Males Dominate Top Jobs

March 10 2007 - New Zealand's businesses are dominated by male senior managers, according to a survey conducted by Hays, the specialist recruitment company.

707 jobseekers across Australasia - including 220 New Zealanders - were asked if the number of women senior managers in their companies reflected the number of female employees in their businesses overall. The survey indicated that women were significantly under-represented in the senior management teams of New Zealand businesses.

In the survey as a whole, 53.89% said that women were not fairly represented, while 26.17% said 'yes - very well'and 19.94% said 'yes - but could definitely be better'.

Jason Walker, Regional Director of Hays in New Zealand commented:

"This survey asked all levels of staff - not just managers - for their perceptions of equality in their workplace, and the results send a clear message to CEOs and MDs around the country that their employees are yet to believe their workplaces have fully embraced equality.

"These results are interesting because they put company rhetoric aside. Employers in the majority of cases specify diversity as a recruitment requirement, suggesting that while intentions are positive, they are not equalled by the number of women actually achieving top leadership roles.

"Sadly there often remains an incorrect perception that women will not stay in the workplace as long as their male counterparts and lack the assertiveness required for senior management, despite the existence of countless examples refuting such stereotypes.

"In fact, one male survey respondent, who has a female manager, said that the best applicants for the vacancies he had recruited in the past had been female and he remains the only male in the business," said Jason Walker.

"In addition, male executives today are just as likely as their female counterparts to seek flexible working options and work/life balance. It's not only women who seek to work from home one or two days a week for family or other commitments."

Hays were happy to report that a headcount analysis of their own employees showed that women were well represented across all levels of the business with 56% of managers being female.

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