6 things holding US women back at work

Women are still underrepresented at every level in the corporate pipeline. Many people assume this is because women are leaving companies at higher rates than men or due to difficulties balancing work and family. However, our analysis tells a more complex story: women face greater barriers to advancement and a steeper path to senior leadership.

Female leadership is an imperative for organizations that want to perform at the highest levels. Yet based on the slow rate of progress over the last three years, it will take 25 years to reach gender parity at the senior or vice-president level and more than 100 years in the C suite.

While CEO commitment to gender diversity is high, organizations need to make a significant and sustained investment to change company practices and culture so women can achieve their full potential.

According to a study by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company, there are six things holding women back in the workplace.

1. The leadership ambition gap persists

At every stage, women are less eager than men to become a top executive. They are more likely to cite “stress/pressure” as a top issue, and this is not solely rooted in concern over balancing work and family. There is evidence pointing to another explanation: the path to leadership is disproportionately stressful for women.

2. Women experience an uneven playing field

Women are almost four times more likely than men to think they have fewer opportunities to advance because of their gender – and they are twice as likely to think their gender will make it harder for them to advance in the future.

3. Gender diversity is not widely believed to be a priority

74% of companies report that their CEOs are highly committed to gender diversity. However, less than half of employees believe that gender diversity is a top priority for their CEO, and only a third view it as a top priority for their direct manager.

4. Employee programmes are abundant, but participation is low

A majority of companies offer flexibility and career development programmes, but many women and men are not using them. There is evidence that employees are reluctant to participate out of fear of being penalized. More than 90 percent of women and men believe taking extended family leave will hurt their position at work.

5. There is still inequality at home

Even in households where both partners work full-time, 41% of women report doing more childcare and 30% report doing more chores. Women continue to do a disproportionate share of childcare 
and housework, so they are more likely to be affected by the challenges of juggling home and work responsibilities.

6. Women and men have very different networks

Men predominantly have male networks, while women have mostly female or mixed networks. Given that men are more likely to hold senior leadership positions, women may end up with less access to senior-level sponsorship.

Women in the Workplace is a comprehensive study of the state of women in corporate America. 118 companies and nearly 30,000 employees participated in this 2015 study, building on similar research conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2012.

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Image: A Japanese businesswoman commutes to work in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district September 20, 2006. REUTERS/Kiyoshi Ota