The promotion disconnect: Women match men in confidence but receive half the promotions

With the cap-gun fired on the marathon to close the gender pay gap in Australia, employers and HR teams need to rise to the occasion and start actioning these steps as soon as they can – if they haven’t already, writes Sabrina Scherm.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) gender pay gap transparency law has marked its first anniversary, bringing a new amendment requiring workplaces with over 500 employees to meet three gender equality targets within the next three years. This amendment is significant because it has the potential to create a wave of change to benefit 3.9 million Australian employees.

As Aussie employers work to meet these new gender equality targets, HiBob’s recent research reveals that despite women’s growing confidence, just one in four (25 per cent) say they received a promotion in 2024 compared to 41 per cent of men. This disparity raises urgent questions about the systemic barriers to women’s career advancement.

To set companies up for success before the new wave of gender reporting, HR professionals need to ensure equal career progression for all employees on their payroll. If you’re an employer, start by asking yourself: what’s missing, and what should be done to get there?

Empower your workforce through diverse representation at a senior level

Organisations that fail to address gender disparities risk not only losing top talent but also missing out on the benefits of diverse leadership. In fact, McKinsey’s research finds that companies with more women in leadership benefit from greater innovation, healthier cultures, and stronger performance. Who wouldn’t want this?!

A great example of this in action is the leadership team at the shift workforce management platform, Deputy. As of 2025, women make up the majority of their senior leadership team. Despite the challenging economic conditions, Deputy emerged as the first Australian tech unicorn in two years and earned a spot in Cut Through Ventures’ Q1 2024 report as one of the 30 largest deals of the year. This is a true testament to what can be achieved with diverse representation at the very top!

Get in touch with your unconscious bias

For those yet unfamiliar with the term (I hope you all know it, though!), unconscious bias in the workplace refers to the human tendency to form opinions about others in the office without having enough relevant information. Bias can stem from stereotypes, preconceived notions, past experiences or gut instinct, which can affect how people are evaluated in their reviews.

While bias is part of human nature, HR leaders should consider a training program encouraging employees to examine their natural inclinations and determine whether their notions stem from solid reasoning or perceived stereotypes. Even outside of HR training and as an organisational imperative, there are many free tests like the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT), which can be a great check-in tool to do from time to time.

Leverage HR tech to paint a whole picture of employees and their progression

When HR leverages tech to drive fair pay and transparent benefits by leaning on AI and data-driven decision making, it can help grow trust, raise engagement, and strengthen retention. So, when it comes to promotion and review season, the bulk of the work has already been done, and employee efforts are made into tangible points of discussion, greatly assisting in their review.

By shifting from reactive problem solving to proactive people management, HR tech helps create a culture of accountability where managers can take ownership of key responsibilities. HR teams can then have the space to focus on long-term strategy and business impact.

With the cap-gun fired on the marathon to close the gender pay gap in Australia, employers and HR teams need to rise to the occasion and start actioning these steps as soon as they can – if they haven’t already. By making sure your review process is fair and equitable from the get-go, you can be well on track to meet the 2028 deadline to meet at least one of your gender equity targets.

Sabrina Scherm is the customer success manager at HiBob.