MILWAUKEE, March 7,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New analysis by ManpowerGroup on
the state of working women finds while significant gender gaps
remain, more employers are taking active measures to promote equity
through progressive policies, upskilling, and flexibility.
The "World of Work Outlook for Women in 2024" finds less than
half (41%) of employers report attaining full gender equity.
However, some industries are making progress, including Consumer
Goods & Services (69%), Financials & Real Estate (68%),
Communications Services (67%), Health Care & Life Sciences
(67%), and Information Technology (66%) on the right track.
"In a world of talent shortages, we need everyone contributing
to employment in a meaningful way. Bringing women into the
workforce with an equal playing field is an economic imperative,
not a nice-to-have," said Becky
Frankiewicz, ManpowerGroup Chief Commercial Officer.
"Knowing what women expect and need is the foundation for building
equity. Actively upskilling, empowering allyship, leveraging
technology to enable flexibility - this is how we unlock potential
and growth, both for women and organizations."
KEY FINDINGS
- Flexibility Drives Retention – Over one-third (37%)
confirm flexible working policies are most effective for retaining
and attracting diverse talent. Other top initiatives: Leadership
development (30%), inclusive culture (29%), coaching/mentoring
(28%) and academic partnerships (24%).
- Learnability Promotes Advancement – Three in 10
organizations (30%) report leadership development programs are
effectively narrowing gaps that historically have prevented
promotion to management.
- Innovation Powered by Tech – 65% of employers say new
technology has helped them be more flexible, promoting more gender
equality, 62% said tech is diversifying their IT talent pipelines,
61% cite advancing tech as helping gender equality, and 52% said
that AI-based tools are aiding with the recruitment of the best
candidates regardless of gender.
- Mixed Progress on Pay Equity – Just over half (52%) of
respondents report pay equity initiatives are on schedule, while
the remaining 48% are behind or have no initiatives. Financials
& Real Estate (59%), Communications Services (58%), and
Information Technology (58%) are outpacing the global average,
while Industrials & Materials (51%), Consumer Goods &
Services (50%), and Health Care & Life Sciences (49%) are
lagging.
- Uneven Representation by Role – Efforts to expand the
number of women candidates vary by role type, with administrative
(51%) and operational (48%) positions leading the way. Less female
representation is seen in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) (43%) and top-level management (42%).
KEY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WOMEN
- Empower Women's Allyship – Guide young women's career
journeys early on. Facilitate mentorship and sponsorship programs
for women led by senior executive female allies.
- Leverage An Internal Talent Marketplace – Implement
AI-based talent marketplaces matching women's skills and
aspirations to projects, gigs, and leadership opportunities
enabling professional growth.
- Focus On Upskilling and Reskilling – Offer AI-enabled
and virtual upskilling and reskilling to suggest personalized
courses. Host tech academies to ensure women develop high-demand
digital fluencies.
- Keep Flexible Benefits – Survey staff to shape policies
supporting work-life harmony. With growing return-to-office plans,
maintain caregiving benefits and hybrid remote options to retain
women.
- Support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
Adequately – Embed DEIB goals into operations with executive
support, clear KPIs, tools, and training that build capabilities
across all levels.
The data draws on ManpowerGroup's 2024 Q2 Employment Outlook
Survey of more than 40,000 employers in 42 countries, along with
additional proprietary sources.
Download the complete "World of Work Outlook for Women in 2024"
report to access additional statistics and tangible recommendations
on how organizations can actively promote women's workforce
participation and advancement.
ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE:
MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps
organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by
sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that
enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds
of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with
skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for
millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills.
Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, and Talent
Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and
clients across more than 70 countries and territories and has done
so for more than 75 years. We are recognized consistently for our
diversity – as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality,
and Disability, and in 2024 ManpowerGroup was named one of the
World's Most Ethical Companies for the 15th time – all confirming
our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent.
For more information, visit www.manpowergroup.com, or follow us
on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
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SOURCE ManpowerGroup