randstad workmonitor, results 3rd quarter 2016: men are favored in management positions, but employees prefer working in gender-diverse teams.

There doesn’t seem to be much difference in the general treatment of men and women in organizations or when they apply for a job or ask for a promotion, according to the respondents in the latest Randstad Workmonitor: 81% agree that both sexes are treated equally in general, and  70% think that men and women are equally supported.

Even so, a strong gender bias still exists in the workplace as 70% indicate that men are favored over women when two candidates equally qualify for the same job at their workplace.

Preference m/f manager

When asked for preference, 71% of the male respondents globally prefer a male manager, and in reality  79% actually have one. The figures deviate among women: only 58% of the female respondents prefer a male manager and 55% actually have one.

Compared to the Randstad Workmonitor survey in Q1 2013 there’s quite a shift in preference:

Men’s preference for a male manager is highest in Japan (91%), and in Greece and Malaysia (both 83%). With women this is highest in Greece (77%), Hong Kong (75%), and Singapore (72%). Interestingly enough, these numbers quite match with the number of male managers men actually have in Japan (93%) and the number of male managers women actually have in Greece (72%).

Although not the highest in ranking in preference, the actual number of male managers among all respondents is also quite high in Greece (77%) and in The Netherlands (76%).

Reward and team spirit

With regard to reward, 79% of the respondents think that men and women are rewarded equally in similar jobs. In Q1 2013, this was 73%, indicating a rise in perception.

In heading a team, 76% of the global respondents say that their direct manager plays an important role in setting the team spirit and 73% agree that their direct manager advocates company culture and sets the example. Ton Hopmans, Chief HR Officer at Randstad, comments: "Company culture, and within that trust specifically, is at the heart of successful team work. If trust is embedded in company culture, and trust exists between managers and their teams, it not only enhances team spirit, but also drives engagement and productivity."

Diversity

Team diversity is highly appreciated, as 87% prefer working in a gender-diverse team. Also, 84% believe that gender-diverse teams achieve better results than single sex/gender teams. And merely 36% of the global respondents consider it a good thing that one gender is favored over another in order to meet the diversity target.

Quarterly recurring observations

Mobility Index slightly up to 110

Having been stable at 109 for three consecutive quarters, mobility went slightly up to 110. The biggest rise took place in Singapore (+11). Jaya Dass, Managing Director for Randstad Singapore explains: “My thoughts would be that it's quite seasonal. At this point, candidates have been able to assess the growth and opportunity in their current roles post mid-year assessments and based on what they expect the coming year to be. They also see this period as an opportunity to move before the year-end holidays set in and the hiring starts to slow down. Typically companies also ramp up hiring at this point to cover attrition and budgeted roles before year end.”

In addition, mobility also rose in the US (+7) and in Argentina and Turkey (both +6). Mobility decreased in Portugal (-7) and in Italy and Denmark (both -4). No change in mobility in Canada, Norway, Sweden, France and Greece.

Actual job change again up 1% to 25%

For the fourth quarter in a row, the percentage of employees that actually changed jobs in the last six months has gone up by 1%; again a bit higher than previous quarter (24%). The actual job change increased in Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, and Portugal. In China, Hungary, India, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the US the job change decreased compared to last quarter. Although increased from 5% to 7%, job change in Luxembourg is – for the fourth quarter in a row – still the lowest. 

Appetite to change jobs

Compared to last quarter, the job change appetite, i.e., the desire to change jobs, increased in Denmark, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands whereas Switzerland and the US show a decrease.

Job satisfaction still highest in Mexico

Compared to last quarter, the job satisfaction increased in Australia, China, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. The job satisfaction decreased in Belgium and the Czech Republic. 

The Randstad Workmonitor

The Randstad Workmonitor was launched in the Netherlands in 2003, then in Germany, and now covers 34 countries around the world. The last country to join was Portugal in 2014. The study encompasses Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The Randstad Workmonitor is published 4 times a year, making both local and global trends in mobility visible over time.

The Workmonitor’s Mobility Index, which tracks employee confidence and captures the likelihood of an employee changing jobs within the next 6 months, provides a comprehensive understanding of sentiments and trends in the job market. Besides mobility, the survey addresses employee satisfaction and personal motivation as well as a rotating set of themed questions.

The study is conducted online among employees aged 18-65, working a minimum of 24 hours a week in a paid job (not self-employed). Minimum sample size is 400 interviews per country. The Survey Sampling International (SSI) panel is used for sampling purposes. The third wave of 2016 was conducted from July 20 – August 4, 2016.