About this report
This research report was commissioned by HiBob in honor of International Women’s Day 2022 and surveyed 1,000 women professionals in the UK. All respondents were 25 and older and were employed full-time in a hybrid or in-office workplace in 2020 and 2021. This report provides insights on professional women’s perceptions about compensation, promotions, the Great Resignation, the influence of company culture, and more.
The data also includes breakdowns by company size, role, profession, and age groups, where differences of opinion provide vital insights into the multiplicity of challenges women face in the workplace.
Five key takeaways
1. A majority of UK professional women believe that they have achieved pay equality and are being promoted as often as men
Women have made great progress in the UK workplace and know it. A clear majority of women professionals (53%) believe that women and men receive equal pay at their company. This view is even more prevalent among women in senior management positions (56%) and women over 54 (62%) who can more readily see the improvements in how companies relate to women.
A majority of women (57%) also feel that women and men are equally promoted. More than two-thirds (67%) of women in senior management positions believe this, as do the vast majority (77%) of working women over 54.
2. UK professional women are thriving with advances in pay, benefits, and promotions
A sizable majority of women (61%) received an increase in pay, benefits, or position in 2021. This was even higher for women in senior management (69%). 47% of senior managers received a pay increase, while 18% received a boost in benefits. Senior managers were 1.5 times more likely to be promoted to a new position than middle managers or 2.5 times more likely than individual contributors. However, the likelihood of pay increases was essentially the same whether women were senior managers (47%), middle managers (46%), or individual contributors (42%).
3. Great working conditions make professional women extremely confident in their roles
A sensational 91% of women in the UK are very confident in their positions at work. Perceived equality in pay, promotion, and empowerment all make women comfortable in their performance in the workplace. Women in middle management were most confident in their performance (94%), followed by women in engineering and technical roles (93%). Only 1% of professional women have a constant battle with confidence in their job performance.
4. The Great Resignation appears to be coming to an end
Only 15% of professional women in the UK changed jobs in 2021, compared to 22% of senior managers, and 33% of women over 54. Six times as many women quit their jobs than were fired (13% vs. 2%). Only 13% of women in tech left their jobs, and 81% worked in the same position in 2020 and 2021. This trend will continue in 2022, as even fewer professional women expect to leave their jobs (10%), including just 6% of women in tech.
5. Enticing professional women takes more than just pay
The most important criteria for enticing employees in 2021 was an increase in pay (86%), followed by flexible work (69%), and a strong and healthy culture (40%). Flexible work was more important for individual contributors (71%) compared to middle managers (67%) or senior managers (56%).
Pay, flexibility, and culture are the top three enticements across all company sizes, roles, and professions. However, the third most popular enticement differed among the age groups. Women 25-34 and 35-44 were enticed by a strong and healthy company culture (42% and 39%), while women 45-54 were drawn to a company’s growth and success (38%). Women over 54 preferred companies with shared values (33%).
The women-men pay gap
Do you feel that men and women are paid equally for the same role at your company?
In the UK, a majority of all respondents (53%) believe that women and men are paid equally at the company where they work. 38% think that men are paid more than women, while just 2% hold that women are paid more.
Breakdown by company sIze
The positive outlook on pay equality is consistent across all company sizes: large (53%), medium (54%), and small(53%). The belief that men are paid more than women is also equally consistent, regardless of company size: large (38%), medium (39%), and small (36%). Slightly more women at small companies did not know whether women were paid the same as men (9%) compared to large (7%) or medium-sized companies (6%).
In the UK, a majority of all respondents (53%) believe that women and men are paid equally at the company where they work. 38% believe that men are paid more than women, while just 2% believe that women are paid more.
Breakdown by role
More senior managers believe that women and men are equally paid (56%) than middle managers (51%) or individual contributors (54%). Only 27% of senior managers feel that men are paid more than women, compared to 41% of middle managers and 36% of individual contributors.
Breakdown by profession
Fewer women in tech believe that women and men are paid equally (48%) compared to women in HR (53%) or all other professions (55%). Women in technical positions are also more likely to believe that their company pays men more than women (39%). This is slightly more than any other group, or the overall average of 38%.
Breakdown by age groups
62% of UK professional women over 54 believe that men and women are paid equally. This is well above the average of 53%, or 51% of younger women. Only 21% of women over 54 believe that men are paid more than women, compared to 41% of women aged 25-34, or 38% of total respondents. 10% of women over 54 believe that women are paid more than men, compared to 1% of women in the other three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54).
Promotions and women in leadership
Were you promoted in pay, benefits, or position upgrades the past year?
2021 was a good year for women getting promotions. 63% of women received a raise in pay, benefits, or position over the last year.
Breakdown by company size
Women at medium-sized companies were more likely to receive a promotion (67%) than women at large companies (61%) or women at small companies (58%). Women at medium-sized companies were more likely to receive a pay increase (46%) than a new position (19%) or an increase in benefits (11%). 18% of women at small companies expect a pay increase in 2022 compared to 15% of women at large companies or 14% at medium-sized companies.
Breakdown by role
An overwhelming majority of senior managers (senior directors, VPs, or executives) received a promotion in position, pay, or benefits (69%) in 2021, compared to 67% of middle managers or 64% of individual contributors. 47% of senior managers received a pay increase while 38% were promoted to a new position. 20% of senior managers did not receive a pay raise in 2021, but expect to receive one in 2022, compared to 14% of middle managers and 16% of individual contributors.
Breakdown by profession
UK women in technical positions were more likely to receive a promotion in pay, benefits, or position than women in other professions. 70% of women in tech received some sort of promotion, compared to 65% of women in HR, or 60% of women in all other professions. 19% of women in HR expect to receive a promotion in 2022, compared to 11% in tech or 15% in all other positions.
Breakdown by age groups
Younger professional women aged 25-34 were more likely to receive a promotion in pay, benefits, or position than any other group (66%). This is significantly more than women 35-44 (58%), women 45-54 (53%), or women over 54 (46%). 20% of women 45-54 expect a pay raise in 2022, compared to women over 54 (17%), women aged 25-34 (15%), or 35-44 (13%).
Work-life balance & confidence
Do you expect your work-life balance to improve in 2022?
Work-life balance is an ongoing challenge and increased significantly during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic when work shifted out of the office. In 2022, more women expect their work-life balance to remain the same (40%) compared to improving (31%) or getting worse (27%).
Breakdown by company size
46% of women at large companies expect their work-life balance to remain the same, compared to 40% at small companies or 38% at medium-sized companies. More professional women working at small companies (100-99) expect their work-life balance to improve in 2022 (34%), followed by women at medium-sized companies (31%) and large companies (27%).
Breakdown by role
45% of individual contributors expect their work-life balance to remain the same in 2022 followed by 42% for senior managers and 36% for middle managers. More individual contributors expected their work-life balance to get better (30%) than get worse (23%). Senior managers agree, but less so (29% vs. 27%). Middle managers were evenly split whether their work-life balance would get worse or better (31%).
Breakdown by profession
46% of HR women professionals expect their work-life balance to remain the same in 2022. This is higher than women in tech or all other professions (42%). More women in technical positions expect their work-life balance to get worse (31%) than better (27%). Women in HR agree (28% vs. 22%). Women in all other professions are more likely to believe that work-life balance will be better in 2022 than worse (31% vs 25%).
Breakdown by age groups
Older women are significantly more optimistic about work-life balance in 2022 than other age groups. 45% of women over 54 feel it will improve, compared to 25% of women aged 45-54, 28% of women 35-44, and 32% of women 25-34. Women 45-54 are the most pessimistic about work-life balance, with 30% believing that it will worsen, a belief shared by only 16% of women over 54.
Do you feel confident in your performance?
Feeling confident in your performance means you feel productive, and that you are aware of your value to your team, and your part in your company’s success. Overall, 91% of UK women professionals report that they are confident in their performance–which is fantastic. Only 5% were not confident, with a mere 1% constantly struggling with confidence in their performance. 5% overall were unsure.
Breakdown by company size
In the UK, women across companies of all sizes were similarly confident in their performance (90-91%). Their lack of confidence was similar across companies of all sizes (5%), as were the feelings of those who constantly struggle with confidence (1%).
Breakdown by role
Surprisingly, middle managers were more confident (94%) than individual contributors (88%) or senior managers (82%). More senior managers constantly struggled with confidence (7%) compared to middle managers and individual contributors (1%). In addition, their general lack of confidence (11%) was significantly larger than individual contributors (5%) or middle managers (3%).
Breakdown by profession
93% of women in tech professions feel confident in their performance, with only 2% not feeling confident, and none (0%) constantly struggle with confidence. The least confident professionals are HR professionals. Only 87% are confident in their performance, while 7% don’t feel confident, compared to 4% overall.
Breakdown by age groups
While women over 54 are the least confident (85%) and women 25-34 are the most confident (92%), decreasing confidence is not merely a reflection of age. Women 45-54 and 35-44 were nearly as confident as young women (91% and 90%). Many more women over 54 reported a constant struggle with confidence (5%) than women 45-54 (0%), or 35-44 and 25-34 (1%).
The Great Resignation
Did you leave your job in 2021?
While many talk about a “Great Resignation” or “Great Migration” induced by two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, only 15% of UK professional women left their jobs in 2021. Respondents were 6-7 times more likely to have quit a job (13%) than be fired (2%). In 2022, only 10% of all professional women expect to leave their jobs.
Breakdown by company size
20% of professional women at small companies changed jobs in 2021 compared to women at medium companies (16%) or large companies (13%). Women at small companies were more likely to quit (16%) compared to women in medium (14%) or large companies (11%). 79% of women at large companies stayed in their jobs in 2021, more than women in small companies (72%) or medium-sized companies (71%). Regarding 2022, more women at medium-sized companies are planning to change jobs (14%) than women at large or small companies (8%).
Breakdown by role
22% of senior managers left their jobs in 2021. 11% quit and 11% were fired. The percentage of senior managers who were fired is much higher than middle managers and individual contributors (2% each). 16% of senior managers also expect to leave their jobs in 2022. 76% of middle managers stayed at their jobs in 2021, as did 75% of individual contributors.
Breakdown by profession
13% of women in tech (developers and engineers) left their jobs in 2021. This was slightly less than HR or all other professions (15% each). Only 6% of women in tech expect to change their jobs in 2022, compared to 15percent of women in HR or 10% of women in all other occupations. Many more women in tech stayed in their jobs (81%), compared to HR (70%) or all other professions (75%).
Breakdown by age groups
33% of UK women over 54 left their jobs in 2021. This is more than twice the average of 15% and far exceeds women 45-54 (10%), women 35-44 (13%), and women 25-34 (17%). Women over 54 were fired six times more than average (12% vs. 2%), and much more than women 45-54 (1%), women 35-44 (3%), or women 25-34 (2%). No women over 54 expect to leave their jobs in 2022, compared to 6% of women 45-54, 9% of women 35-44, or 12% of women 25-34.
What would entice you to take a new job with a new employer?
The top three enticements for taking a new job were: increased pay (86%), flexible work (69%), and a strong and healthy company culture (43%).
Breakdown by company size
Women in large companies were more enticed by an increase in pay (90%) than women in medium companies (83%) or small companies (82%). Flexible work was less enticing to women at small companies (65%) than those at medium-sized companies (68%) or large companies (71%). Company culture was most important for women in small companies (43%), followed by women in medium companies (40%) and women in large companies (40%). Women in leadership was an enticement for 29% of women in medium-sized companies, which is significantly higher than women at large or small companies (18% each).
Breakdown by role
Individual contributors are much more enticed by an increase in pay (89%) than middle managers (84%) or senior managers (62%). They also find flexible work more important (71%) than middle managers (67%) or senior managers (56%). Middle managers were more enticed by company culture (44%) than individual contributors (38%) or senior managers (33%). While a company’s growth and success are attractive to middle managers (32%) and individual contributors (30%), it induces 22% of senior managers to take a new job.
Breakdown by profession
A pay increase is a greater enticement for women in tech (89%) than women in HR (84%) or all other professions (86%). Flexible work is more attractive to women in HR (72%) than women in engineering (69%) or women in all other professions (68%). For women in tech, a company’s growth and success was the third-largest enticer (45%), while women in HR and women in all other professions preferred a strong and healthy culture. Women in HR were less enticed by a company’s values (26%) than women in tech (35%) or women in all other professions (30%).
Breakdown by age groups
For women of all ages, a pay increase is the most attractive enticement, followed by flexible work (flexible hours, remote working, and work from anywhere). Younger women found a pay increase more enticing than older ones: 88% of women 25-34 compared to 86% of women 35-44, 80% of women 45-54, and 69% of women over 54. Flexible work is more important to younger women than older women: 70% for women 25-34 and 71% for women 35-44 compared to 60% for women 45-54 and 55% for women over 54.
The third most popular enticement differed across the age groups. Women 25-34 and 35-44 were enticed by a strong and healthy company culture (42% and 39%), while women 45-54 were enticed by a company’s growth and success (38%), and women over 54 preferred companies with shared values (33%).
Does your company offer, or have they expanded women-specific benefits?
Breakdown by company size
Breakdown by role
Breakdown by profession
Breakdown by age groups
Where do you experience your company’s attitude towards women?
Breakdown by company size
Breakdown by role
Breakdown by profession
Recommended For Further Reading
Breakdown by age groups
Has a colleague ever made you feel uncomfortable or less qualified in the workplace because you are a woman?
Twice as many women senior managers are made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace because of their gender (58%) compared to all women professionals (26%). This is followed by women in tech (39%), women middle managers, and women at medium-sized companies (33% each).
Note: This graph displays the answers from all of the various subgroups.