The recent survey of more than 1000 Australian and New Zealand professionals by recruiter Hays also reveals that of these women, 22% think the asking and answering of such questions impacted their chance of securing the job. On top of this, 34% were unsure.
In contrast, 8% of men surveyed reported being asked such questions in a job interview during the past 12 months. Of these men, only 10% think it impacted their chances of securing the job.
“It’s unacceptable that some hiring managers still ask people about their caring responsibilities or their plans to have children,” Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia and NZ said on the release of the findings.
“People should not ask, or make assumptions, about a person’s commitments outside of work based on their age of gender.”
The survey, conducted as part of Hays’s 2018-19 Diversity & Inclusion Report, also revealed that 57% of women said there has been an occasion during their career when they felt their chance of being accepted for a job was lowered because of their gender.
Less than half of women surveyed felt they are able to have open and transparent career development conversations with their boss. Just 36% of women said their organisation gives them access to mentors.
“With relevant experience key to gaining a senior or executive role, women need to be able to talk through their career ambitions with their manager and be given opportunities to break through and gain the necessary experience,” Deligiannis said.