LACK OF CONFIDENCE – OR DOESN’T THE CORPORATE WORLD APPEAL?
Women are less likely to aim for top graduate jobs – despite being statistically more likely than men to land them if they apply, according to new stats. But the reason remains a mystery.
A new study by the Association of Graduate Recruiters found that women make up just 47% of graduate scheme applicants, despite the fact that 54% of students overall are female. However, researchers – who quizzed 170 top graduate employers – found that these high achieving girls took 49% of the posts. AGR chief executive Stephen Isherwood said:
“Many women don’t apply for the top schemes when they should. We know women are hugely successful in the selection process. We just need them to realise it. We need to boost confidence and encourage more female graduates to reach their potential.
“Graduate employers want to hire women, there are lots of opportunities out there and these candidates are more likely to succeed, so we need to address why they’re not applying. Industry-wide collaboration to tackle student perceptions will be a key step forward.”
Improving the gender diversity of graduate programmes is largely a challenge of attracting women in the first place, the AGR’s report suggests.
Three quarters of the firms which responded to the survey had a diversity strategy in place, and the majority said redressing workplace gender imbalance was the highest priority.
So, Graduate Fog wants to know: What is making women hesitate about applying to the top graduate schemes? Do they lack confidence in their abilities – or is there something about the corporate environment that doesn’t appeal?
* WHAT’S GOING ON?
Female graduates, have you considered applying for the big graduate programmes – and what did you decide in the end? What factors did you consider? And, whether you’re male or female, what are your theories about the causes of this gender imbalance?
Surely both make and females are less likely to apply for Graduate Schemes…aside from the fact that traditional graduate employers have reduced their commitment towards Graduate Training, increasing numbers have replaced Salaried Jobs with Unpaid Internships, Apprenticeships, and Zero Hour Contracts.
@Eowyn While I agree there are still to many of these poor quality, low pay jobs around, the AGR’s members aren’t ‘that’ sort of employer. The respondents for this survey were all big firms with big graduate intakes. On the whole, the roles will be very well paid.
I have a few theories myself… I wonder what you think?
– I wonder whether young women may be put off by what they perceive the corporate environment to be like (reality may very well be different, but perceptions matter). Formal dress, intimdating culture, long hours, etc… For this reason, starting their career in a smaller company may seem more appealing.
– I think they may also be more likely to assume they don’t have enough experience having just left university, undervaluing the value of their skills and qualifications. Do these young women may assume they need to do unpaid or low paid work before starting a ‘proper’ job?
– Are women more likely to want to test a certain job or industry first before committing to a career in it? If so, a graduate scheme may be a commitment they are not looking for
– Lack of confidence in their abilities – you only get this sort of job if you’re a super-high flier who likes the sound of their own voice, etc?
– More likely to be drawn to industries where there are fewer big employers with big schemes – eg fashion, PR, etc. There is no equivalent for men, which could explain why the stats are weighted as they are…