96% of Top Leaders Say Gender Pay Gap Must Be Fixed, But Disagree On How To Fix It.

WILTON, Conn., July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent Waterman Hurst survey of the gatekeepers^sm, there is great solidarity among men and women leaders, who recognize the gender pay equity problem and acknowledge that it must be fixed.

The drumbeat surrounding the gender pay gap is loud and clear – with daily stories documenting changes in behavior and thinking. But we wondered what the gatekeepers were thinking on the issue. How did they view the gender pay gap? "So, we asked 50 top leaders who make day to day decisions or strongly influence pay decisions if they recognized the gap as a serious concern, and if they did, we asked them what was necessary to fix it," says Janice Waterman, Founder of Waterman Hurst.

We surveyed the gatekeepers, a virtual community of board members, CEOs, C-level leaders, talent executives, managing directors, and executive search partners, who donate their time and expertise to deliver relevant and valuable advice as free content for established and emerging leaders.

"Do you believe the Gender Pay Gap is a legitimate concern for leaders?"

Almost every gatekeeper said "yes": 96% of the gatekeepers thought pay inequity was a legitimate problem that needed to be fixed - representing great solidarity among top leaders and influencers of both sexes.

The solidarity disappears when we asked, "How should we fix the inequity?"

The majority of Men Leaders disagree with the majority of Women leaders.

• 73% OF MALE GATEKEEPERS SAY MANAGEMENT ALONE SHOULD FIX THE GAP.
• 27% OF MALE GATEKEEPERS BELIEVE MANAGEMENT NEEDS A PUSH FROM GOVT
• 66% OF FEMALE GATEKEEPERS BELIEVE MANAGEMENT NEEDS A PUSH FROM GOVT
• 34% OF TOP WOMEN LEADERS SAY MANAGEMENT ALONE SHOULD FIX THE GAP

Overall, 66% of the gatekeepers think management alone should solve the problem. Just like most top leaders and influencers are men, most of the gatekeepers are men – 72% of the gatekeeper's community are male and 28% are female and as we have learned, the answer to fixing the problem typically divides along gender lines. If current leaders are left to decide who should fix the problem, then management will be left alone to fix the gender pay gap.

Read the full article HERE; 52 gatekeepers surveyed and 22 gatekeepers quoted including: Michael Alicea, EVP and CHRO of Nielson; Louise Firestone, SVP and General Counsel of LMVH and a Board Member of Marc Jacobs; Glenn Hofmann, CAO at New York Life; Rick Stepien, CEO of ZSI-Foster; Donna Love, CFO of Pepsi Lipton; Brendan Castle, Global Head of Staffing at Google; Donna Morea, Chair of the Board of Directors at SAIC and Board Member at SunTrust. 

SOURCE Waterman Hurst

Related Links

https://watermanhurst.com/WHC