Are there any differences between men and women in terms of Air Traffic Control (ATC) selection, training and on the job performance? If so, what are they? What are the gender related strengths in ATC and how do we promote them? These are some of the questions Global Airspace Radar’s Katarzyna Żmudzińska put to Jenny Eaglestone, Aviation Psychologist and Senior Consultant at NLR and board member of the European Association of Aviation Psychology (EAAP).
Men, women and ATC
There is generally little information available in academic literature on gender differences in aviation. In ATC selection, European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) often see that men perform better on initial rounds of testing, frequently focusing on measuring spatial abilities. On the other hand, women often perform better in the later stages of the selection process, notably at assessment centres (when used) and interviews. Moreover, once training begins, women often have a slightly higher pass rate than men.
There seems to be no scientific evidence for these findings. A possible hypothesis could be that women generally may be perceived as more ‘coachable’ and have well-developed communication skills. A lack of shared data on ATC performance makes it very difficult to draw conclusions about possible gender differences on the job.
In 2022, a Dutch researcher, Ingeborg Kroese, investigated gender performance in training in another industry. One of her recommendations was that training should have a gender-sensitive approach, as it appears to be more effective. Just like most education ATC training is delivered in a gender-neutral way, but the study suggests that adapting training to address gender differences could be beneficial.
How hobbies and education can influence ATC skills
Numerous academic studies have shown that there are observable differences in cognitive abilities between men and women. These differences are influenced by complex biological, societal and cultural factors. Females often perform better in tasks that rely on strong communication skills, whereas males outperform in spatial ability tasks. These tendencies can be impacted by a combination of cognitive, affective and experiential factors.
Experiential factors may include exposure to spatial activities, like certain sports and video games. These activities could positively influence one’s spatial abilities and improve problem-solving skills. In western society, males are often more exposed to or more interested in these kinds of activities. Affective factors also play a role. For example, lower confidence levels and spatial anxiety, both observed more frequently in women, can impact performance and result in a fear of executing spatial tasks. It is however unclear as to whether a fear of executing spatial tasks, for example parking, results from spatial anxiety, or whether spatial anxiety develops as a result of difficulties with spatial tasks.
Future ATC recruitment and selection
Statistics show that in Europe, female Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) constitute around 22% of all ATC staff. In some countries, the ratio of men to women is nearly 50-50. In comparison, the population of female pilots is just 4%, so ATC is not doing too bad. However, there is still room for improvement.
If we want to attract more people to ATC roles, we need to market this profession in a way that is attractive for all. To the usual promotional messages of it being an exciting and responsible job, where controllers manage flights and separate aircraft from each other, we could for instance add that this career path provides flexible working hours enabling a good work/life balance. Different arguments appeal to different groups, so aiming the message at a diverse range of groups could be a successful way of strengthening ATC recruitment.
Furthermore, since spatial and problem-solving abilities are crucial in the ATC profession, these particular skills could be promoted early on, by introducing activities that enhance these skills at school level.
ATC selection could in some cases also be elevated to a higher level. One way of doing this is to carry out validation studies (which should be done regularly for all selection procedures), providing information on how predictive a selection procedure is. There is often also progress to be made not only in which instruments are used, but also how they are used, how results are being interpreted and what feedback the candidates are being given.
Research on gender differences in ATC may be limited, but existing data suggests that men and women have their own natural tendencies, which are amplified by numerous contributing factors.
We, as an industry, could still take steps to make the best out of the existing ATC selection and training processes. It is becoming increasingly important to attract more talent into the industry, and there are things we can improve and initiate, including rethinking the way we promote ATC jobs and preparing the young generation for these roles by creating opportunities that help shape the specific skillset long before career paths are even considered.
