news
policies and best practices with teams, especially at this time
of year,” said Deborah Bottineau, district director for Robert
Half Technology.
“WORKSHOPPING” HABITS AT WORK
More than two in five employees (43 per cent) said they plan to
make online purchases from the office this season. When asked
how often they expect to shop while on the clock, they responded:
■■ Only on Cyber Monday: 19 per cent
■■ Once a week: 48 per cent
■■ A few times per week: 28 per cent
■■ Nearly every day until they finish their lists: five per cent
Bottineau said, “Some employees will inevitably use work
devices for personal needs, but with proper guidance on safe
and appropriate browsing practices, companies can help employ-ees
better manage seasonal pressures and to-do lists, without
hindering productivity.”
RESEARCH FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS CANADA
AND CATALYST CANADA FINDS PROGRESS IN
WORKPLACE EQUITY
Millennial women (ages 22 to 34) are debunking popular miscon-ceptions
about their generation of workers, revealing themselves
to be highly ambitious in their careers and keen to capitalize on
their earning power, according to new research commissioned by
American Express Canada in partnership with Catalyst Canada.
Millennial women are more inclined to associate professional
success with achieving their financial goals (74 per cent) than their
more experienced (ages 35+) female counterparts (61 per cent),
according to the survey findings. Millennial women are also more
likely to associate professional success with reaching the pinnacle
of their career (32 per cent), compared with the generation above
them (21 per cent).
“Millennial women have a strong work ethic, a proactive
approach to their career, clearly defined goals and a strong drive
to reach success,” said Catherine Finley, vice president, human
resources, American Express, North America. “As a company that
proudly champions the advancement of women in the workplace,
we’re encouraged to see that millennial women are driving prog-ress
and positive transformation inside today’s enterprises.”
DEBUNKING THE MILLENNIAL MYTH
Amid an ever-evolving work environment, the research examined
the needs of women in business today: Their career goals, their
values and their definition of success relative to more experienced
women in the workforce.
The survey findings throw commonly held millennial myths
into question: Namely that the demographic group as a whole is
entitled, lacks a strong work ethic and is happy to bounce from one
job to the next.
Millennial women are more likely to maneuver between
workplaces in the early stages of their careers until they find an
organization that best supports their career aspirations. Indeed,
78 per cent of millennial women surveyed said they had worked
for multiple companies in their careers. However, the evidence
suggests success-driven millennial women will settle into a role at
one company for substantially longer when they find an organiza-tion
that fits their needs and goals: More than half of millennial
women surveyed (54 per cent) said they plan to stay at their cur-rent
organization for a long time.
THE CATALYST BEHIND POSITIVE
CHANGE IN THE WORKPLACE
Women are making progressive strides in the workplace as they
seek greater equality and strive for career advancement. Compared
to 2015, the survey found mentorship is on the rise as millennial
women take greater charge of their careers and foster change in
the workplace.
Millennials are much more likely to have a mentor (46 per cent)
compared to employees over 35 (27 per cent), the survey found,
and 34 per cent of women reported having a mentor in 2018,
compared with only 24 per cent in 2015. In 2018, the number of
women who served as a mentor also increased (26 per cent), com-pared
with 20 per cent in 2015.
However, there still remains a gender divide. The research
revealed that 81 per cent of men over 35 believe that their organi-zation
is doing enough to establish gender equity in the workplace,
compared with just 68 per cent of women in the same range.
When it comes to mentorship, 83 per cent of women are mentor-ing
other women.
“While women do more to support other women, there still
remains an untapped opportunity for men to do more to further
equality and progress in the workplace,” said Tanya van Biesen,
executive director, Catalyst Canada. “Gender inequality in cor-porate
Canada is not a women’s issue, it’s a critical talent issue,
and finding a resolution requires intentional leadership from both
women and men. It’s encouraging to see how far we’ve come, but
there is still a long way to go” n
MILLENNIAL WOMEN
ARE MORE LIKELY TO
MANEUVER BETWEEN
WORKPLACES IN
THE EARLY STAGES
OF THEIR CAREERS
UNTIL THEY FIND AN
ORGANIZATION THAT
BEST SUPPORTS THEIR
CAREER ASPIRATIONS.
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ DECEMBER 2018 ❚ 11
/HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA