A m b r I d g e university press

9
dental fittings
10
optical computers
11
sculptures
12
fashions
13
curtains

---

84
Practice Test 4
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-27 which are based on Reading
Passage 2 below
Why some women cross
the finish line ahead of men
R E C R U I T M E N T
The course is tougher but women are
staying the distance, reports Andrew
 Crisp.
A  Women who apply for jobs in middle or
senior management have a higher success
rate than men, according to an
employment survey. But of course far
fewer of them apply for these positions.
The study, by recruitment consultants NB
Selection, shows that while one in six
men who appear on interview shortlists
get jobs, the figure rises to one in four
for women.
B  The study concentrated on applications
for management positions in the $45,000
to $110,000 salary range and found that
women are more successful than men in
both the private and public sectors Dr
Elisabeth Marx from London-based NB
Selection described the findings as

---

85
Rreading
encouraging for women, in that they send
a positive message to them to apply for
interesting management positions. But
she added, “We should not lose sight of
the fact that significantly fewer women
apply for senior positions in comparison
with men.”
C Reasons for higher success rates among
women are difficult to isolate. One
explanation suggested is that if a woman
candidate manages to get on a shortlist,
then she has probably already proved
herself to be an exceptional candidate.
Dr Marx said that when women apply
for positions they tend to be better
qualified than their male counterparts but
are more selective and conservative in
their job search. Women tend to research
thoroughly before applying for positions
or attending interviews. Men, on the
other hand, seem to rely on their ability
to sell themselves and to convince
employers that any shortcomings they
have will not prevent them from doing a
good job.
D Managerial and executive progress made
by women is confirmed by the annual
survey of boards of directors carried out
by Korn/Ferry/Carre/ Orban
International. This year the survey shows
a doubling of the number of women
serving as non-executive directors
compared with the previous year.
However, progress remains painfully
slow and there were still only 18 posts
filled by women out of a total of 354 non-
executive positions surveyed. Hilary
Sears, a partner with Korn/Ferry, said,
“Women have raised the level of grades
we are employed in but we have still not
broken through barriers to the top.”
E In Europe a recent feature of corporate
life in the recession has been the de-
layering of management structures.
Sears said that this has halted progress
for women in as much as de-layering has
taken place either where women are
working or in layers they aspire to. Sears
also noted a positive trend from the
recession, which has been the growing
number of women who have started up
on their own.
F In business as a whole, there are a
number of factors encouraging the
prospect of greater equality in the
workforce. Demographic trends suggest
that the number of women going into
employment is steadily increasing. In
addition a far greater number of women
are now passing through higher
education, making them better qualified
to move into management positions.
G Organisations such as the European
Women’s Management Development
Network provide a range of
opportunities for women to enhance
their skills and contacts. Through a series
of both pan-European and national
workshops and conferences the barriers
to women in employment are being
broken down. However, Ariane Berthoin
Antal, director of the International
Institute for Organisational Change of
Archamps in France, said that there is
only anecdotal evidence of changes in
recruitment patterns. And she said, “It”s
still so hard for women to even get on to
shortlists -there are so many hurdles and
barriers.’ Antal agreed that there have
been some positive signs but said “Until
there is a belief among employers, until
they value the difference, nothing will
change.”

---

86
Example
Answer
The salary range studied in the NB Selection survey. B
Practice Test 4