It may be almost 30 years since Equal Opportunities regulations arrived in the UK, but research released this month suggests women are still being overlooked in terms of their salary, assessment of their capabilities and promotion.

A survey by the University of London, which interviewed senior managers at a major bank and a global IT firm, found that women were not promoted to the most senior jobs because many employers thought they lacked the aggression and “natural talent” of men.

“Women are perceived as more likely to respond to circumstances, rather than drive success through themselves,” claimed Professor Jo Silvester, who co-wrote the report.

These findings were echoed in another survey by Cranfield University, which suggested that assessment centres – a frequently- used recruitment tool – often ignored feminine attributes.

Cranfield’s researchers found that female participants were more likely to co-operate with other assessors than take a strong view over a particular candidate.