In 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that 72% of HR managers were women; in 2017, Payscale.com reported that a whopping 86% of HR generalists were women.
So great is women’s presence in the field that John Sumser, a principal analyst for the blog HRExaminer, famously proclaimed that ‘HR is a 47- year-old white woman.’
But what exactly is the cause of this dramatic gulf between men and women working in human resources? While the exact cause is difficult to determine, a few theories have been floated out, ranging from a simple case of reputation to the complexities of human biology
HR is known as a female-dominated field, which makes women more likely and men less likely to pursue a human resources career.
This imbalance, however, is showing signs of relenting, as recent trends seem to suggest that men are increasing their representation in the field of HR. After peaking at 79.3% in 2007, the number of female HR workers in the UK has been in a slight decline, with men making up a more significant percentage in recent years.
Another potential reason stems from stereotypes about gender roles. Some experts, including Sumser, see a direct correlation between traits traditionally found in women and the skills required to work in HR. ‘The essence of HR might be its ability to make clear judgments about really intangible things like personality, potential, and match-making. These are stereotypical female things,’ he says.
While using the ‘women are naturally more nurturing’ defense is a somewhat misinformed and sexist argument, there is a fair amount of science that supports the notion that women are better suited to handle the conflicts and problems that an HR worker tends to face.
Emotional intelligence, also known as EQ or EI, refers to the ability to recognize emotions and use this knowledge to make informed decisions concerning thoughts and behaviours. It is based upon four central domains: social skills, empathy, self-awareness, and managing one’s own emotions. While men possess their own form of EQ, women tend to demonstrate more advanced empathetic and interpersonal skills, both of which are vital to resolving intra-office disputes, managing employees, and negotiating contracts.As is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Sumser’s description of HR as something that is inherently female is slightly off base and misogynistic; HR is a demanding field, and professionals do a lot more than just ‘take care’ of employees. That said, the fact does remain that men and women in general tend to possess two unique skill sets, and the overlap between women’s natural talents and HR skills is significant.
Moving forward, the human resources field faces two challenges:
- Find a way to get more men to enter the field.
- Make sure that women already working in the field are paid the same as their male counterparts.
Where to Go From Here?
The solution to the first problem may soon take care of itself. Human resources is evolving into a more data- driven and technology-focused field. Instead of simply handling employee relations, HR professionals are expected to understand complicated concepts such as:
- HR metrics
- Alignment between HR and organizational strategy
- Service delivery tools
- Project management
- Employee benefits and compensation
As the field changes, common perceptions will change as well. Rather than viewing HR as an emotion-based profession, we may soon come to see it as a more neutral and less sentimental profession. This may explain the UK statistics in which the percentage of men working in HR is increasing.
The second problem is much more complicated and as a result, more difficult to fix. As noted above, the gender income gap is widespread in all areas of the professional world, but fortunately, this subject has become more of a national discussion in recent years. As more people become aware of inequality, the gender income gap will continue to diminish.
