"Getting to Equal 2018" report identifies 40
key factors that help all people thrive
TORONTO, March 6, 2018 /CNW/ - New research
from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has identified 40
workplace factors that create a culture of equality — including 14
factors that matter the most. The research, published today in the
company's "Getting to Equal 2018" report, details the
most-effective actions that business leaders can take to accelerate
advancement and help close the gender pay gap.
The research is based on a survey of more than 22,000
working men and women in 34 countries — including more than 712 in
Canada — to measure their
perception of factors that contribute to their workplace cultures.
The survey was supplemented with in-depth interviews and a
detailed analysis of published data on a range of workforce
issues.
"Our research shows that in companies with cultures that include
the workplace factors that help women advance, men thrive too, and
we all rise together," said Claudia
Thompson, managing director, Health and Public Service and
lead for inclusion and diversity in Canada. "We see this research as a powerful
reminder that building a culture of equality is essential to
achieving gender equality because people, not programs, are what
make a company inclusive and diverse."
Accenture's research found that in companies where the 40
factors are most common, everyone benefits:
- 100 percent of employees are satisfied with their career
progression
- 96 percent of employees aspire to get promoted
- 95 percent aspire to become senior leaders in their
organizations
And, everyone has a better opportunity to advance:
- Women are 38 percent more likely to advance to manager or above
and five times as likely to advance to senior manager/director or
above.
- Men are 29 percent more likely to advance to manager or above
and twice as likely to advance to senior manager/director or
above.
While both women and men advance in companies in which the 40
factors are common, women have the most to gain. If all
working environments in Canada
were like those in which the 40 factors are most common:
- For every 100 male managers, there could be as many as 94
female managers, up from the current ratio of 100 to 53.
- Women's pay could increase 39 percent, or up to an additional
USD $26,627 per year.
- Women could earn USD $95 for
every USD $100 a man earns, helping
to close the pay gap and lifting women's total earnings by USD
$28 billion in Canada.
Setting clear diversity targets, the research found, is a
crucial step for leaders who want to strengthen their cultures.
"Culture is set from the top, so if women are to advance, gender
equality must be a strategic priority for the C-suite," said
Ellyn Shook, Accenture's chief
leadership & human resources officer. "It's critical that
companies create a truly human environment where people can be
successful both professionally and personally – where they can be
who they are and feel they belong, every day."
The report, which builds on Accenture's 2017 research on how
digital fluency and technology can close the gender gap in the
workplace, grouped the 14 core factors proven to influence
advancement into three categories of bold
leadership, comprehensive
action and an empowering environment. Key
Canadian findings in the three categories include:
- Bold leadership: Women are more likely to be on the fast
track in organizations where leadership teams are held accountable,
both internally and externally, for improving gender diversity (58
percent compared to 39 percent).
- Comprehensive action: Involvement in a women's network
correlates with women's advancement, but nearly two-in-three (65
percent) women surveyed for the report work for organizations
without such a network. In companies that have a women's network,
86 percent of women participate, with three-quarters (76 percent)
of those women in a women's network that also includes men.
- An empowering environment: Among the factors linked to
advancement are not asking employees to conform to a dress or
appearance code, and giving employees the responsibility and
freedom to be innovative and creative.
Read the global report here: Getting to Equal
2018.
Methodology
As part of its "Getting to Equal 2018"
research, Accenture surveyed more than 22,000 working men and
women with a university education in 34 countries — including 712
working men and women in Canada
— to understand what it will take to create a workplace
culture in which women and men have equal opportunities for
advancement and pay. The survey was supplemented by in-depth
interviews with "fast-track women" — i.e., women who have
moved further and faster through their organizations than other
women — to add to the understanding of the issues. Accenture
also analyzed published data related to a range of workforce
issues, including labor force, progression, talent gaps, culture at
work, sexual harassment, company gender by level and company best
practice. Combining the findings of the survey and of the desk
research, Accenture developed an econometric model to establish
which factors make the most difference to a women's chances of
advancing. The model has been used to explore a series of 'what if'
questions to understand the implications in terms of advancement
and pay gap reduction if the changes suggested are
implemented.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions – underpinned by the world's largest
delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business
and technology to help clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 435,000
people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives
innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Accenture
is counted among Canada's Top 100
Employers and Canada's Best
Diversity Employers, and the company plans to hire 1,100 people in
Canada in its current fiscal year.
Visit us at www.accenture.com.
SOURCE Accenture