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The latest report from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace, highlights that women’s ambition remains resolute, bolstered by newfound work flexibility in the post-pandemic landscape. This extensive study, encompassing 276 participating organizations and surveying 27,000 individuals in corporate America and Canada, delves into various aspects of women’s professional journeys.
The report underlines that women’s representation in C-suite roles has notably increased, marking a positive trend. However, it also exposes the persistent challenge of gender parity in the corporate pipeline, especially for women from marginalized backgrounds, who continue to face substantial underrepresentation at all organizational levels.
Encouragingly, the research underscores that women’s ambition remains on par with men’s at every stage of the corporate ladder and has even grown post-pandemic. Notably, young women exhibit high levels of ambition, with 90% aspiring to ascend in their careers and 75% aspiring to become senior leaders. Women of color, in particular, showcase remarkable ambition, with a striking 96% emphasizing the importance of their careers, and 88% actively seeking promotions.
Furthermore, flexible work arrangements have become a catalyst for women’s ambitions, with women working in hybrid or remote settings displaying ambition levels comparable to their counterparts who work on-site. The report emphasizes that 20% of women credit flexibility for their decision to stay with their organizations or maintain their working hours. Many women working in hybrid or remote roles also report feeling less fatigued and less prone to burnout, allowing them to focus more effectively on their tasks.
The report challenges the conventional “glass ceiling” concept and highlights a pervasive “broken rung” issue that hinders women’s progress within organizations. This “broken rung” results in fewer women advancing to managerial positions, and it’s especially detrimental to women of color. For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager positions, only 87 women secure these promotions. The gap worsens for women of color, with only 73 women of color promoted to manager roles for every 100 men, a decline from 82 women of color in the previous year.
Performance bias, especially impactful in the early stages of a woman’s career, frequently hampers the first promotion to managerial positions. Given that women early in their careers often possess shorter track records and similar work experiences to their male peers, performance bias can put them at a disadvantage during promotion considerations.
Prevailing Microaggression
The report also highlights the prevalence of microaggressions against women in the workplace. Women are twice as likely as men to experience interruptions and receive comments on their emotional states. Women from marginalized backgrounds, such as Asian and Black women, face even more severe microaggressions, which leave lasting impacts. The report reveals that Asian and Black women are seven times more likely than white women to be mistakenly associated with individuals of the same race and ethnicity.
Women with disabilities and LGBTQ+ women, as well as Black women, frequently report feelings of invisibility or that their accomplishments go unnoticed. These challenges persist in the workplace, reflecting the need for continued efforts to create an inclusive and equitable corporate environment.
Published by Hear Her Stories