Nearly half (46 per cent) of millennial workers have a mentor, compared with just 27 per cent of employees over age 35, according to a survey by American Express and Catalyst Canada.
The survey, which polled 1,440 Canadians over the age of 22 working in a corporate environment, also found 34 per cent of all female respondents have a mentor and 26 per cent served as a mentor in 2018. This compares to the organization’s 2015 survey, which found 24 per cent of women had a mentor and 20 per cent served as one. The 2018 survey also found 83 per cent of women mentor other women.
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“While women do more to support other women, there still remains an untapped opportunity for men to do more to further equality and progress in the workplace,” said Tanya van Biesen, executive director of Catalyst Canada, in a press release. “Gender inequality in corporate Canada is not a women’s issue, it’s a critical talent issue and finding a resolution requires intentional leadership from both women and men. It’s encouraging to see how far we’ve come, but there is still a long way to go.”
Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of millennial women said they associate professional success with achieving financial goals, compared to women over age 35 (61 per cent), according to the survey. As well, millennial women were more likely to associate professional success with reaching a career pinnacle (32 per cent) than their older counterparts (21 per cent).
“Millennial women have a strong work ethic, a proactive approach to their career, clearly defined goals and a strong drive to reach success,” said Catherine Finley, vice-president of human resources for American Express North America.
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The survey also found a significant gender divide. More than 80 per cent of men over age 35 said they feel their organization is doing enough to establish gender equity, compared to 68 per cent of women in the same demographic.
As well, looking at the idea that millennials jump from job to job, the survey found while 78 per cent of millennial women said they’d worked for multiple companies in their careers, 54 per cent said they plan to stay at their current position for a long time.