10/28/2018
LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company have conducted their third annual Women in the Workplace study. This year, they surveyed 279 companies and over 64,000 employees to capture the truth behind gender diversity in corporate America. Despite good intentions, since the initial report ran in 2015, companies have made little progress to improve women's position in the workplace.
According to the study, women are left behind from the start. They have been earning more college degrees than men for decades, are asking for raises, and staying in the workforce just as long. Yet, fewer women are hired for entry-level jobs than men, and their representation only declines from there, with women of color by far the most marginalized. Even when hiring and promotion rates improve at senior levels, women can never catch up.
If current hiring rates continue, women in manager positions will only improve by one percent in 10 years. But if they hire at equal rates, women will hold 48 percent of management positions in the same amount of time. Fewer women means they are far too often the only one in the room. They face more microaggressions - like demeaning comments or being mistaken for someone more junior - and report a significantly worse work experience. Companies need to treat gender diversity like any business objective, by setting targets and holding leaders accountable for driving progress. LEARN MORE