Related: Analytics tech being used to eliminate pay disparities

"The gap between how women and men are represented and treated in the workplace is substantial right now, but what many employers do not realize is the underlying factors — like the rise of automation — will only widen the divide," says Audra Jenkins, chief diversity and inclusion officer, Randstad North America. "In fact, there is a misconception that women will not be impacted by technology as much as men, but that's simply not true."

Indeed, 57 percent of jobs currently filled by women will be at risk from technology between now and 2026, according to the World Economic Forum, Jenkins says.

The survey also found that there is a need for greater pay transparency to retain women in the workplace. Nearly a quarter of female workers (23 percent) disagree with the statement: "I believe I am paid fairly compared to my male/female counterparts." Two in five employees surveyed (40 percent) have discussed their salary with a coworker before, and nearly half of female workers (49 percent) would leave a job if they learned a male counterpart was making 25 percent more.

Female workers would leave a job due to inequality, according to the survey. Thirty-seven percent of men strongly or completely agree they would leave a job if they learned a female counterpart was making 25 percent more money, but the majority (87 percent) believe their female coworkers are comparably paid. The majority (80 percent) of women agree they would switch employers if they felt another company had greater gender equality, as opposed to just 64 percent of men.

Both men and women respondents say that they desire greater training around unconscious bias in the workplace. Forty-three percent of men and 56 percent of women attribute outdated biases and stereotypes as the second largest factor impacting gender inequality in the workplace, and about a third of all employees (30 percent) say they receive training on unconscious bias.

The top five initiatives employees feel are or would be most effective in tackling unconscious bias toward women in the workplace, in order of perceived effectiveness, are: employee training on unconscious bias goals and metrics to promote gender equality in leadership roles; diversity and inclusion policies; mentorship/leadership programs; and quarterly anonymous surveys to pinpoint gender biases encountered by employees.

On average, 35 percent of both men and women report that their company seeks employee feedback on biases experienced in the workplace.

Career advancement and leadership opportunities for women continue to lag, according to the survey. About a third of women (31 percent) feel they have as many or more opportunities than men do at their workplace. Over half of the women surveyed (58 percent) said a lack of promotion to leadership roles was a top reason for gender inequality in the workplace, compared to 34 percent of men.

Slightly more than half (54 percent) of employees strongly or completely agree their company has a good representation of female leaders. The majority of companies do not appear to be implementing mentorship or leadership programs geared toward women; 28 percent of all employees (men and women) surveyed say their employers offer such training.

When it comes to successfully creating a safe work environment, employers have a long way to go: just over half (57 percent) of employees feel confident expressing opinions during meetings, leaving over 40 percent of workers lacking confidence to speak their mind. Fifty-two percent of employees say that their opinions are respected and valued, indicating that nearly half feel as if their opinions are not honored.

Unequal pay is the top factor impacting inequality, but that's not the only way it manifests itself in the workplace, according to the respondents. They rate the top six factors that have the greatest impact on gender inequality in the workplace: unequal pay structures; outdated biases and stereotypes; lack of promotion to leadership roles; work-life balance; parental leave; and lack of female representation on current leadership team.

While both sexes recognize the importance of gender equality, men may not recognize or prioritize diversity and equal opportunity as readily as their female counterparts, the survey results reflect. Sixty-six percent of men strongly or completely agree that they're treated the same way as other genders in the workplace, and 42 percent believe women have as many or more opportunities as men do. Nineteen percent of men believe a lack of female representation on leadership teams has the greatest impact on gender inequality, and 52 percent agree their company has a good representation of female leaders.

A quarter of men strongly or completely agree that they would switch employers if they felt another company had greater gender equality, as opposed to almost half (46 percent) of women. One in five male respondents (20 percent) agree their workplace could do more to promote gender equality.

"Change doesn't happen overnight," Jenkins says. "In order to move the needle in a meaningful way, it is the utmost responsibility of corporate leaders to invest in programs that will help retool and empower women for future success."

"For companies that fail to establish an inclusive workplace, attracting and retaining quality talent will be a major challenge in the years ahead," she adds.