What women in Australia really think about workplace gender equity

In today’s competitive business landscape, achieving gender equity in the workplace is not just a moral imperative – it’s a strategic necessity.

Our Michael Page Talent Trends 2024: The Expectation Gap Report sheds light on the current state of gender equity in Australia’s workplaces, revealing both progress and persistent challenges.

Understanding these insights for hiring managers and leadership teams is crucial for creating more inclusive and equitable work environments that attract top talent and retain top performers.

The shift towards workplace flexibility in Australia

The pandemic catalysed a significant shift in workplace dynamics across APAC, with flexibility emerging as a new norm.

Our talent trends 2024 report shows that professionals in Australia now consider flexible work arrangements as the second most important factor after salary when job hunting.

This change, born out of necessity during lockdowns, has become a permanent feature of the work landscape in Australia’s compact urban environment and tech-savvy workforce.

While offering potential benefits for work-life balance, this shift also presents new challenges for gender equity in the workplace.

Gender equity focuses on fairness by providing support based on individual needs, recognising that different genders may have different starting points. In contrast, workplace gender equality means giving everyone the same rights and opportunities. Both approaches foster gender diversity, with equity ensuring individuals get what they need to succeed.

Gender stereotypes can hinder progress by reinforcing traditional roles and expectations, limiting opportunities for all genders to thrive equally in diverse environments.

Also, gender discrimination, which involves treating individuals unfairly based on their gender, creates further barriers to equal opportunities and undermines efforts to achieve both gender equity and diversity.

Together, these challenges highlight the importance of breaking down gender bias to foster a more equitable environment.

As organisations in Australia adapt to these evolving expectations, the impact on gender equity remains a critical consideration in fostering inclusive work environments.

Women’s satisfaction levels with workplace gender equity efforts

Our data reveals a nuanced picture of how women feel about workplace gender equity efforts in Australia:

Closing the gender pay gap

• 35% are satisfied with their employer’s efforts
• 33% are dissatisfied
• 31% are neutral
• 1% are uninterested

Organisations in Australia appear to be facing significant challenges in addressing the gender pay gap, with responses almost evenly split between satisfied (35%), dissatisfied (33%), and neutral (31%) sentiments. This three-way split suggests a lack of consistent, effective approaches to pay equity across organisations.

The minimal disinterest (1%) demonstrates that this remains a crucial issue for women in Australia, while the high combined neutral and dissatisfied responses (64%) point to an urgent need for more concrete action and transparency in addressing pay disparities. These findings indicate that despite Australia’s strong focus on workplace equality, there remains substantial room for improvement in closing the gender pay gap.

Related: The role of salary transparency in reducing workplace inequality

Promoting equity and inclusion for women

• 56% are satisfied
• 26% are dissatisfied
• 18% of women are neutral

Organisations appear to be making meaningful progress in their women’s equity and inclusion efforts, with more than half (56%) of women reporting satisfaction. However, the level of dissatisfaction (26%) signals that challenges persist in creating truly inclusive workplaces.

The relatively low neutral response (18%) suggests that women have formed clear opinions about their organisations’ efforts, likely based on direct experience with equity initiatives. These findings indicate that while Australian workplaces have established a foundation for gender equity, there’s still work to be done to address the concerns of the significant proportion who remain dissatisfied or unconvinced by current approaches.

Female leadership representation

• 44% of women are satisfied
• 30% are neutral
• 26% are dissatisfied

While organisations show some success in female leadership advancement, with 52% satisfaction among women, there remains significant room for improvement. The substantial dissatisfaction rate (28%), coupled with neutral responses (20%), indicates that current approaches may not be meeting the expectations of many women.

The relatively low neutral response suggests that women have formed clear opinions about leadership opportunities, likely based on direct observation of advancement patterns and barriers. These findings point to a need for organisations to strengthen their commitment to developing and promoting female talent, particularly focusing on addressing the concerns of the significant proportion who remain dissatisfied with current leadership representation.

Related: 5 ways to use negative feedback to your advantage

Differing priorities in DE&I initiatives

Our report also highlights significant differences in how men and women prioritise various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives:

Women’s top 5 DE&I priorities:

1. Closing the gender pay gap
2. Preventing age discrimination in the workplace 
3. Getting more women into leadership positions 
4. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace 
5. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people of diverse racial and/or ethnic backgrounds

Men’s top 5 DE&I priorities:

1. Preventing age discrimination in the workplace
2. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people of diverse racial and/or ethnic backgrounds 
3. Closing the gender pay gap 
4. Getting more people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into leadership positions 
5. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace

These workplace DE&I priorities show distinct gender-based perspectives, though with some important overlaps. Women’s priorities demonstrate a clear focus on addressing persistent gender inequities, particularly around pay and leadership representation.

Men’s priorities reflect a broader distribution across different aspects of diversity, while still maintaining strong recognition of gender pay equity. The shared high ranking of the gender pay gap (top three for both groups) suggests this is widely recognised as a critical issue in Australian workplaces. However, the variation in other priorities indicates opportunities for greater dialogue and understanding between genders about workplace equity challenges.

Related: How HR needs to evolve to support the future of work

Men’s engagement in workplace gender equity

While our data reveals clear differences in how men and women prioritise DE&I initiatives, it’s crucial to recognise the role men play in advancing workplace gender equity.

The fact that closing the gender pay gap appears in men’s top five priorities, albeit at a lower rank, indicates some level of awareness and concern. However, the absence of other women-specific issues in men’s top priorities suggests a potential gap in understanding or urgency.

This discrepancy highlights the need for increased awareness and engagement among men, particularly those in leadership positions, regarding the challenges women face in the workplace.

Bridging this perception gap is essential, as men often hold positions of influence that can drive significant change in organisational policies and workplace culture.

Related: How leaders can gain better engagement with their teams

Implications for employers

These findings have several important implications for hiring managers and leadership teams:

1. Address the gender pay gap: With less than half of women satisfied with efforts to close the gender pay gap, organisations must prioritise pay equity. This could involve conducting regular pay audits, implementing transparent pay scales, and addressing unjustified disparities.
    
2. Enhance leadership opportunities: The low satisfaction with female leadership representation suggests a need for more robust leadership development programs for women, mentorship initiatives, and a critical examination of promotion practices.
    
3. Promote inclusive policies: While general equity and inclusion efforts for women have the highest satisfaction rate, there’s still room for improvement. Consider implementing or enhancing policies that support work-life balance, parental leave, and protection against workplace harassment.
    
4. Bridge the perception gap: The differing priorities between men and women in DE&I initiatives highlight a potential disconnect. Organisations should foster open dialogues about DE&I priorities and ensure that men, especially those in leadership positions, are aware of and supportive of women’s concerns.
    
5. A holistic approach to DE&I: While addressing workplace gender equity is crucial, it’s important to maintain a holistic approach to DE&I. Age discrimination, for instance, is a top concern for both genders and should not be overlooked.
    
6. Transparency and communication: The high percentage of neutral responses across all categories suggests a need for better communication about workplace gender equity efforts. Organisations should be transparent about their initiatives, progress, and challenges.

Bridging the gender gap in Australia’s workplaces is an ongoing process that requires sustained effort and commitment. While progress has been made, our Talent Trends 2024 report clearly shows that there’s still work to be done.

By understanding and addressing women’s perspectives on workplace equity, organisations can create more inclusive environments that attract and retain female talent, foster innovation, and improve overall performance.

The message for hiring managers and leadership teams is clear: prioritising gender equity is not just about meeting DE&I targets but creating a workplace where all employees can thrive, contribute their best, and drive the organisation forward.

Get more insights on DE&I at the workplace

Discover the latest in workforce trends in our latest Michael Page Australia Talent Trends 2024 report: The Expectation Gap. This survey report findings are based on responses from 12,940 job seekers, employees and employers across Asia Pacific, of which 2,284 are from Australia.

It covers career insights that talent leaders and hiring professionals need to know to attract and retain talent. Also, download our report or use our interactive online tool to gain deeper, up-to-date insights into the current talent market.

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