Barriers to career advancement among diversity groups in China one of the lowest within Asia, according to new Hays study

 

The report, ‘Building Inclusive Hiring Practices: A Blueprint for Action’, surveyed 966 working professionals and hiring managers across China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in July 2024.

 

Respondents were asked how various diversity factors affected their careers within their organisation, and where they felt their companies stood today with DE&I initiatives. Diversity factors taken into account included ethnicity, gender identity, socio economic background, disability, sexual orientation, neurodiversity or status as a caregiver.

 

62 per cent of working professionals in China said they felt their personal diversity factors had not limited their career advancement opportunities, second only to Japan at 63 per cent.

 

“Professionals in China want to feel included and equitably treated by their employers,” says Sue Wei, Managing Director at Hays Greater China. “And when professionals are treated right, organisations stand to benefit from individuals exhibiting increased engagement, participation and productivity at work.” 

 

China performed well when it came to caregiver assistance, with 73 per cent of caregivers not feeling like they had faced any barriers in their career, the lowest in Asia. Women and ethnic minorities within their company were more likely to encounter resistance, with only 64 per cent answering that they felt no limitations to career progression.

 

“DE&I practices also help with employee retention. 76 per cent of working professionals said that they were more likely to stay with their current organisation if they felt seen,” says Sue.

 

Working professionals in China also have one of the highest rates of satisfaction when it comes to representation in management teams. 67 per cent of respondents found current initiatives to recruit management positions from diverse talent pools to be effective. 51 per cent were satisfied or very satisfied with their organisations promoting diverse management candidates from within.

 

“There is a clear link between diversity among management teams and the implementation of successful DE&I measures within the organisation. Senior leadership buy-in will be key for companies looking to enhance their current initiatives,” adds Sue.

 

 

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional, and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany, and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As of 30 June 2024, the Group employed over 11,100 staff operating from 236 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2024:

 

– the Group reported net fees of £1,113.6 million and operating profit of £105.1 million.
– the Group placed around 57,700 candidates into permanent jobs and around 225,000 people into temporary roles.
– 13% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 32% in Germany, 20% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 35% in Rest of World (RoW).
– the temporary placement business represented 59% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 41% of net fees.
– Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 25% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (11%), are the next largest.
– Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK, and the USA.