More than a third of UK female employees have faced barriers during their career, while nearly half of HR directors believe progress is being made

• Two thirds (66%) of UK male and female employees believe that women experience a career barrier due to gender
• Over a third of women say they believe male colleagues at their level earn more than they do
• Seventy three per cent of employees think that the societal perception is a major factor in creating a glass ceiling

London, 7 March 2014 – More than a third of women have experienced barriers to advancement during their career, finds new research¹ from specialist recruiter Robert Half UK.  However, a separate study² also shows that nearly half (47%) of HR directors believe women are in fact advancing their careers on par with men in the workplace, displaying a clear mismatch in perceptions between employees and HR directors.

More than four in 10 (42%) women aged between 18-34 say they have personally faced a gender barrier, followed by 34% of those aged between 35-54 and 26% of women aged 55 and over.

Of those women who have experienced inequality at work, over a third (35%) say they believe male colleagues at the same level earn more than they do.  Thirty one per cent indicate they are assigned work that is below their level and are therefore unable to demonstrate their abilities, while almost one in five (19%) say that junior colleagues don’t take instructions from them, but will do from male colleagues of equal seniority.

Across the wider business community,  two thirds (66%) of both male and female employees believe women experience barriers in their careers yet there is huge disparity between the genders, with 57% of men and 75% of women believing that a glass ceiling exists for women. The greatest proportion of those who perceive there to be a glass ceiling come from the Yorkshire & Humber (73%) and London (72%) regions, and the lowest come from Wales and the West Midlands (58% each).   

As we observe over 110 years celebrating International Women’s Day, nearly three quarters (73%) of UK employees surveyed believe that the societal perception of a woman’s role and / or career path is a major factor in creating a glass ceiling.  

Other top causes of inequality of work for women reported by both male and female employees are due to: managerial style (29%); lack of workplace visibility - i.e too modest about successes/achievements - (24%); and a lack of confidence within the business (22%). Regionally, the North East is leading the way on societal perception – only 46% feel this effects their career compared to 85% in Wales and 78% in the South West.

In a bid to alleviate this gap in the workplace,  nearly half of employees (49%) think companies should provide flexible working opportunities, identified by 39% of males and 48% of females. A further 43% want UK organisations to review pay grades, with 23% looking for workshops such as within management training and confidence building (23%).  

Estelle James, Director, Robert Half UK said: “While business leaders are taking steps to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace, our research shows that these inroads are not being felt by the employees themselves. Businesses need to eradicate the ‘old boys club’ mentality and allocate adequate resources to ensure that the glass ceiling becomes the glass elevator. Offering the right career pathing and development opportunities coupled with more flexible working options will result in a larger pool of women ready to take their rightful seat at the boardroom table.

“We’ve had 110 years celebrating International Women’s Day, yet there is more work to be done. Respect, equality and fairness need to be embraced by all, as in the end, it’s about the skills one brings to the workplace, not their gender.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

1) The study was developed by Robert Half UK and is conducted by an independent research firm from 21 to 24 February 2014.  The study is based on more than 1.165 interviews with full-time employees from companies across the UK, with the results segmented by size, sector and geographic location.  
2) The study was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 200 HR directors from companies across the UK, with the results segmented by size, sector and geographic location.