• 54% of respondents expressed concern that a hybrid working style leads to missing out on key opportunities for career progression

Riyadh, KSA:  9 in 10 women working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia say that the organisations they work in have policies in place to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is according to a study by leading global management consultancy firm Kearney that looks at several factors affecting women in the workplace, including employer support of career ambitions, adoption of hybrid working, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion imperatives set by their organisations.

The Kearney Diversity, Equity and Inclusion survey reveals and 8 in 10 women feel they get the support they need from their employers to reach their career aspirations. Over half (51%) of female employees in the Kingdom see themselves changing sectors or careers in the next 10 years, and 36% indicate that they would like to hold a leadership position. 60% would like their employers to provide them with training in emerging skills and trends like ESG and data analytics to help them grow and support their career ambitions. Almost half (48%) would like employers to provide regular training to upskill in their current career choice.

Isabel Neiva, Partner of Leadership, Change and Organization at Kearney Middle East comments, “in the last decade, Saudi Arabia has shown remarkable commitment to bring more women into the workforce with reforms implemented to incentivize and protect women entering the labor market. Increasing the participation of females in the workforce has delivered unmistakable results and fueled the country’s transformation. Encouraging women to play a more significant role in the workforce will aid in the Kingdom’s efforts towards economic diversification and ultimately making real progress towards Vision 2030.”

When looking at hybrid workplaces, 60% of respondents revealed that they have been provided the flexibility to work from home or office by their employers. 29% of respondents were offered hybrid working cultures but choose to work from the office, whereas 3 % chose to only work from home. A mere 7% of the organisations do not have a hybrid working structure.

On how hybrid working has helped equitable working opportunities, respondents recorded higher levels of motivation (84%), productivity (85%), progression (84%), inclusion (78%) as well as learning and development (86%).

More than half (54%) of women expressed concern that a hybrid working style leads to them missing out on key opportunities for career progression. However, respondents remained optimistic about the changing landscape of leadership roles, with 76% believing that the new ways of working will have a positive impact on women just entering the workforce.

When looking at policies that have a positive impact on removing barriers around diversity, equity, and inclusion 49% of women stressed that flexible working was a game changer. This was followed by policies with regards to adjusting the physical work environment to make it comfortable for everyone (48%), specialized training and development like unconscious bias training (44%), as well as having a firm structure for moving up in the company (43%). Other factors that women claimed were key to removing gender barriers in the workplace were transparency around pay and renumeration (40%), quotas and targets to achieve gender balance in leadership positions (38%) and access to diversity networks, such as a gender equality network (36%).

“Considerable progress has been made over the last few years in terms of gender diversity and equal opportunities. However, there are many women who still find that they must work harder and provide more evidence of their competence than men. To ensure that women in the workforce are given the means and support to reach their full potential, it is key for organizations to provide regular trainings to upskill their female employees and have policies in place to drive diversity and inclusion and eradicate bias,” Neiva concluded.

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