Road to Workplace Equality Still Steep But Employers Making Gains Through Initiative, Innovation

Rhea-AI Summary

ManpowerGroup's analysis on the state of working women in 2024 reveals progress in gender equity efforts but highlights persistent gaps across industries. Flexibility, learnability, innovation, and pay equity are key focus areas for organizations aiming to promote women's workforce participation and advancement.

Positive

• Progressive policies and upskilling initiatives are driving gender equity efforts in various industries.
• Flexible working policies are crucial for retaining diverse talent, with leadership development and inclusive culture also playing significant roles.
• New technology is aiding in promoting gender equality and diversifying talent pipelines.
• While some industries are ahead in pay equity initiatives, there is still room for improvement globally.
• Efforts to engage women include empowering allyship, leveraging talent marketplaces, focusing on upskilling, and supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• The data is sourced from ManpowerGroup's 2024 Q2 Employment Outlook Survey and proprietary sources.

Negative

• Not all industries are on par with gender equity efforts, with some lagging behind the global average.
• Pay equity initiatives are not progressing uniformly across organizations.
• Uneven representation of women in different role types poses a challenge for gender diversity.
• There is a need for more efforts to increase female representation in STEM and top-level management roles.

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

FAQ

What are the key findings of ManpowerGroup's analysis on working women in 2024?

The analysis highlights progress in gender equity efforts, the importance of flexibility, learnability, innovation, and pay equity.

How are organizations promoting gender equity according to the report?

Organizations are focusing on flexible working policies, leadership development, inclusive culture, and new technology to drive gender equality.

What are the key opportunities identified to engage women in the workforce?

Opportunities include empowering allyship, leveraging talent marketplaces, upskilling initiatives, maintaining flexible benefits, and supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

Which industries are leading in pay equity initiatives based on the report?

Financials & Real Estate, Communications Services, and Information Technology are outpacing the global average in pay equity initiatives.

How is technology helping organizations promote gender equality according to the report?

New technology is enabling flexibility, diversifying talent pipelines, and aiding in recruitment regardless of gender.

What survey data was used in the analysis of working women in 2024 by ManpowerGroup?

The data is sourced from ManpowerGroup's 2024 Q2 Employment Outlook Survey of over 40,000 employers in 42 countries.

What are the key focus areas for organizations aiming to promote women's workforce participation and advancement?

Flexibility, learnability, innovation, and pay equity are the key focus areas highlighted in the report for organizations promoting women's advancement.

How can organizations support work-life harmony for women according to the report?

Organizations can survey staff to shape policies that support work-life harmony, maintain caregiving benefits, and offer hybrid remote options.

What is the significance of allyship in engaging women in the workforce according to the report?

Empowering women's allyship and facilitating mentorship programs led by senior female executives are crucial for women's career advancement.

What are the key challenges identified in the representation of women in different role types?

Challenges include uneven representation in STEM and top-level management roles, with administrative and operational positions leading in female representation.