Katy Tanner, Director, Robert Half UK comments:

"Our research into Workplace Happiness shows that being treated with fairness and respect and feeling appreciated are among the top drivers of happiness for women in the UK. While progress is being made in reducing gender inequality in the workplace, only 40% of women believe they expect influence on the job compared to nearly half of men, which highlights that more still needs to done to create inclusive office cultures that encourages gender parity."

"For today's employers, having a diverse talent pool is beneficial to innovation, creativity and progress, so it's critical that employees are assessed fairly, regularly and in relation to their contributions. According to 200 UK HR directors, women can work towards narrowing gender inequality in the workplace by acquiring new skills through training and professional development (46%), make their accomplishments more apparent in the organisation (37%), and be more assertive when negotiating pay (35%)."

“This is particularly important for high-growth sectors like technology where we are currently seeing a shortage of highly skilled talent. Almost half (47%) of UK IT directors believe women will reach parity for staff roles in the future. A quarter (26%) of professionals also believe women will match or exceed the number of men in both staffing numbers and leadership roles. However, 28% recognise that working in a male-dominated environment is a key challenge being faced by women alongside demonstrating their competence (57%), challenging existing stereotypes (54%), overcoming impersonal/cultural considerations (42%) and earning respect (30%)."

"As the skills gap in industries like technology receives more attention and the global business environment continues to change rapidly, the onus is on employers to offer tailored packages in order to attract and retain top talent – of both genders. As competition for the best candidates increases, organisations need to create a culture where any individual that exceeds skill expectations and works with their team towards specific business goals, are rewarded fairly for their efforts, regardless of whether they are a man or a woman."