The document summarizes findings from the Bentley University Preparedness Survey regarding perceptions of career preparedness and opportunities for millennial women compared to millennial men. The survey found that while respondents believe women are better prepared for their first jobs after college, men are perceived to be better prepared for long-term career success and better suited to succeed in today's business climate. However, the survey also found that respondents view women as having skills like communication and organization that are highly valued by business leaders. The document discusses potential solutions such as mentorship programs and helping women understand work-life balance to help address gender biases and barriers that women face.

1. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY: THE PREPAREDU PROJECT
MILLENNIAL WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: PERCEPTIONS,
REALITIES, CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Introduction
The Bentley University PreparedU Project features a comprehensive Preparedness Survey that
uncovers the “why, what, and how” behind the millennial generation’s challenges in the 21st
century workplace. The survey results serve as a springboard for a wide-ranging conversation
and a call to action for stakeholders to find innovative ways to prepare millennials for career
success and a fulfilling life.
To learn more about the survey’s initial findings, visit Bentley.edu/Prepared.
A key area covered in the study is perceptions of the career preparedness of millennial
women compared to millennial men. The survey results present a striking challenge: While
respondents see women as better prepared for their first jobs after graduating from college,
respondents give men the advantage when it comes to the likelihood of overall career success.
Given these findings, how do stakeholders (higher education leaders, business leaders, parents,
college students, high school students, and recent college graduates) ensure that men and
women are able to participate equally at all levels, succeeding not just in their first job, but
throughout their career? How do we provide more encouragement and support to millennial
women at an early age? How do we address obstacles and biases that prevent women from
reaching leadership positions in their organizations?
Addressing questions such as these forms the core of the Bentley University PreparedU Project.
The research finds that millennial women have confidence in their career skills and abilities
to succeed long-term, specifically skills that are valued by business leaders, suggesting that a
positive change starting with their generation could be just around the corner.
About The Bentley University Preparedness Study
The Bentley University Preparedness Study is one of the most comprehensive surveys done on the subject of
preparedness for the workforce. Conducted in October 2013 by KRC Research, the online survey of 3,149 respondents
explored 11 different themes via more than 300 questions with nine different stakeholder groups: business decision-
makers, corporate recruiters, higher education influentials, parents of high school students (juniors and seniors
only), parents of college students, high school students (juniors and seniors only), college students, recent college
graduates (those who graduated within the past five years), and members of the general public (U.S. adults ages 18
and over). The average interview duration was 29 minutes in length and the margin of sampling error for the total
sample is plus or minus 1.75% at the 95% confidence level.
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2. Context: Women In The U.S. Labor Market
Although women account for more than half (53%) of all entry level professionals at the largest industrial
companies in the United States, according to McKinsey and Companyi
, they are still earning less than their
male colleagues as they climb up the career ladder. According to the U.S. Census Bureauii
, the average full-time
woman employee earns 77 cents for every dollar her male colleagues earn. And the same McKinsey study found
that women hold just 37% of middle management positions and 26% of senior management positions in the
companies it examined – despite the fact that they come into the workforce so strong.
Millennial Women and Workforce Preparedness:
Findings from the Bentley Preparedness Survey
The Bentley Preparedness Survey shows that respondents believe recent female college graduates are better
prepared for their first job than male recent college graduates – by a wide margin, 59% to 41% (see table 1 below
for more detail). Yet while survey respondents consider women better prepared for success in their first jobs,
they believe men are better prepared for their entire careers (53% to 47%). More significantly, when asked, “Who
is better suited to succeed in today’s business climate,” just 31% of respondents choose women, compared with
69% who choose men. This was true among millennials themselves: 62% of millennial women believe men are
better suited for success in today’s business climate.
Interestingly, as the lists below make clear, respondents who said that they believe female recent college
graduates to be better prepared for their first jobs gave broadly similar explanations for why they believe that
to be the case: 70% of these respondents cite factors related to women’s skills and abilities.
In contrast, among respondents who said they believe male recent college graduates to be better prepared for
their first job, just under one-quarter (23%) cite factors related to men’s skills and abilities, while nearly one-
fifth (19%) say men are better prepared for their first jobs because men generally have more career success.
Gender bias may be a factor behind perceptions among respondents that men are better prepared for their first
jobs due to a variety of non-skill-related factors, including that they have more career success.
All
Respondents Men Women
Business
Decision
Makers Corporate Recruiters
Better suited to succeed in
today's business climate (Q99).
Women 31% 22% 37% 23% 32%
Men 69 78 63 77 68
Better prepared for their first
jobs (Q108).
Women 59 51 64 51 61
Men 41 49 36 49 39
Better prepared for their entire
careers (Q120).
Women 47 38 53 39 46
Men 53 62 47 61 54
Table 1. Perceptions of women's and men's workforce preparedness
Question 99. Overall, who is better suited to succeed in today's business climate? Question 108. Do you think women who are recent college
graduates or men who are recent college graduates are better prepared for their first job? Question 120. Do you think women who are recent
college graduates or men who are recent college graduates are better prepared for their entire career?
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3. As table 2 below shows, the Bentley Preparedness Study found that women are seen as much better suited to
success when it comes to specific qualities like organizational skills and interpersonal and communication skills,
with men and women alike agreeing that women have an advantage in these areas. The study found a significant
gender split when it came to one skill area, however: decision-making ability. Overall, respondents are split almost
evenly on whether men or women are better suited for success when it comes to decision-making skills. Men
overwhelmingly think that men are better suited to make decisions (63%), but women overwhelmingly think that
women are better suited to make decisions (62%). Finally, when it comes to leadership skills and “entrepreneurial
spirit,” respondents overwhelmingly believe that men are better suited to succeed.
Top Reasons Why Men & Women
Are Better Prepared For Their First Jobs
WOMEN
Work harder 18%
Better organization skills 14%
More prepared 12%
Smarter 9%
Responsible 9%
Better social skills 6%
Tougher 3%
Better at multitasking 2%
MEN
Experienced 12%
More men are hired 7%
Men are better 6%
Dominant 6%
Not emotional 4%
Things are easier for men 3%
Stronger 3%
Smarter 1%
Better at business 1%
All
Respondents Men Women
Business
Decision Makers
Corporate
Recruiters
Decision-making skills (Q100)
Women 51% 37% 62% 37% 48%
Men 49 63 38 63 52
Women 82 76 87 82 81
Men 18 24 13 18 19
Organizational skills (Q102)
Women 86 76 93 84 85
Men 14 24 07 16 15
Leadership skills (Q103)
Women 36 20 48 29 33
Men 64 80 52 71 67
Entrepreneurial spirit (Q104)
Women 38 29 45 32 32
Men 62 71 55 68 68
Table 2. Specific skills: Who is better suited for success?
Questions 100-104. Now thinking about each of the following qualities, who is better suited for business -- men or women?
Communication & interpersonal skills (Q101)
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4. COMMENTARY: HOW CAN WOMEN OVERCOME GENDER BIAS?
Although respondents perceive women to possess more of the skills and abilities that business leaders are
looking for, like strong communication and organizational skills, the gender bias in the workplace remains
strong. Men are seen as better prepared for lifelong career success based on general perception rather than
concrete evidence. This perception holds the unfortunate risk of being a self-fulfilling prophecy, despite the
fact that women are indeed believed by business decision makers and corporate recruiters to be well equipped
for success.
Do women need to improve their leadership and entrepreneurial abilities, or do men need to recognize an
existing gender bias? We think it’s the latter. Change starts with the millennial generation, whose members can
work together, along with key stakeholders like businesses and higher education institutions, to break these
barriers. Young women should be encouraged to see social bias for what it is and focus on doing their best to
rise to the top.
Encouragingly, millennial women have great confidence in women’s skills and abilities. A full 92% of millennial
women believe that women’s organizational skills are superior to men’s. And 84% believe that women’s
communications and interpersonal skills are superior to men’s. These are skills that the main Bentley
Preparedness Survey showed to be highly valued by business leaders.
Gloria Larson, president of Bentley University
The Gender Gap in Parents’ Encouragement to Pursue a Business Career.
The Bentley Preparedness Survey also examined whether women receive encouragement to pursue business careers.
Among respondents who say that not enough women are pursuing careers in business today, roughly half (51% of
women and 45% of men) say women simply don’t have as many opportunities in business as men have. Among
millennials, 47% report an opportunity gap between men and women, including 51% of millennial women and 39%
of millennial men.
Parents with high school or college-age sons and daughters are more likely to encourage sons to pursue a career
in business than they are to encourage daughters. Millennial men are more likely than millennial women to report
they have been encouraged to go into business (53% compared with 46%). Indeed, more than half of respondents
(55%) overall believe that women do not receive enough encouragement to enter the business world. Among business
decision makers, 62% believe this to be the case.
Respondents do see broad benefits to having more women pursue careers in business. When asked if the corporate
world would experience fewer scandals if more women were in leadership positions, 52% of respondents agreed, while
36% disagreed. (58 % of women agreed, compared with 44% of men.)
Finally, the Bentley Preparedness Survey asked respondents whether they believe it is getting easier or getting harder
for women to have a successful career and personal life and found a marked gender split: 59% of men say it’s getting
easier, compared with 50% of women. Fully half of all women, in other words, believe it is still hard for women to
achieve both a successful professional and personal life. Among millennials, 62% of millennial men say it’s getting
easier for women to have it all, compared to 52% of millennial women.
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5. FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS
The goal of The PreparedU Project is to identify and promote solutions for
preparing millennial college graduates for success not just in their first
jobs after college, but throughout their careers.
All stakeholders have a role to play in ensuring that women graduate
from college well-prepared for success in their careers. Higher education
leaders, the business community, parents and millennials themselves need
to take responsibility for doing their part in this challenge and identify
and embrace solutions that will ensure young women can continue to
secure employment and have equal opportunity to advance to positions of
leadership in their organizations.
The Bentley Preparedness Survey outlines potential solutions for preparing
millennial women for workforce and career success. For example:
Understanding work-life balance.
56% of women and 47% of men say that helping women understand that
they can have a successful career while also being a good parent or spouse/
partner could better prepare women to succeed in business. More than
half (56%) of all business leaders (which includes business decision makers
and corporate recruiters) feel the same, including 62% of female business
decision makers and 59% of female corporate recruiters. Among the
solutions presented, this was also the most popular among male business
MYTH: Compared with men,
women don’t have what it takes
to succeed in business.
FACT: When it comes to many
of the skills that business
leaders say they value, women
are seen as better suited for
success.
More than 8 in 10 business
leaders (84%) say women are
better suited for success in
terms of organizational skills.
Similarly, 82% of business
leaders say women are
better suited for success in
terms of communication and
interpersonal skills.
decision makers (52%) and male corporate recruiters (53%).
Mentorship programs.
More popular among women and less popular among men are women-specific mentorship programs, starting
as early as high school, that encourage girls to enter the business world (57% women, 44% men). Nearly two-
thirds (62%) of non-millennial women supported this solution (compared to 52% of millennial women, 46%
of non-millennial men, and 39% of millennial men), along with 62% of female business decision makers and
61% of female corporate recruiters. Also more popular among non-millennial women are women-specific
mentorship programs in college and universities (58% of non-millennial women, compared to 41% of non-
millennial men, 48% of millennial women, and 38% of millennial men).
Networking events combined with mentorship.
Half of women and just one-third of men say that women-specific networking events and women-specific
corporate mentorship programs would better prepare women to help them succeed in business. Non-
millennial women in particular agree, with 52% selecting women-specific networking events for women in
business (compared with 47% of millennial women) and 55% selecting women-specific corporate mentorship
programs (compared with 45% of millennial women). Furthermore, women in the business world reflect overall
favorability for these solutions: fully half (50%) of female business decision makers and corporate recruiters
are in favor of women-specific networking events for women in business (compared with 36% of male business
decision makers and 41% of male corporate recruiters) and 61% of female business decision makers and 60% of
corporate recruiters agree that women-specific corporate mentorship programs could better prepare women to
succeed (compared to 39% of male business decision makers and 34% of male corporate recruiters).
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6. Role of male managers/executives.
Female survey respondents are generally more supportive than men of solutions to help women advance
in the workplace. Slightly more men, however, say that male managers and male executives playing a
more active role in the mentoring and the development of women could better prepare women to help
them to succeed in business (37% of men compared to 34% of women), especially in the business world.
More than 4 in 10 (45%) of male business decision makers selected this solution, which is the highest
percentage of any subgroup (compared to 36% of female business decision makers).
Although data show that women are seen as adequately prepared by higher education, colleges and
universities can take an active role in helping women prepare for long-term success. Bentley University’s
Center for Women and Business (CWB), founded in 2010, has been working to identify solutions to address
obstacles that prevent more women from reaching leadership positions. Among the solutions identified by
the CWB are:
• Women should be aware of gender-based perceptions that hinder equal pay, equal access to
assignments, and development opportunities.
• Women should learn to confront biases with solutions that demonstrate visionary leadership.
• Women should learn to engage men as champions for equality.
• Men should use their influence for equality so they are also afforded access to flexible work
arrangements and other programs that allow for life beyond work.
• Companies should identify and change interpersonal biases and biased organizational practices.
• Parents and guidance counselors should encourage women to explore careers in business since the
business world offers a wide variety of occupations that can lead to leadership positions.
The CWB has developed a comprehensive approach to preparing women by developing and sharing
practices that companies can adopt to offer work environments where all employees can thrive. For
example, the CWB encourages going beyond “mentoring” for women to a true “sponsorship” program
where senior executives proactively knock down barriers to women’s advancement, create opportunities
for women, and defend talent. Most recently, the CWB joined forces with Massachusetts Governor Deval
Patrick to develop a fellowship program that places graduate-level women in paid positions in state
government while also providing leadership training and networking opportunities.
Conclusion
Ensuring that women and men have appropriate preparation and equal opportunities to advance and
succeed throughout their careers – not just in entry-level positions – is essential to the strength of the U.S.
economy. The Bentley Preparedness Study underscores the fact that all stakeholders – parents, business
leaders, colleges and universities, high school and college students, and recent college graduates – can
make a difference in encouraging millennial women to pursue business careers and removing obstacles
that prevent women from rising through the ranks. The survey also highlights a number of solutions to
help prepare millennials – both women and men – for success in their careers.
Will women fare better in a 21st century economy that may place greater emphasis on people, planet and
profits? Why or why not? Join the PreparedU conversation by visiting Bentley.edu/Prepared.
I. http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/changing_companies_minds_about_women
II. http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-245.pdf
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