What does a CEO look like in 2023?

Baby Boomers, Gen Z, and the generations in between are divided when it comes to what they think today’s CEO looks like.

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, people2people Recruitment polled its database to gain insight into gender bias in leadership positions and recruitment in Australia.

The findings reveal there are different perceptions of what makes up a chief executive in today’s market.

Respondents were asked: “Picture a CEO. Is this person male or female?”

According to the results, three in four Baby Boomers still think of a CEO as being male.

Meanwhile, 67 per cent of Generation X and Y think of a CEO as being male, versus 33 per cent that said female.

The younger generation has an equally balanced perspective with a split of 50/50.

According to research from the Growth Faculty, currently, in Australia, women hold only 6 per cent of CEO roles in the ASX 300. Meanwhile, a third of Australian boards still have no female directors, and only 15 per cent of chair positions are held by females.

Further, the research found that Australian women make up 33 per cent of key management personnel and just 14 per cent of line roles (which are defined as being “profit and loss responsibility roles traditionally seen as the pipeline for CEO[s]”).

The recruitment company also released the figures to the question: “Do you believe you have been discriminated against based on gender at the interview stage in the last two years?”, to which four in 10 respondents said they had.

“It’s evident that we are seeing a mindset shift when it comes to the gender divide in leadership positions, particularly when it comes to the younger generation,” said Peta Seaman, people2people Recruitment’s managing director SA.

“At the same time, it’s disappointing to hear that gender is still playing a role in the recruitment process.”

This International Women’s Day marks an opportune time for organisations to reflect on gender bias in the workplace, Ms Seaman noted.

“This year’s International Women’s Day theme is about embracing equity, and before blaming others, it is important to reflect on our own behaviour, as unconscious bias might be influencing some of our decisions,” she said.

“It is essential to not only identify these biases, but make sure they don’t impact our thought process making and our perception of others.”

To coincide with International Women’s Day, Ms Seaman provided her top five tips for creating a gender-equal workplace:

1. Embed inclusive behaviours into your company values and competencies.

2. Focus on skills-based assessments when it comes to recruiting and performance reviews.

3. Provide diversity, equity and inclusion training to all employees and managers. 

4. Clearly articulate the link between diversity, equity and inclusion and organisational goals.

5. Increase the shortlist of candidates by at least five when recruiting to ensure an even balance of female and male candidates.