ANZ Bank report looks at issues such as age, gender
Younger employees are more eager to advance in the workplace than older ones, as age emerges as a significant barrier to move up in the career ladder.
These are the findings of ANZ Bank New Zealand's Watch Wāhine Win report, which surveyed over 2,000 respondents across the country.
It found that Gen Z (55%) and Millennial (54%) employees were more likely to be keen for advancement than their Gen X (38%) and Baby Boomer (27%) counterparts.
Professionals and administrative workers (49%) were more eager than manual or technical workers (43%) and sales employees (29%) when it comes to advancing to their roles.
Overall, almost half the report's respondents were keen to advance in their respective workplaces. Pasifika (65%) and Māori (57%) respondents were leading the way in this enthusiasm, according to the report.
Age as a barrier to advancement
The findings come as the report also uncovered that age is regarded as a "significant barrier" to advancement by 42% of the respondents.
By age, 59% of workers above 60 believed this was the case. So did 31% of workers between 30 and 44 years old, and 38% of workers between 18 and 29 years old.
Other barriers to advancement cited by the employees include:
- Business structure doesn't make advancement likely or possible
- Not worth the hassle as senior roles carry downsides for not much pay
- Being too focused on other things
- Lack of confidence
- Lack of time or money to study
Gender as another barrier
Meanwhile, gender was also seen as a significant barrier by "around a quarter of respondents," according to the report.
"It was rated slightly higher as a barrier by Māori men as well as Pasifika and Asian women," it said.
Employers should be more supportive to help employees achieve career success, according to ANZ CEO Antonia Watson.
Watson said doing so would benefit both the employer and the employee.
"Our respondents noted that more advancement opportunities and more education and training are what employers could do most to help women succeed," Watson said in a statement.
It is also important that employer showcase the achievements of women in New Zealand, Watson said, as 15% of men women said they can't see themselves in a senior position.
"There is certainly no shortage of role models in all aspects of life and no denying their power to inspire," the report said. "But it is clear role models also need to be on lower pedestals, closer to home in the workforce and in the form of team leaders, mentors or managers who get out around the business, showing support for training and leading by example."
