Randstad’s latest Workmonitor report examines gender dynamics in the workplace. Employees worldwide were surveyed on how they feel men and women are treated in their workplace and their own preferences when it comes to gender dynamics at work.
81% of worldwide respondents agreed that both sexes are treated equally in their workplace. In Canada, the percentage is even higher, with 87% of respondents reporting that both genders are treated equally in their workplace.
support when seeking promotions
In Canada, 80% of respondents believe that men and women are given equal support when it comes to applying for a job or seeking a promotion at their place of employment. This is significantly higher than the global average. Worldwide, only 70% of respondents agreed men and women are equally supported at their workplace.
However, when two equal candidates apply for a promotion, one male and one female, respondents believed that the male would still be given preference. On a global scale, 70% of respondents said the man would be given preference. In Canada, only 64% believed the same.
male managers are preferred
Despite the belief that gender preference is narrowing in the workplace, actual employee preference tells another story. Interestingly, both male and female respondents indicated they prefer to have a male manager.
Worldwide, 71% of males said they prefer having a male manager, while 58% of female respondents said the same. When narrowing down the results to include only Canada, the preference is slightly lower, with 60% of respondents preferring to have a male manager.
Interestingly, the percentage of respondents who currently have a female manager was higher in Canada than most other surveyed countries. Canada and Norway tied for the second highest percentage of female management with 44%. Only Sweden had a higher percentage at 48%.
rewards along gender lines
79% of global respondents believe that men and women are rewarded equally for similar work. In Q1, only 73% believed this to be true, indicating that employees increasingly believe that women are treated equally in the workplace.
In Canada, specifically, 86% of respondents agreed that both genders are rewarded equally in their workplace. This was the third highest reported, after India and China.
employees prefer gender diverse teams
In Canada, the overwhelming majority of employees prefer to work in a gender-diverse team. 92% of respondents agreed they would rather work in a mixed-gender team than a same-sex team. Worldwide, 87% preferred mixed-gender teams. However, only 80% of Canadians agreed that gender-diverse teams actually achieve better results that teams that only include a single gender.
themes we see emerging
- Canadians are more optimistic that women and men are treated equally than the rest of the world
- When it comes to actual representation of women in management roles, Canada scores among the best of the countries surveyed
- The strong percentage of female management (44%) may explain Canadians’ strong belief that both genders are treated equally
- Despite many gains for women, there is no denying that male leadership is still preferred, in Canada and the rest of the world. Both genders indicate a preference for male leaders.
Looking for more insights about workplace trends in Canada and across the globe? Learn more in Randstad’s full Q3 Workmonitor Report.