According to 2023 Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.Org., women are more ambitious than ever, and workplace flexibility is fueling them.
Here are four myths about the state of women at work:
Myth: Women are becoming less ambitious.
Reality: Women are more ambitious than before the pandemic—and flexibility is fueling that ambition.
At every stage of the pipeline, women are as committed to their careers and as interested in being promoted as men. Women and men at the director level—when the C-suite is in closer view—are also equally interested in senior-leadership roles. And young women are especially ambitious. Nine in ten women under the age of 30 want to be promoted to the next level, and three in four aspire to become senior leaders.
Myth: The biggest barrier to women’s advancement is the ‘glass ceiling’.
Reality: The ‘broken rung’ is the greatest obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership.
While companies are modestly increasing women’s representation at the top, doing so without addressing the broken rung offers only a temporary stopgap. Because of the gender disparity in early promotions, men end up holding 60 percent of manager-level positions in a typical company, while women occupy 40 percent. Since men significantly outnumber women, there are fewer women to promote to senior managers, and the number of women decreases at every subsequent level.
Myth: Microaggressions have a ‘micro’ impact.
Reality: Microaggressions have a large and lasting impact on women.
Microaggressions are a form of everyday discrimination that is often rooted in bias. They include comments and actions—even subtle ones that are not overtly harmful—that demean or dismiss someone based on their gender, race, or other aspects of their identity. They signal disrespect, cause acute stress, and can negatively impact women’s careers and health.
Years of data show that women experience microaggressions at a significantly higher rate than men: they are twice as likely to be mistaken for someone junior and hear comments on their emotional state.
Myth: It’s mostly women who want—and benefit from—flexible work.
Reality: Men and women see flexibility as a ‘top 3’ employee benefit and critical to their company’s success.
Most women and men point to better work–life balance as a primary benefit of hybrid and remote work, and a majority cite less fatigue and burnout. And research shows that good work–life balance and low burnout are key to organizational success.
Source: mckinsey.com
