Modern labor market - are there still preferrered positions?

During the placement itself, consideration was given to the heterogeneous selection of respondents according to economic branches, company sizes, educational and age groups, and levels of work positions and responsibilities (managerial, managerial, executive). In particular, care was taken to ensure that in the initial sample we have an equal ratio of participants of both sexes for the sake of unbiased results. 

The obtained data were compared with the global research data of the company Manpower, presented in the "SKILLS REVOLUTION REBOOT" report, in order to determine the differences and the position of employees in the region as easily as possible. , and with regard to Upskilling and Reskilling trends, determined guidelines for erasing differences in treatment of certain demographic groups for better allocation and maximizing the efficiency of the workforce.

GLOBAL DATA, COVID - 19 CONSEQUENCES AND STATISTICS

Women represent 39% of the world's working population, make up the majority of the highly educated part of the population, but occupy less than one third of management positions compared to men (29% according to data from 2019, Manpower research - COVID-19GLOBAL IMPACT AT WORK, 2020).

Given that women's employment is 19% more at risk during the pandemic than men's, and that women are the majority in many of the real sectors most affected by COVID-19 - for example, retail, hospitality, tourism, education and manufacturing - there is a greater likelihood that they will also work in the gray economy sector or that their employment will be defined by fixed-term contracts. Of course, this brings risk and a greater chance of being fired and losing your job without the right to unemployment benefits or at the very least a cut in wages or hours.

EUROSTAT AND REGIONAL RESEARCH

A regional study from 2020 in Croatia shows that the share of women in the labor force in 2019 is one of the lowest in the European Union - only 66% of women were employed, while the EU average was 73%. 

According to the same survey, 60% of women who were no longer employed cited bankruptcy or temporary closure of their company due to the pandemic as the reason for unemployment, while this rate for men is 44%. Likewise, women are less likely to receive incentive packages intended for the adult working population during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Eurostat data.

RESEARCH MANPOWER GROUP CROATIA AND ASSERT INTERNATIONAL

The regional survey by the companies Manpower and Assert International did not overly surprise with the results regarding the perception of gender equality and the position of women in the region.

The biggest gender differences in favor of men are present in terms of opportunities for career advancement, the quality of relations with colleagues and direct superiors (especially in connection with obtaining constructive feedback) and to some extent in the professional selection of new employees.

In all countries in the region, men have greater opportunities for career advancement. If we compare the percentage of the total number of respondents, as many as 36% of women compared to 21% of men did not have the opportunity to advance in the workplace. At the same time, the biggest gender differences in the advantages of men are present in Croatia.

11% more women are underpaid than men if we take into account adequate earnings and the financial aspect of compensation for work performed. The biggest gender differences in favor of men were perceived by respondents in Slovenia. The mentioned negative trend is also followed by Serbia, while in Croatia the differences are not so prominent.

17% more women point out that they do not receive constructive feedback from their immediate superiors compared to men, although 14% more men who receive constructive feedback believe that it should be more regular.

When it comes to gender differences and investment in the professional development of employees, there are no significant deviations. The greatest risk and fear of job loss is present among employees over the age of 50, with no differences between men and women.

Likewise, with higher levels of education, gender differences are smaller, regardless of the fact that the number of men in managerial positions is higher in all countries of the region. The smallest gender differences are in IT, finance and insurance and telecommunications, while the largest differences in male advantage are expected in the manufacturing and automotive industries. At the same time, the size of the company and the age of the employee are not limiting factors in the treatment of employees.

HOW TO NEXT?

While we expect an increase in the demand for talent in technology, digital and STEM-oriented jobs where women are underrepresented, we must focus on their education, and the rapid and extensive development of technical skills to create tangible differences in productivity, but also to create a future where everyone can be ready for high growth roles. 

Companies and all development sectors can no longer afford a laissez-faire approach to attracting, engaging and developing female and all other personnel if they want to remain competitive. To accelerate the growth of the number of women in management positions, employers can start by putting in place provisions that directly address the issues that women have mentioned.