Canadian women see themselves as risk-takers and innovators in the workplace but many fear they will lose their jobs to technology within the next decade.
Those are the results of a survey conducted by Randstad Canada, which is in the business of staffing, recruitment and human resource services.
“Canadian women see themselves as innovators and risk-takers – they’re less risk averse than employers may think – which is good news as the workplace evolves. The creativity and flexibility that come with an innovative mindset will be important for both employees and employers in the next decade,” said Carolyn Levy, president of technologies at Randstad Canada.
“Canadians need to remember that behind the technology there will still be people. An agile mindset, which includes working collaboratively, embracing inclusivity and creative problem-solving, will be the skills that set workers apart in the next decade, across all sectors.”
The survey found the following:
- 61 per cent of Canadian women see themselves as risk-takers and innovators in the workplace;
- 30 per cent of employed women across all sectors expect they will lose their jobs within the decade due to advances in technology, such as automation and artificial intelligence (AI); women employed in the manufacturing sector feel the greatest vulnerability: 62 per cent believe their industry bears the greatest risk of job losses due to advances in technology in the next decade; this concern is echoed by 29 per cent of women working in IT and 24 per cent of women working in retail; those employed in education, health care, and engineering and construction view their industries as stable by comparison;
- 38 per cent believe baby boomers have the greatest risk of losing their jobs due to technology, compared to 21 per cent for generation Xers and just 13 per cent for millennials;
- 54 per cent are not doing anything to protect their careers from being negatively impacted by technology;
- 57 per cent want to see women promoted to leadership roles; 36 per cent want to see more women represented in board of director roles and 33 per cent want to see women-led panels to discuss and promote women’s voices in the workplace.
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