WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION: WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY?
NewGen CENTRE TALENT In partnership with
SURVEY JUNE 2014
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Manuelle Malot Manuelle Malot is the head of EDHEC Business School’s NewGen Talent Centre, created in November 2012. She has been Director of careers and prospects at EDHEC for more than fifteen years. A specialist in access to the job market and in the ways competencies change response to the markets, she consults with companies on hiring and provides diagnoses of competencies for recent graduates and experienced managers alike. She is the author of «Recherche d’emploi, mode d’emploi» (Éditions du GO) and has published three editions (Éditions A2c Médias: 2010, 2011, 2012) of the Guide to International Recruitment Programmes. She also contributes pieces to diverse media, on- and off-line. Manuelle Malot has degrees from EDHEC and from CELSA, a graduate programme of the Université Paris IV Sorbonne. Pierre-Francois Verley CEO Pierre-François is responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of the company. He has passion for building teams centered around strong company values of a focus on users, developing talent, and embracing every person’s unique strengths. He brings more than 8 years of experience in operational and business management for large HR and assessment projects, including recruitment and assessment management for human resource consulting firm Manpower. Pierre-Francois is a state-certified psychologist and affiliate member of the American Psychological Association, creating the ideal combination for his leadership and passion in career guidance and self-discovery. After earning a Master of Science in Psychology and Psychopathology, in 2012 Pierre-François obtained a dual Master of Science in Entrepreneurship from Essec Business School and Ecole Centrale Paris. Martin Ryssen COO Martin leads the operational controls and reporting procedures to effectively grow Talentoday, and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency. In 2003 Martin co-founded Terre de Talents, an international coaching nonprofit reaching more than 4,000 students across 30 countries. Previously he held a variety of business and leadership positions, from business strategy at a leading management and technology consulting company to lecturing on entrepreneurship at the world’s oldest business school, ESCP Europe. Martin is passionate about innovation in education, and previously served as a career advisor volunteer for ESCP Europe Alumni, providing expert feedback on curriculum vitae for students. Martin earned a European Master of Science in Management from ESCP in 2006, and a European Master of Science from The City University in London.
WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION : WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY ?
WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION: WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY? What if women were better communicators but less bold than men and did not aspire to the same types of careers? Is it true that with equal experience they have different motivations? At a time when there are countless discussions about the role of women in big companies, the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre, which remains loyal to the «EDHEC for Business» positioning, examines with complete objectivity how women and men - students, young graduates or those with a little more experience - describe themselves and assess their personalities and their motivations in their professional lives. By joining forces with Talentoday, an innovative player in assessment for career guidance and talent management, the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre has reasserted its interest in deciphering the younger generation by shaking up
stereotypes and focusing primarily on the realities of life as seen by the people involved. Which assets and skills – the much talked about «soft skills» - do young women bring to the world of work? Does corporate experience help to develop the main characteristics of their personalities over time? Our approach is pragmatic and unconventional. We did not ask business leaders or colleagues what they thought of the women on their teams, but took a look at how women assessed their aptitudes and what they said were their aspirations. In this way, we have reinterpreted the results of over 32,000 assessments on personality and motivations undertaken by different women and men as part of their career guidance or occupational mobility. Our survey aims to avoid a risk of manipulation or conventional discourse about gender.
METHODOLOGY
Structure of the survey population : 32,102 respondents with 53% male, 46% female and 1% unknown
DISTRIBUTION BY EXPERIENCE High School student
2%
Student
73%
0 to 2 years of experience
10%
3 to 5 years of experience
7%
6 to 10 years of experience
4%
More than 10 of experience
4%
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PERSONALITY In the Talentoday model, personality may be defined as all the behaviours, attitudes and feelings that characterise individuals. It develops throughout a person’s life according to their life experiences. Every individual is characterised by a number of traits that will define his or her unique character and its continuity over time. In this study, we are going to be analyzing the personality traits that are considered to be essential in the world of work. These so-called Soft Skills are different from Hard Skills, which correspond to technical skills. In Talentoday’s personality analysis, we identify the behaviours that are most prized in the workplace. These traits can be grouped into 5 dimensions, called Clusters: Communicate, Manage, Dare, Adapt, and Excel. They correspond to the key areas of personality that employers traditionally look for in employees.
COMMUNICATE The first dimension « Communicate » is defined by the way to be in contact with others, convey something to someone, generally through a form of communication, written or oral. This cluster of criteria concerns the way in which a person interacts with others, the type of relations, and his ability to pass on information.
THE DIMENSION COMMUNICATE IS ROUGHLY THE SAME FOR MEN AND WOMEN, WITH DIFFERENTIALS LOWER THAN 10 %. WOMEN OPEN UP TO OTHERS MORE EASILY, BUT ARE DESCRIBED AS SLIGHTLY LESS PERSUASIVE THAN MEN
Persuasion MEN ADVANCE OF 8% MORE THEIR TALENTS OF PERSUASION
Diplomacy
Opening up to others
WOMEN HAVE HIGHER RESULTS THAN MEN OF 9% ABOUT OPENING UP TO OTHERS
Ease in Public
Women
WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION : WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY ?
Men
WE OBSERVE THAT WITH EXPERIENCE, ONLY WOMEN’S AVERAGE SCORE FOR THE CRITERIA DIPLOMACY INCREASE SLIGHTLY
Persuasion
Diplomacy Opening up to others
0 to 10 years of professional experience Students (high school / university)
Ease in public
Paradoxically, women ranked their ability to be persuasive lower than their ability to be diplomatic. However, they are comfortable about opening up to others and they are comfortable in public, both of which make them effective communicators.
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PERSONALITY MANAGE The second dimension « Manage» is defined by the way a person organizes something or manages someone. This cluster refers to the way in which a person arranges him(her)self, manages a project or a group of people and takes responsabilty.
WOMEN ASSESS THEIR ABILITY TO LEAD SIMILARLY TO MEN. HOWEVER, THEY ACCENTUATE MORE THEIR ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS, AS WELL AS THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY. THEY FAVOUR A MORE DETAILED APPROACH TO SITUATIONS, WHEREAS MEN LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE
Vision
MEN ACHIEVE HIGHER SCORES FOR THE VISION CRITERION, COMPARED TO WOMEN WHO APPEAR TO FAVOUR LOOKING AT SITUATIONS FROM EVERY ANGLE
Organisation Taking responsibility
WOMEN HAVE CLEARLY SUPERIOUR ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS, WITH A DIFFERENTIAL OF 23% COMPARED TO MEN
Leading
Women
Men
WITH EXPERIENCE, AN INCREASE IN SCORES FOR THE «MANAGE» DIMENSION CAN BE OBSERVED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE «LEAD» CRITERION, FOR WHICH SCORES TEND TO DECREASE SLIGHTLY AMONG WOMEN WITH EXPERIENCE COMPARED TO YOUNG FEMALE STUDENTS Vision Organisation Taking responsibility Leading
WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION : WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY ?
0 to 10 years of professional experience Students (high school / university)
DARE The third dimension « Dare » is defined by the way a person uses courage, audacity, and boldness to accomplish something. This cluster refers to the ability to overcome obstacles.
WOMEN DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS MORE AUTONOMOUS THAN MEN BUT SLIGHTLY LESS CREATIVE. THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS HAVING SELFCONFIDENCE WHEN COMPARED TO MEN. THIS IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE OBSERVED IN THIS PERSONALITY SURVEY Autonomy
MEN DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS BEING MORE SELF-CONFIDENT THAN WOMEN, BY 35%. THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO SAY THAT THEY ARE INDEPENDENT THINKERS AND THAT THEY ARE CREATIVE
Creativity Independent mind
HOWEVER, 13 % MORE OF WOMEN SAID THEY WERE AUTONOMOUS
SelfConfidence
Women
Men
AND WITH MATURITY AND EXPERIENCE, SCORES IN THE «DARE» DIMENSION INCREASE Autonomy Creativity Independent mind
0 to 10 years of professional experience Students (high school / university)
Selfconfidence Men are characterised by a substantial ability to dare. The lack of self-confidence that young women ascribe to themselves may cause their capacity to dare and their creative abilities to be slightly inhibited.
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PERSONALITY ADAPT The fourth dimension « Adapt » is defined by the ability to modify one’s attitude, thoughts, and behaviours depending on the situation. This cluster refers to the attitude that a person adopts in order to overcome new situations or constraints.
WOMEN DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS BEING RESPONSIVE AND RESPECTFUL OF AUTHORITY. HOWEVER, COMPARED TO MEN, THEY HAVE LESS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS Respect for Authority WOMEN VALUE THEIR RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY 14% MORE THAN MEN AND ARE 13% MORE RESPONSIVE
Patience
Responsiveness Stress management
Women
Men
THE SCORES ACHIEVED FOR THE «ADAPT» DIMENSION ONLY CHANGE SLIGHTLY WITH EXPERIENCE Respect for Authority Patience Responsiveness
0 to 10 years of professional experience Students (high school / university)
Stress management Being more responsive, women take decisions and execute quickly with a focus on immediate results. But they say that they are also less able to cope with pressure. They are better at accepting authority, abiding by group rules, and complying with policies.
WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION : WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY ?
EXCEL The fifth dimension « Excel » is defined by the ability to move beyond a set, and to achieve still greater results with each attempt. This cluster highlights the energy that a person puts into his or her work, with a certain level of need or desire to push his or her limits.
IN THIS DIMENSION, THE SCORES ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR FOR BOTH WOMEN AND MEN. WOMEN HIGHLIGHT MORE THEIR STRONG WORK ETHIC AND THEIR DETERMINATION, WHILE MEN CLAIM TO BE MORE AMBITIOUS AND HIGHLIGHT THEIR COMPETITIVE SPIRIT Competitive spirit MEN HAVE A MORE COMPETITIVE SPIRIT (+7%) COMPARED TO WOMEN
Work ethic
WOMEN HIGHLIGHT THEIR STRONG WORK ETHIC (+12%) COMPARED TO MEN
Ambition
Determination
Women
Men
THE TREND IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE «EXCEL» DIMENSION AMONG WOMEN FALLS SLIGHTLY WITH EXPERIENCE, EXCEPT FOR THE «WORK ETHIC» CRITERION WHICH WOMEN HIGHLIGHT MORE OVER THE YEARS Competitive spririt Work ethic Ambition
0 to 10 years of professional experience Students (high school / university)
Determination Women enjoy periods of intense activity and with experience their work ethic grows stronger. However, as women gain experience their ambition tends to decrease. One possible explanation for this is that women perceive the classroom to be a competitive place and that after they leave school they tend to settle into a work rhythm that is more relaxed and less about impressing those around them.
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MOTIVATIONS The motivations can be described as a set of dynamic factors that drive an individual to act. They determine his or her reasons for behaving or reacting in a certain way during a given situation. Motivations play an important role in the evolution of an employee, but these motivations can differ greatly.
THE NEED FOR VARIETY, THE BALANCE BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND SECURITY ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT MOTIVATORS FOR WOMEN AND MEN EVEN IF THE THEIR RANKING DIFFERS. MEN TEND TO PLACE MORE IMPORTANCE ON PAY, WHEREAS WOMEN SAY THEY ARE MORE MOTIVATED BY THE PHILANTHROPIC DIMENSION OF THEIR WORK. SOCIAL RECOGNITION
4,1 / 3,7 NEED FOR VARIETY
PAY
6,2 / 6,6
5,1 / 4,1
NEED FOR RELATIONS
SECURITY
4,7 / 4,6
5,2 / 5,8
NEED TO BELONG
PRIVATE / PROFESSIONAL LIFE
4,4 / 4,0
5,9 / 5,9 PHILANTHROPY
4,0 / 4,7
IT IS THE SAME FOR SOCIAL RECOGNITION (11%) AND THE NEED TO BELONG (8%)
Men
Women
WOMEN HAVE HIGHLIGHTED PHILANTHROPY AS A SOURCE OF MOTIVATION (15%), AS WELL AS THE NEED FOR SECURITY (11%) AND THE NEED FOR VARIETY (+6%)
With experience, an increase in women’s philanthropic aspirations can be observed, whereas their need for social recognition becomes less pronounced. Experience accentuates a number of differences between the aspirations of men and women, in particular in relation to pay and social recognition, which continue to be key factors for men.
WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION : WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY ?
CONCLUSION WOMEN’S NEW GENERATION : WHICH ASSETS AND WHICH ASPIRATIONS FOR THE COMPANY? HOW DO YOUNG WOMEN PERCEIVE THEMSELVES IN THE WORKPLACE? Young women describe themselves as being open-minded, autonomous professionals with strong organisational and professional skills and a deep sense of responsibility. But they also say that they find it difficult to assert themselves and that they experience self-doubt. - They are open and diplomatic towards others and they do not necessarily seek to persuade - Well-organised and responsible and tend to favour a detailed approach to solving problems - More autonomous than men and yet they also tend to question themselves and downplay their value in the workplace - More responsive and respectful of authority, but also disconcerted by stressful situations - Hard-working but less ambitious or competitive in comparison to men WHAT MOTIVATES WOMEN TO SUCCEED ? Young women attach more importance to the human dimension of work than their male counterparts, who tend to be driven more by material compensation and social recognition. - They are more inspired by philanthropy than by their pay - They are more motivated by variety in their tasks than by social recognition
Beyond some stereotypes found in these results, the complexity of these observations is strengthened by young women’s high level of expectation and their tendency to question themselves and set themselves more challenging personal objectives. It is often young women themselves who underestimate their talents and abilities. Taking into account the influence of social desirability in the way in which younger generations assess themselves, young women must be aware that their openness, organisational skills and strong work ethic are not the only assets that they can bring to the business world... We believe that the power relationships prevailing in the world of work and business in particular do not always match women’s aspirations and do not provide a favourable environment for their assets to be expressed. Moreover, if young women occupy the position that they are given, is it not because it is in these areas that they believe they will find a source of fulfilment more easily? Finally, although it is inaccurate to reduce men’s aspirations solely to the motivations of social recognition and pay, it is also undesirable to push young women into moving into careers to which they do not all necessarily aspire. For this new generation in particular, it is advisable to avoid forcing employees into identical job molds and to instead provide them with some freedom to define their own workplace identity. It is more important than ever to give both genders the freedom to decide for themselves which workplace characteristics to prioritise, whether it be work-life balance over high pay, or social recognition over work variety. Everyone should be free to be equal and different.
- They are more sensitive to the need for security than the need to belong
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ABOUT TALENTODAY INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION FOR THE NEW GENERATION TALENTODAY PROPOSES EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KNOW THEMSELVES BETTER TO FIND THE JOB OF THEIR DREAMS. THE PLATFORM TALENTODAY SIMPLIFIES THE PROCESS OF ORIENTATION BY OFFERING A UNIQUE AND FREE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL. MODULES ARE ALSO DEDICATED TO CAREER ORIENTATION AND CAREER PLACEMENT. TALENTODAY IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BEST UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE WORLD AND ALSO WITH NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES. THE CAREER PLATFORM HAS ALREADY HELPED TO PLACE SEVERAL TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN EXCITING JOBS IN CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.
ABOUT THE NEWGEN TALENT CENTRE EDHEC BUSINESS SCHOOL, WITH ITS 6 000 STUDENTS AND 24 000 GRADUATES, IS ONE OF THE SEEDBEDS OF THE GLOBAL SENIOR MANAGERS OF THE FUTURE. FOR MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS, COMPANIES HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE GLOBALISATION OF THE JOB MARKET AND MUST NOW ADDRESS SUCH THEMES AS SOURCING INTERNATIONAL TALENT AND RETAINING THEIR INCREASINGLY MOBILE EMPLOYEES. THE NEWGEN TALENT CENTRE, A PRIVILEGED INTERMEDIARY FOR THE LATEST GENERATIONS OF GRADUATES, IS A BODY THAT MONITORS THE DEALINGS AND MOTIVATIONS OF RECENT GRADUATES AND A LABORATORY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS. THE NEWGEN TALENT CENTRE IS AT THE NEXUS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, THE NEW GENERATION AND COMPANIES. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO RESTORE MAGIC, SO TO SPEAK, TO THE TIES BETWEEN COMPANIES AND THE NEW GENERATIONS BY FOSTERING THE EARLY INVOLVEMENT OF COMPANIES IN SELECTION AND TRAINING AND BY ENCOURAGING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLACEMENT OF RECENT GRADUATES IN GLOBAL COMPANIES. THE NEWGEN TALENT CENTRE RELIES HEAVILY ON THE EDHEC CAREER CENTRE’S EXPERIENCE IN ORIENTING STUDENTS, IN IDENTIFYING AND SELECTING POTENTIAL LEADERS, IN EVALUATING AND HONING SKILLS AND IN STUDYING CHANGING HIRING PROCEDURES. THE TALENT IDENTIFICATION & CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, THE CAREER GUIDANCE AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME CONSIDERED OUR STRENGTH BY INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITING BOARDS AND ECONOMIC DECISION- MAKERS, DRAWS HEAVILY ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GRADUATE RECRUITMENT PROGRAMMES. THE NEWGEN TALENT CENTRE HAS RALLIED TO THE CRY (‘EDHEC FOR BUSINESS’) THAT MOST CLEARLY EXPRESSES THE STRATEGY OF EDHEC BUSINESS SCHOOL; THE CREATION OF THE CENTRE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY CORPORATE DONATIONS MADE AS PART OF THE OF RISING TALENTS CAMPAIGN.
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