9 KEEP IN TOUCH For more information on how we can help you with your recruitment needs, contact your nearest Hays office. hays.net.nz linkedin.com/company/hays facebook.com/haysnewzealand twitter.com/haysnewzealand HAYS and the H device are protected by trade mark and design laws in many jurisdictions. Copyright Hays plc The reproduction or transmission of all or part of this work, whether by photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means or otherwise, without the written permission of the owner, is prohibited. The commission of any unauthorised act in relation to the work may result in civil or criminal actions.