Equal pay, more visible female leadership and more family-friendly work policies are among the most beneficial ways in which companies can help women advance, according to male and female respondents to the latest Randstad US Employee Engagement Index study.

• When asked about the top ways in which their company can best help women advance to leadership levels, not surprisingly, equal pay was cited most often among women (49%) and men (37%).
• Having more women in leadership positions was the second most cited (named by 34% of women and 31% of men).
• More family-friendly work policies was the third most cited overall, selected by 31 percent of women and 26 percent of men.
• The fourth way was more leadership development programs for women, named almost equally by women and men (25% and 24%, respectively).
• Men and women differed significantly on their opinions on number five on the list, with 28 percent of women and just 20 percent of men noting that greater flexibility in terms of scheduling/telecommuting would help in the advancement of women.

The study also found that 67 percent of total respondents strongly/somewhat agree with the statement, "By 2020, I expect there to be many more women in leadership positions in my company or organization." Additionally, more than three-quarters (76%) of women feel whether a company "has women in positions of leadership" is important when considering taking a position with a new company.

"With nearly one billion women poised to enter the global economy in the coming decade, and representing the majority of college and advanced degree holders, employers will be increasingly reliant upon women in the workplace to drive innovation and corporate success," said Lisa Crawford, senior vice president, Randstad US. "In order to compete in the growing war for female talent in the years ahead, companies that encourage the development and attainment of leadership positions equitably will be well-positioned in their recruitment efforts. The pursuit of leadership rank is a universal aspiration, and therefore organizations that help their workforce achieve those goals, regardless of gender, will emerge successful." 

Women and men surveyed by Randstad US weighed in on a variety of topics related to employee engagement and women in the workplace. Other relevant findings included:

• Women are Less Likely to be Considering a Job Change 
  According to Randstad's Q3 2013 Engagement Study, in the next 6 months, 42 percent of men compared to 34 percent of women are likely to seek out a job in a different company, and 48 percent of men compared to 40 percent of women are likely to give a lot of consideration to a job offer.
• Women are Optimistic about Opportunities for Growth with Their Employers
  Only 46 percent of women expect- to have to switch employers to grow their careers, compared to 56 percent of men.