Women working across APAC feel left out of opportunities for career development and to be heard at work, scoring less than men on every measure of workplace engagement.
According to an analysis of 30,000 employees across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, India and the Philippines conducted by Culture Amp, a significant portion of women are not happy in the workplace. The study, based on employee feedback from 87 companies across the region, shows that women are dissatisfied with the way communication, performance and career opportunities are addressed.
Only 60% of women working across Asia feel their company provides good career opportunities vs 68% of men. Likewise, only 62% of women say their job performance is evaluated fairly, while just 64% believe their organisation practices open and honest two-way communication (compared to 69% and 71%, respectively for men).
Fiona Scullion, Lead People Scientist, Culture Amp Asia-Pacific, said, “These numbers are quite alarming. Close to half of the working population of women do not feel positive that their company is going to give them a chance to grow their career and include them in decision making. The Survey suggests a potential systemic failure to capitalise on the benefit of a diverse workforce, and points to engrained unconscious gender bias as one of the main reasons women don’t feel seen or heard at work.”
Workplaces not recognising work/life juggle
Women are also experiencing work stress at higher levels than men. One in three women saying their workload is unreasonable for their role, and 42% saying their company’s systems and processes do not support getting work done effectively, compared to 24% and 33%, respectively for men. With many women across Asia still expected to carry the primary load of household duties and child-raising, the data indicates women don’t feel the ‘juggle’ is being supported by their work.
Scullion commented, “There’s a strong indication in the data that workplaces are not properly acknowledging that dual role. Women aren’t being offered the things that will help them operate most effectively to balance work with life outside, while still being able to achieve self-fulfilment.”
Perceived diversity key to engaging women
The survey findings indicate that women working in Asia are also looking for employers creating an inclusive culture which nurtures opportunities and personal growth for everyone, irrespective of their background. Far fewer women than men, 67% versus 84%, agreed with the statement that ‘People from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed at Company’.
Scullion added, “A diverse workplace will retain females and lead to a decreased gender deficit in the present day, but hopefully also build out a workforce that represents all elements of diversity in the future.”
Diverse teams allow for the most talented individuals to rise in organisations, which means diverse companies end up being more successful and profitable since they aren’t limiting their talent pool. This strategy leads to a diversity of thought. In essence, people of different backgrounds, genders, and ethnicities involved in decision making creates an environment for better decisions to be made overall, driving more innovation and collaboration that impacts business goals.
Scullion concluded, “This data is a wake-up call for companies across Asia to tune into all the voices within their companies and find new ways to engage people to drive retention and performance.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
