eco Survey on Equal Opportunities in the Workplace: Men give better ratings than women

eco promotes gender equality in an initiative for the advancement of women in tech
44.5 percent of men and only 25.2 percent of women perceive corporate culture as egalitarian
Almost 30 percent of employers take no equal opportunities measures

More than half of Germany employees are satisfied with equal opportunities at work. 52.9 percent give their employer the rating of good to very good for this. Men tend to make a more positive assessment than women. Every fifth employee gives a sufficient to insufficient grade for gender equality in everyday working life. Almost 30 percent of employers take no measures to create equal opportunities. These are the results of a survey conducted by eco – Association of the Internet Industry for International Women’s Day, in cooperation with the market and opinion research institute Civey*, in which 1,000 employees from Germany participated at the beginning of March.

“As a digital association, the promotion of women and diversity is a key issue for eco in order to ensure the future viability of Germany as a digital location,” says Oliver Süme, Chair of the eco Association. The association has been noticing an increased interest in the topic of women in tech within its member companies, and this is due, among other things, to the shortage of skilled workers. eco is therefore specifically promoting the advancement of women with the initiative #LiT – Ladies in Tech, which was established in spring 2019, and will continue to expand its activities in the future.

Men rate equal opportunities in the workplace better than women do

For equal opportunities in the workplace, 28 percent of male respondents gave the rating of very good. In contrast, only just under one in five women (20.4 percent) gave it top marks. 11.4 percent of women feel that the imbalance in the workplace is so great that it only suffices for a “poor” rating. On the other hand, only 4.2 percent of the men attest to this. “Successful companies rely on the combination of the strengths of men and women, and value both equally,” knows Lucia Falkenberg, Chief People Officer at eco. Companies would be well advised to make the promotion of women and diversity a top priority now, as gender equality is in their deepest economic interest. In the tech world, it has been recognised that mixed teams promote innovation and increase quality and performance.

Not all employers feel committed to equal opportunities

Measures to reconcile family and work make it, among other things, easier to attract female talent. In addition to home office and more self-defined working hours, this also includes the possibility of part-time leadership positions. They are therefore decisive factors in increasing employer attractiveness. 40.1 percent of respondents benefit from home office and flexible working hours. More than half of the male respondents (51.3 percent) are allowed by their employer to work from home, but only 30 percent of the women. Only 15.8 percent of companies offer leadership positions on a part-time basis. The last item in the package of measures for more gender equality is the use of a female quota, at six percent.

The biggest discrepancy can be found by the factor corporate culture. While 44.5 percent of men perceive the corporate culture as equal, only 25.2 percent of women agree. 28.9 percent of employers do not offer equal opportunities policies in the workplace. “It has been demonstrated that employers find it easier to recruit if they support their employees with family tasks such as childcare or caring responsibilities, and thus provide a model for diversity and social commitment,” says Lucia Falkenberg, Chief People Officer at eco.

Today, employees want to climb the career ladder with their children in tow. This can only succeed if employers play along by offering flexible working hours, mobile working or, for example, part-time models also for leadership positions. The Internet industry in particular offers women promising, crisis-proof and exciting career opportunities and is particularly attractive in terms of reconciling work and family life. Tech companies who want to get involved in the #LiT – Ladies in Tech alliance are very welcome.