Less than half of male and female employees consider their companies to be diversity employers of choice at 47% and 45% respectively, according to a survey released today by Randstad US.

The research also found majority of employees, 78%, say a workplace where people are treated equally — regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, race or religion — is important to them. However, more than half of companies are not meeting this expectation, as 56% of female workers and 52% of male workers believe their employers could do more to promote gender equality and diversity.

“The gap between how women and men are represented and treated in the workplace is substantial right now, but what many employers do not realize is the underlying factors — like the rise of automation — will only widen the divide,” said Audra Jenkins, chief diversity and inclusion officer, Randstad North America. “In fact, there is a misconception that women will not be impacted by technology as much as men, but that’s simply not true.”

Jenkins added that, in addition to the myriad factors affecting gender inequality, 57% of jobs currently filled by women will be at risk from technology between now and 2026, according to the World Economic Forum.

The survey found failure to address inequality issues will drive many women to leave a company.

• 80% of women agree they would switch employers if they felt another company had greater gender equality.
• 31% feel they have as many or more opportunities than men at their current companies.
• 58% of the women surveyed said a lack of promotion to leadership roles was a top reason for gender inequality in the workplace, compared to 34% of men.
• The majority of companies do not appear to be implementing mentorship or leadership programs geared toward women, as 28% of respondents said their employers offer such training.

The pay gap remains a major contributor to gender inequality, and fair compensation will be critical for retaining female employees. Nearly a quarter of female workers, 23%, disagree with the statement: “I believe I am paid fairly, compared to my counterparts.” Forty percent of employees surveyed have discussed salary with a coworker before, and 49% of female workers would leave a job if they learned a male counterpart was making 25% more.

Despite greater awareness of gender issues, there is still progress to be made by employers before the playing field is leveled.

• 54% of employees strongly or completely agree that their companies have a good representation of female leaders.
• 53% of employees believe unequal pay is the top factor affecting gender inequality, while 49% attribute outdated biases and stereotypes as the second-leading factor.
• 57% of employees feel confident expressing opinions during meetings, leaving more than 40% of workers lacking confidence to speak their mind.

The survey was fielded from Jan. 8 to Jan. 12 by national polling firm Research Now on behalf of Randstad US. It included 783 respondents. Fifty-four percent of respondents were male and 46% were female. Ninety-one percent were employed as traditional employees at the time of the survey, and the remaining 9% were contractors or freelancers.