Hiring trends were forever changed in March of 2020. Many continue to have a close eye on how the recent global shifts will impact gender diversity in the workplace. Gender equality, diversity, and representation remain a top priority of the HR and talent sector in 2022.
So, what are some recent reports telling us? What are some notable hiring trends correlated to gender? How can professionals change the way they job hunt and career plan? How can companies change the way they hire? Let’s discuss!
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How do women and men job hunt differently?
In many regards, men and women are identical in their approach to a job hunt. Both are equally interested in exploring new career opportunities. Both prioritize company culture, and both prioritize job requirements/qualifications. However, there are some notable differences, and ultimately, they revolve around a clash between selectiveness and mobility.
According to LinkedIn data, 10% more women prioritize salary and benefits when exploring a job. 9% more women prioritize daily tasks, and 6% focus on long-term career opportunities within the companies they consider. Overall, women apply to 20% fewer jobs than men and are 16% less likely to apply after viewing a job posting. Lastly, women are 26% less likely to seek job referrals.
There’s an interesting question that arises here. Are women more ‘selective’ in their job searches because they want to be or have to be? The higher prioritization of benefits and long-term growth could be interpreted in a few ways. Are they indicators of higher selectiveness or lower career mobility? It might be a combination of both. Women may be more selective because of past and present dynamics in corporate workplaces that hinder mobility and growth based on gender.
Benefits (for example) might impact women more as they are more likely to be impacted by parenthood or child care. Women also historically receive less mentorship in their careers. While this trend is changing, it can have a negative impact on women’s ability to seek referrals and navigate career changes with more confidence.
How do companies attack hiring and recruiting differently?
The stats seem to show there is some unconscious bias in the way companies recruit. LinkedIn data shows that recruiters are 13% less likely to click on a woman’s profile and 3% less likely to get contacted if/when a recruiter clicks.
However, women are 16% more likely to be hired after applying. They are also 18% more likely to be hired to senior roles after applying. With that said, this could simply be because women are more selective and over-qualified for the jobs they apply for due to lower mobility.
On a macro scale, the trends have been mixed at best over the past two years. While women have gained the most jobs since 2021, they lost far more than men during the pandemic. The world has yet to recover from those lost jobs. Any gains in representation at all levels have been erased from the pandemic. The road ahead is long and requires serious attention.
What hiring trends can improve the gender hiring gap?
Flex-work, inclusion, and mentorship are the keys to the future of gender parity. 72% of women still experience extreme conflict due to work-life balance. This conflict is partially due to childcare. Despite changing social dynamics, women still take on much more responsibility in childcare compared to men.
Flex-work is a must for empowering professionals to be the best they can be while also promoting better gender inclusion. WHiring Trends That Impact Gender Diversity in 2022omen need to be much more involved in the mentorship/leadership scene. Women are less likely to receive mentorship and less likely to be put into mentorship positions. The ramifications of this are not quantifiable but likely permeate through every fabric of global workplaces.
Inclusion is a crucial practice because it helps reduce hierarchical barriers within the workplace. These barriers inadvertently contribute to gender gaps. Giving everyone more agency to contribute to their workplace and to interact equally amongst their peers is a key way we make a fundamental shift in how our workplaces are run.
