I've started the analysis of the demographic data I've been collecting on my 'Who Should I Work For' self-assessment. See the graph below. Over 12,000 people have taken the assessment and I have demographics on more than 3,000. Here's one of the first striking results: Men and women postbacs (graduate students and postdocs) differ significantly in the kinds of employment they are seeking. Men are favoring work environments where they can be Individual Contributors- making a big impact, changing the world, or making a lot of money. Women postbacs score highly as Individual Contributors too, but many more women than men want to be Team Players (where individuals with different skills collaborate to solve complex problems) or are Looking for Balance (where work is one component of a balanced lifestyle).
Those who are identified as Individual Contributors can function well in a traditional academic environment. The other profiles are more likely to be found in nonacademic workplaces. These data suggest that a larger proportion of women than men will be seeking jobs outside of academia.
This analysis includes all self-identified postbacs across all disciplines. The respondents are heavily weighted towards the STEM and business (MBA) fields. As I collect more data, it will be interesting to see whether the results vary by discipline. I'm also looking at whether workplace preferences vary from high school through college and into employment.
