Women business leaders are about twice as likely as their male counterparts to say their company should put more effort into increasing gender diversity, a new poll said.
One quarter of the women polled said their employer should be doing more to advance female employees compared to about 12 percent of the men, according to the latest CohnReznick-New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Business Climate Survey, released Wednesday.
The survey, which focused on women in the workplace, revealed “a disconnect” in men’s and women’s perceptions of gender diversity, said Philip Mandel, regional managing partner at CohnReznick, a New York City-based accounting firm.
Here are some of the other survey highlights:
- Three quarters of the men surveyed said men and women have equal opportunities to advance in their companies, while only a little more than half of the women respondents said they saw equal opportunities for men and women.
- More than six in 10 respondents said their companies have launched initiatives, such as flexible work schedules and executive skill-building programs, to recruit, retain and promote women.
- Eighty-seven percent said gender diversity makes a company more competitive, and the same percentage said gender diversity is an important priority for their company's president or chief executive officer.
More than 70 percent of all respondents said their companies offer either flexible work schedules or flexibility in choosing work locations, or both. Nearly half said their companies offered mentoring programs for women, and more than a third have skill-building programs for women.
The organizations said they surveyed 121 business leaders by email in late July and early August, and that most of the respondents are senior level executives.