Recruitment agency Hays says a portion of Kiwi women are still being asked at job interviews whether or not they plan to have kids, and what their caring responsibilities are.
Hays says a survey of 1000 New Zealand working professionals - both men and women - showed 13 per cent of female respondents were asked about their plans to have children or their caring responsibilities at a job interview in the past year.
Of those who say they were asked, 22 per cent believed these questions impacted their chance of securing the job, and another 35 per cent were unsure.
Just 36 per cent of women respondents said they had access to a mentor, and 22 per cent said their organisation actively works to develop under-represented groups - specifically into leadership roles.
However, 42 per cent of all respondents said their line manager is female, which is up from 39 per cent in Hays' 2017 survey.
Hays Managing Director Adam Shapley said the findings reveal some signs of progress, but the overall picture is that workplaces need to try harder to change attitudes around gender and inclusion.
"It's unacceptable that some hiring managers still ask people about their caring responsibilities or their plans to have children," Mr Shapley said.
"In any job interview, the focus should be on the competencies required for the role.
"People should not ask, or make assumptions, about a person's commitments outside of work based on their age or gender."
Employers are legally not allowed to discriminate against job applicants by asking about their relationship status, plans to have a family and whether or not they are pregnant, and complaints can be lodged with the Human Rights Commission.
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