Chicago — Feb. 2
HR Solutions Inc. recently conducted a study of about 10,000 multi-industry employee engagement surveys, analyzing differences between men and women with regard to overall job satisfaction.

Five survey questions yielded notable differences between the sexes.

Survey Items:

• "This organization provides me the opportunity to improve my professional knowledge and job skills."  
  
• Favorable (women): 73 percent   
• Favorable (men): 66 percent

• "My job gives me the opportunity to do the things that I do best."
• Favorable (women): 73 percent
  
• Favorable (men): 67 percent

• "Senior management of this organization is concerned about the employees."
• Favorable (women): 46 percent
• Favorable (men): 49 percent

• "I have an opportunity to participate in decisions made by my supervisor that affect my work environment."
• Favorable (women): 59 percent
• Favorable (men): 63 percent

• "All in all, I am satisfied with my job."  
• Favorable (women): 74 percent
• Favorable (men): 72 percent

The data indicates women generally respond more favorably on survey tems regarding job fit, career development, and ultimately overall job satisfaction.

Men tend to respond more favorably when asked if they felt included by their supervisor in decisions affecting
them and whether senior management was concerned for employees.

"Gender-based differences on key engagement questions may indicate the need for a customized approach to actively engaging your workforce," said HR Solutions Principal Consultant Murat Philippe. "Furthermore, these findings raise other questions about gender differences in career development and the effect of predominantly male
management staffs in today diverse workforce."

It is well-documented that males and females have different ommunication and management styles. Therefore, it is not surprising each sex has a different opinion on job satisfaction and might react differently to varied levers of employee engagement, which the
aforementioned scores support.