CORRECTED: Report: Women’s Representation in Staffing Leadership Grew in 2022
45% of CEO/Owners in Staffing Are Women vs. 8.8% in Fortune 500 Companies
Alexandria, VA, February. 15, 2023— The percentage of women who serve as Chief Executive Officers and owners in the staffing industry showed moderate improvement from 2020-2022 despite setbacks that occurred during the COVID pandemic, according to a new survey released by the Women’s Business Collaborative with support from TechServe Alliance, American Staffing Association, National Association of Personnel Services, and Staffing Industry Analysts.
The number of women chief executive officers and owners in the staffing industry reached 45% in 2022, up only slightly from 44% in 2020. This is compared to the national average of 21%, as reported by the US Census Bureau in 2019.
Notable findings include:
- Women comprise 66% of staffing’s internal workforce, but only 37% of board seats.
- 53% of CEO and owner roles at small agencies are women, compared to 18% at large firms.
- Salary review and equalization jumped from the fourth most common activity to advance women in leadership in 2020 to the top of the list in 2022.
“The insights provided by the Gender Diversity and Equity Within the Staffing and Recruitment Industry report cannot be overstated,” said Sarah Martin, Chair of TechServe Alliance Board of Directors and President of Dale Workforce Solutions. “For full equity for women, and for other under-represented groups, we must put forth the effort and strategy to accomplish progress. The staffing industry has a unique opportunity to make this happen by enabling our clients to find and employ a diverse workforce. I look forward to success through our joint efforts of informing, strategizing, and accomplishing equity in our industry and beyond.”
- Join thought leaders in the industry for a webinar to discuss the survey results and explore how staffing professionals can continue to elevate and support women in the industry. The webinar, hosted by TechServe Alliance, will take place Thursday, March 16, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time. Register to attend.
- To learn more about the findings of this survey, download the report from Staffing Industry Analysts at: https://www2.staffingindustry.com/Miscellaneous/Gender-Parity-in-the-US-Staffing-Industry. Results can also be accessed on a dynamic dashboard at: https://www.wbcollaborative.org/insights/results-dashboard-wbc-benchmark-survey-on-gender-equity-in-the-staffing-industry/
- To learn more about TechServe Alliance’s diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, visit our Diversity Directory and members may participate in our Executive Women monthly virtual roundtable.
- To learn more about the WBC, visit wbcollaborative.org.
Survey Methodology
This is the second benchmark survey issued in conjunction with the Women Business Collaborative and the four major associations and research firms in the staffing industry – American Staffing Association, National Association of Personnel Services, Staffing Industry Analysts, and TechServe Alliance. The survey, which was distributed widely to senior executives across the staffing sector, included over 600 separate responses. Survey questions ranged from the composition of board, CEO, and executive roles to the underlying gender related demographics of the business. It was developed to facilitate the publication of the survey in a dynamic dashboard that would allow readers to view differing dimensions of each answer based on those underlying demographics. The resulting survey results are both rich in content and revealing in their results.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this release stated, “The percentage of female CEOs and owners in the staffing industry reached 42% in 2022, up from less than 20% in 2020.” In fact, the number of women chief executive officers and owners in the staffing industry reached 45% in 2022, up only slightly from 44% in 2020. This is compared to the national average of 21%, as reported by the US Census Bureau in 2019.
ABOUT TechServe Alliance
TechServe Alliance is the national trade association of the IT & Engineering staffing and solutions industry. IT & Engineering staffing and solutions firms count on TechServe Alliance to keep their leadership informed, engaged, and connected. TechServe Alliance serves as the voice of the industry before the policymakers and the national and trade press. By providing access to the knowledge and best practices of an entire industry and tapping the “collective scale” of its members, TechServe Alliance supports its members in the efficient delivery of best-in-class IT & Engineering staffing and solutions for clients and exceptional professional opportunities for every consultant.
