The hiring ratio of men v/s women in human resources (HR) has been historically higher and currently stands at a 40:60 ratio, in favour of women, says a recent report by Spectrum Talent Management, a one-stop solution for global-local human talent management.

In 2021, many talent acquisition professionals with organisations focussing on female candidates were hired.

Several factors, including focus on gender diversity, historical and prevailing trend, and perceived higher emotional quotient (EQ), have led more women applicants to HR roles than men. This has largely gone under the category where gender stereotypes have been applied to the field.

Despite the fact that there is a rising emphasis on hiring women, India Inc. is not going overboard. The practice has been minimal, albeit, somewhat variable. 

However, as organisations continue to focus on gender diversity, it adds to much higher numbers of women applying for varied HR roles across industries.

“HR has always been a female-dominated arena, with 60% of HR roles getting closed with women applicants. Even though HR hiring is not done with specific gender on the agenda, there is a push for gender diversity from top management that eventually works in favour of women HR professionals. For years, the number of women applicants is by default higher than men, and the exact reason for female dominance in the HR field may not be a single cause but rather an amalgamation of various business, psychological, societal, cultural factors,” says Sidharth Agarwal, director, Spectrum Talent Management.

More and more female employees are being recruited also to fill the gender diversity gap. This ratio is different in tier 2 and 3 cities where the prime businesses are manufacturing, and HR is usually plant based.

In plant-based setup the HR department usually has more men. Though, HR professionals need to be empathetic and good at multitasking, and women take this role naturally, which makes them a better fit for the HR function.