Women Are Less Confident Than Male Colleagues About Getting a Higher Salary

New findings from the latest Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey suggest that employee confidence about receiving a pay rise is high, with 41 percent of employees expecting an increase in pay over the next 12 months. This is the highest point since the index began in Q1 2014 (up from 34 percent). However, this figure masks a significant difference in how men and women are feeling in the workplace. Forty six percent of men are confident of more money compared to just 35 percent of women. On the plus side, the gap in sentiment between men and women has narrowed. Back in Q1 2014, there were 18 percentage points difference, now female employees are 11 percentage points less confident. Nevertheless, the figures would be more optimistic still in there was greater parity between the genders. The Glassdoor UK Employment Confidence Survey tracks four core indicators of employment confidence including: salary expectations, job market optimism, business outlook and job security. Business Outlook Improving Two fifths of (40 percent) employees believe that business outlook will improve over the next six months – another high since the UK study began in Q1 2014. Of that, 42 percent of men have a positive outlook, compared to just 37 percent of women. This relative lack of confidence amongst women might go some way to explain the views around pay rises. Approximately one in ten (13 percent) employees believe things will get worse at their company. Job Security Fears Recede Just over a quarter of employees (26 percent) are concerned that they will be made redundant over the next six months, a figure which is down six percentage points from Q3 2015 (but still up from 21 percent in Q1 2014 when the UK survey started). When asked if they were concerned about co-workers being made redundant, 38 percent agreed – down six percentage points compared to Q3 2015 when this figure reached a two year high (44 per cent). In the last six months, 44 per cent of all businesses in the UK that had made negative changes in the workplace have made employees redundant/and or communicated plans to implement further redundancies. This is down from 53 per cent compared to the same period in 2014. Job Market Optimism Approximately one in three (34 percent) employees believe that if they were made redundant they would be able to find a new job that matches their skills and experience within the next six months, up two percentage points on previous quarter. Of those currently unemployed, 38 percent believe they will find a job over the next six months - up 8 percentage points on the previous quarter. Check out more from our Q1 2016 Glassdoor UK Employment Confidence Survey, including our survey supplement, which provides a detailed breakdown of results. Glassdoor publishes the UK Employment Confidence Survey at least twice per year, helping job seekers, employees and employers monitor and track employee confidence in the UK and how it relates to business, jobs, companies, careers, hiring and more. Methodology The Q1 2016 survey of 2,028 people, among whom 923 are employed full-time/part-time, was conducted online within Great Britain by Harris Interactive on behalf of Glassdoor from . This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact pr@glassdoor.com.