Men over women preferred in boss roles

As much as 55 pc of the overall survey respondents from India indicated men are favoured over women when two candidates are equally qualified for the same job at their workplace. 

And 61 pc of the male respondents and 47 pc of the female respondents agreed to this statement, while globally 70 pc of the survey respondents stated this.  Paul Dupuis, MD & CEO, Randstad India said, “Gender diversity may be high on the agenda for India Inc. But what I believe is that diversity is not just a goal or a guideline, it is a business imperative. All the corporate and government initiatives are just a start, the real change can happen only when we succeed in addressing the deep-rooted mind sets about the role of women at work.” 

“It is a proven fact that diverse organisations perform better as this offers an assortment of knowledge and skills. An objective and ethical organisational philosophy that values an individual for the competencies they bring to the table is critical. After all, a country has truly evolved only when diversity in its true spirit is promoted across, with corporates setting the benchmarks, creating a conducive work environment for women. This will definitely help India reap rich rewards of economic growth as well,” he added.

The survey covered topics like preference for male/female managers, rewards, team spirit and team diversity.

70% of the male respondents from India mentioned that they prefer a male as direct manager. In reality, a vast majority (87 pc) actually have one currently.

41% of the female respondents prefer a male as direct manager and 50 pc  have one currently. 

57% of the overall survey respondents from India had a male manager preference. A vast majority (70 pc) pointed out that currently, they work with a male manager. 

91% of the respondents believed at their workplace, both men and women in similar roles were rewarded equally. 

93% say that their direct manager plays an important role in setting the team spirit. 

90% also agree that their direct manager advocates company culture and sets the example for the rest of the team members. 

89% respondents said they prefer to work in a gender-diverse team, while 86 pc believed that gender-diverse teams perform and achieve better results than single gender teams. 

61% consider it a good thing that one gender is favoured above the other in order to meet the diversity target. 

84% also believed that gender equality increases with the seniority of the job.