The view on big players

The title from John Gray’s book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, seems to crop up every time there is a debate about the way men and women think.  

Once again the differences in the male and female psyche emerged at the Randstad Awards to recognise New Zealand’s best workplace as determined by some 4000 jobseekers.

The international recruitment company, with its foundations in the Netherlands, first launched these awards in Belgium 11 years ago. This year the award moved outside of Europe for the first time and the gala dinner that saw Air New Zealand take top honours was a convivial affair.

However, while the survey, which determined the awards, provided a keen insight into public perceptions of how our major companies stacked up as desirable places of work, I had to wonder, if actually working at some of these companies for a few years would alter any of those opinions. I’m inclined to think they would.

Of course, we cannot know one way or another and I am the first to admit that those companies who ranked in the top five – 75 company names were put forward – must have their marketing/advertising right if so many people saw them as providing an ideal environment in which to work.

But what intrigued me the most was survey results, which showed men and women influenced by different factors.

Women looked for flexibility, work/life balance, a convenient location, learning and development opportunities and a strong workplace culture.
Men, on the other hand valued financially stable companies with a strong image/reputation, quality products/services and which also provided long term job security.

Despite such different expectations, it seems, on the basis of the survey there are a number of companies, including the winner Air New Zealand, capable of delivering all the functions desired by both men and women.

From an editor’s perspective I was amused to discover that 39 per cent of respondents wanted to work in the media and saw this sector as providing the most interesting role content together with job satisfaction and career progression opportunities.