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Women leadership plays important role, survey finds

November 12, 2013

Equal pay, more visible female leadership and more family-friendly work policies rank as the most beneficial ways in which companies can help women advance, according to Randstad's Q3 2013 Engagement Study.

Predictably, 49 percent of women and 37 percent of men cited pay as the top way in which their company can best help women advance to leadership levels. Having more women in leadership positions was the second most cited, named by 34 percent of women and 31 percent of men.

More family-friendly work policies was the third most cited overall, followed by more leadership development programs for women and greater flexibility in terms of scheduling/telecommuting.

“With nearly one billion women poised to enter the global economy in the coming decade, and representing the majority of college and advanced degree holders, employers will be increasingly reliant upon women in the workplace to drive innovation and corporate success,” said Lisa Crawford, senior vice president, Randstad US. “In order to compete in the growing war for female talent in the years ahead, companies that encourage the development and attainment of leadership positions equitably will be well-positioned in their recruitment efforts.”

The study also found that 67 percent of total respondents strongly/somewhat agree with the statement, “By 2020, I expect there to be many more women in leadership positions in my company or organization.” Additionally, 76 percent of women feel whether a company has women in positions of leadership is important when considering taking a position with a new company.

The Randstad engagement index is based on an online survey of 2,033 full-time employees conducted between Sept. 19 and Oct. 4, 2013.