Women in The Workplace 2022

Women in
the Workplace
2022
2 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ABOUT THE STUDY
About the study

Women in the Workplace is the largest study on the state of women in
corporate America.1 In 2015, LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company
launched the study to give companies insights and tools to advance
gender diversity in the workplace. Between 2015 and 2022, over 810
companies participated in the study, and more than 400,000 people
were surveyed on their workplace experiences. This year, we collected
information from 333 participating organizations employing more than 12
million people, surveyed more than 40,000 employees, and conducted
interviews with women of diverse identities, including women of color,
LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities.2 Our 2022 report focuses
on how the pandemic has changed what women want from their
companies, including the growing importance of opportunity, flexibility,
employee well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Sign up to participate in the 2023 study at womenintheworkplace.com.

3 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
05 Introduction
06 The state of the pipeline

08 Women are still dramatically underrepresented in leadership
09 The “broken rung” is still holding women back
10 Women leaders are leaving their companies at higher rates
A CLOSER LOOK
11 Women remain deeply underrepresented in technical roles
12 Why women leaders are switching jobs

13 Women leaders want to advance, but they face stronger headwinds
14 Women leaders are overworked and under-recognized
15 Women leaders are seeking a different culture of work
16 Companies are also at risk of losing young women
A CLOSER LOOK
17 Black women leaders face even greater barriers to advancement
18 Women leaders are also overworked at home
19 An intersectional look at women’s experiences

22 Some women face more bias and receive less support at work
23 In their words
4 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: TABLE OF CONTENTS
24 The importance of flexible and remote work

27 A majority of women prefer remote and hybrid work
28 Employees who can choose their work arrangement are less likely to leave
leave
29 Women
omen experience fewer microaggressions when they work remotely
A CLOSER LOOK
30 Remote work options are especially critical for women with disabilities
31 Navigating the shift to remote and hybrid work

34 Companies can take bolder steps to support remote and hybrid work
CASE STUDY: How Blue Shield of California made a successful shift to hybrid work
36 The importance of managers

38 Company expectations are rising, but most managers aren’t prepared to meet them
39 How companies can equip, incentivize, and reward good managers
41 Most companies are not doing enough to train and recognize managers
42 When managers show up consistently, women and companies benefit
43 Recommendations for companies

45 An overview of the policies and programs driving progress
A CLOSER LOOK
47 How companies can avoid "checking the box"
CASE STUDY: How Intuit increased the number of women in tech roles
CASE STUDY: How Citi exceeded its representation goals
50 Conclusion
51 Acknowledgments
52 Report authors
53 Corporate pipeline by industry
55 Methodology
58 Endnotes
5 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
We’re in the midst of a “Great Breakup”

There are always winners and losers in the war for talent, and the stakes are higher than ever
for companies that want to achieve gender equality.
Women are demanding more from work, and they’re leaving their companies in unprecedented
numbers to get it. Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rate we’ve ever seen—and
at a higher rate than men in leadership.3 This could have serious implications for companies.
Women are already significantly underrepresented in leadership. For years, fewer women have
risen through the ranks because of the “broken rung” at the first step up to manager.4 Now,
companies are struggling to hold on to the relatively few women leaders they have. And all of
these dynamics are even more pronounced for women of color.
The reasons women leaders are stepping away from their companies are telling. Women
leaders are just as ambitious as men, but at many companies they face headwinds that make
it harder to advance.5 They’re more likely to experience belittling microaggressions, such as
having their judgment questioned or being mistaken for someone more junior. They’re doing
more to support employee well-being and foster inclusion, but this critical work is spreading
them thin and going mostly unrewarded. And finally, it’s increasingly important to women
leaders that they work for companies that prioritize flexibility, employee well-being, and
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
If companies don’t take action, they won’t just lose their women leaders; they risk losing the
next generation of women leaders, too. Young women are even more ambitious, and they place
a higher premium on working in an equitable, supportive, and inclusive workplace.6 They’re
watching senior women leave for better opportunities, and they’re prepared to do the same.
PART 1
The state of
the pipeline
7 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: PIPELINE
Two pipeline challenges

put gender equality out of
reach for most companies
Despite modest gains in representation over the last eight
years, women—and especially women of color—are still
dramatically underrepresented in corporate America. And
this is especially true in senior leadership: only 1 in 4 C-suite
leaders is a woman, and only 1 in 20 is a woman of color.
Moreover, most companies are grappling with two pipeline
problems that make achieving gender equality in their
organization all but impossible:
Many women are switching jobs for better
opportunities, but some are considering
The “broken rung” remains broken. For the eighth downshifting and leaving the workforce.
consecutive year, a “broken rung” at the first step up to In the past year, 29% of women—and 22% of
manager is holding women back. For every 100 men who are men—have thought about reducing their
promoted from entry level to manager, only 87 women are hours, taking a less demanding job, or
leaving the workforce altogether, although
promoted, and only 82 women of color are promoted. As a
far fewer have actually taken these actions.
result, men significantly outnumber women at the manager
level, and women can never catch up. There are simply too
few women to promote into senior leadership positions.7
More women leaders are leaving their companies. Now

companies have a new pipeline problem. Women leaders
are leaving their companies at the highest rate in years, and
the gap between women and men leaders leaving is the
largest we’ve ever seen. To put the scale of the problem in
perspective: for every woman at the director level who gets
promoted to the next level, two women directors are
choosing to leave their company.
Despite modest progress, women are still

dramatically underrepresented in leadership
REPRESENTATION IN THE CORPORATE PIPELINE BY GENDER AND RACE8 MEN WOMEN
% of employees by level at the start of 2022
SR. MANAGER/
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER VP SVP C-SUITE
DIRECTOR
WHITE MEN 33%

41% 47%
54% 58%
MEN OF COLOR
61%
19%
19% 16%
14% 13% 13%
WHITE WOMEN
29% 27% 26% 24% 23% 21%
5%
8% 6%
WOMEN OF COLOR
14% 10%
19%
TOTAL WOMEN
IN 2022 48% 40% 36% 32% 28% 26%
TOTAL WOMEN
IN 2017 47% 37% 33% 29% 21% 20%
% POINT CHANGE
FROM 2017 +1pp +3pp +3pp +3pp +7pp +6pp
“When I joined this company, I noticed there were a lot

of women and people of color in leadership. That let
me know it was possible for me to advance. When you
come into a company and there are leaders who look
like you, it just feels different.”
BLACK WOMAN, MANAGER

The “broken rung” is still

holding women back
The biggest obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership
is at the first step up to manager. For every 100 men promoted from
Some groups of women are even less likely to
entry level to manager, only 87 women are promoted, and only 82
be promoted to manager. For every 100 men
women of color are promoted.9 As a result, men significantly
promoted from entry level to manager, only 75
outnumber women at the manager level, and women can never
Latinas are promoted—and this number is even
catch up. There are simply too few women to promote into senior
lower for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and
leadership positions.
Indigenous women.
WOMEN LOSE THE MOST GROUND AT THE FIRST STEP UP TO MANAGER
For every 100 men who are promoted… 87 women are promoted and… 82 women of color are promoted
Women leaders are leaving their

companies at higher rates
WOMEN LEADERS ARE LEAVING THEIR COMPANIES AT THE HIGHEST RATE IN YEARS10
% of voluntary attrition for women vs. men leaders from 2017 to 202111
12%
WOMEN
MEN
8%
Last year, women leaders

left their companies at the
highest rate in years—and
4% the gap between women
and men leaving was the
largest it’s been.
0%
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
“
For the first time in my career, we’re seeing people
leaving and going to companies with a more generous
work from home policy. So I dug into the data, and I
realized something about every single person leaving.
They were all women.”
BLACK WOMAN, VICE PRESIDENT

A CLOSER LOOK
Women remain deeply

underrepresented in
technical roles
Women are far less likely than men to work in engineering and
technical fields, and women’s relative representation in these jobs
is lower than it was in 2018.12 As a result, women in technical roles
are twice as likely as women overall to say they are frequently the
only woman in the room at work. The fact that they are so often
“Only” women may partly explain why women in tech face higher
“ The engineering field is almost all
men, and it has been for a long
time. When I was at university, there
were just five women in a room of
sixty men. And when I started
working, it was like that too. So it’s
rates of bias: they are more likely than women in non-technical a very challenging environment.”
roles to have their judgment questioned in their area of expertise
LATINA, MANAGER, IMMIGRANT
and to say their gender has played a role in their being passed
over for a chance to get ahead.
These trends have troubling implications for gender equality. 32% of women in technical and
Engineering and technical roles are among corporate America’s engineering roles are often the
fastest-growing and highest-paid job categories.13 If women in only woman in the room at work.
these roles have negative day-to-day experiences and don’t see
an equal path to advancement, it could lead to larger gaps in both
representation and earnings between women and men overall.
WOMEN’S RELATIVE REPRESENTATION IN TECHNICAL ROLES DECLINED BETWEEN 2018 AND 2022
% of women and men who self-report that they are in an engineering or technical department
40%
34%
MEN
2.5x difference
1.9x difference
WOMEN
18%
16%
2018 2022
PART 2
Why women
leaders are
switching jobs
13 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: WOMEN LEADERS
Women leaders are

leaving their companies
for three key reasons
Women leaders are demanding more from their companies,
and they’re increasingly willing to switch jobs to get it.
Three primary factors are driving their decisions to leave:
Women leaders want to advance, but they face stronger Women leaders are 2x as likely as
headwinds than men. Women leaders are as likely as men leaders to be mistaken for
men at their level to want to be promoted and aspire to someone more junior.
senior-level roles. In many companies, however, they
experience microaggressions that undermine their
authority and signal that it will be harder for them to
37% of women leaders have had a
advance. For example, they are far more likely than men
coworker get credit for their idea,
leaders to have colleagues question their judgment or
compared to 27% of men leaders.
imply that they aren’t qualified for their jobs. Women
leaders are also more likely to report that personal
characteristics, such as their gender or being a parent,
“
have played a role in them being denied or passed over
for a raise, promotion, or chance to get ahead.
I’ve asked many times what I can do to
get promoted, and I don’t get a good
answer. I’m thinking of leaving. And it will
be my company’s loss since they didn’t
offer me the opportunity to advance. I hit
a ceiling that didn’t need to be there.”
SOUTH ASIAN WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER,

IMMIGRANT
Women leaders are overworked and under-recognized. Women leaders are 2x as likely
Compared to men at their level, women leaders do more to as men leaders to spend
support employee well-being and foster diversity, equity, and substantial time on DEI work.15
inclusion—work that dramatically improves retention and
employee satisfaction, but is not formally rewarded in most
companies.14 Spending time and energy on work that isn’t 40% of women leaders say their
recognized could make it harder for women leaders to DEI work isn’t acknowledged at
advance. It also means that women leaders are stretched all in performance reviews.16
thinner than men in leadership; not surprisingly, women leaders
are far more likely than men at their level to be burned out.
43% of women leaders are
burned out, compared to only
31% of men at their level.
“
Burnout from management responsibilities
and unsustainable workload has made me
more ambitious, but not in the same way.
I’m more ambitious about going after
something different. I’m more ambitious
about making a career change or going
after something where I feel more fulfilled.”
WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER

Women leaders want a better work culture. Women leaders 49% of women leaders say flexibility is one
are significantly more likely than men leaders to leave their of the top three things they consider when
jobs because they want more flexibility or because they want deciding whether to join or stay with a
to work for a company that is more committed to employee company, compared to 34% of men leaders.
well-being and diversity, equity, and inclusion.17 And over the
last two years, these factors have only become more
meaningful to women leaders.18 Women leaders are more than 1.5x as likely
as men at their level to have left a previous
If companies don’t take action in response to these trends, job because they wanted to work for a
they’re at risk of losing more women leaders. That could company that was more committed to DEI.
have serious implications. Compared to men at the same
level, women leaders are investing more time and energy
“
in effective people management, allyship, and DEI.19 They
are leading the transition to a more supportive, inclusive
workplace, which is what the next generation of employees I think people have come through the
—and especially younger women—want and expect. pandemic feeling a bit more empowered.
We’ve realized that being in a toxic
environment where you’re not happy
is just not worth it.”
BLACK WOMAN, VICE PRESIDENT

Companies are also at risk Young women play a critical role in building diverse
of losing young women and inclusive teams. They are more likely than older
women to be women of color and identify as LGBTQ+.21
The factors that drive women leaders to leave their companies are They are also more likely than both older employees
even more important to young women. Young women care deeply and men in their age group to actively practice allyship
about opportunity to advance—more than two-thirds of women under at work.
30 want to be senior leaders, and well over half say advancement has
become more important to them in the past two years.20 Young
women are also more likely than women leaders to say they’re
increasingly prioritizing flexibility and company commitment to
Two-thirds of women under 30 say they would be
well-being and DEI. Companies that don’t take action may struggle
more interested in advancing if they saw senior
to recruit and retain the next generation of women leaders—and for
leaders with the work-life balance they want.
companies that already have a “broken rung” in their leadership
pipeline, this has especially worrisome implications.
THE FACTORS DRIVING WOMEN LEADERS TO SWITCH JOBS ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO YOUNG WOMEN
Reasons women leaders are switching jobs…22 …these factors are increasingly important to
% of women and men leaders who cite these reasons women—especially young women23
for switching jobs in the past two years % who say the following have become more
important to them in the past two years
MEN LEADERS WOMEN LEADERS
48%
44%
WOMEN LEADERS WOMEN UNDER 30

Opportunity Advancing is
to advance more important
20% 31% 58%

13%
Flexibility is
Flexibility more important
66% 76%
18%
Company 11% Commitment to DEI
commitment to DEI is more important
22% 31% 41%

18%
Unsupportive Manager support
manager is more important
42% 56%
17%
Unmanageable 10% Commitment to employee
workload well-being is more important
55% 68%
A CLOSER LOOK
Black women leaders are more

ambitious but face greater barriers
to advancement
Black women leaders are more ambitious than other women at
their level: 59 percent of Black women leaders want to be top
executives, compared to 49 percent of women leaders overall.
But they are also more likely than women leaders of other
races and ethnicities to receive signals that it will be harder for
them to advance. Compared to other women at their level,
Black women leaders are more likely to have colleagues
“ When I was promoted to a senior
role, I heard comments like, ‘You
must have gotten that role because
you’re Black.’ A few people actually
said this to my face.”
BLACK WOMAN, MANAGER, BISEXUAL
question their competence and to be subjected to demeaning

behavior—and 1 in 3 Black women leaders says they’ve been
denied or passed over for opportunities because of personal
characteristics, including their race and gender.24
BLACK WOMEN LEADERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNDERMINED AT WORK
% of leaders who have experienced these microaggressions in the last year
ALL MEN ALL WOMEN BLACK WOMEN

LEADERS LEADERS LEADERS
Having someone say or imply

that you’re not qualified 6% 12% 20%
Being mistaken for someone at a lower level

13% 26% 38%
Having your judgment questioned

28% 39% 55%
A CLOSER LOOK
Women leaders are also

overworked at home
Women at all levels are far more likely than men to be
responsible for most or all of their family’s housework
and caregiving. But the imbalance is especially stark
between men and women in leadership roles. Among
entry-level employees, women are about twice as likely
as men to be doing all of this work; among employees
in leadership, the gap nearly doubles.
“ I know that most men in the C-suite have a
stay-at-home spouse. My CEO, he’s a nice
guy. But he doesn’t have kids at home. He’s
not thinking about the logistical challenges
of having to look after your family.”
WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER,

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
AS MEN ADVANCE, THEY DO LESS HOUSEHOLD LABOR. WOMEN DON’T HAVE THAT LUXURY25
% of men and women at different levels who are responsible for most or all of their family’s housework and/or childcare
Entry Level Entry Level First-level First-level Senior manager Senior manager
manager manager and up and up
30% 58% 21% 58% 13% 52%

PART 3
An intersectional
look at women’s
experiences
20 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: INTERSECTIONAL LOOK
Some women face

more bias and receive
less support at work
Many women experience bias not only because of their
gender, but also because of their race, sexual orientation,
a disability, or other aspects of their identity—and the
compounded discrimination can be much greater than the
sum of its parts. As a result, these groups of women often
experience more microaggressions and face more barriers
to advancement. It’s critical that companies and coworkers
are aware of these dynamics so they can more effectively
promote equity and inclusion for all women.
“
As I was progressing through my career, people kept telling
me I needed to have ‘executive presence.’ And what they
really meant was I needed to look the part. I needed to have
the right clothing, I needed to look feminine enough. That
was always a challenge for me, because I didn't follow the
typical feminine dress code.”
WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER, LESBIAN

Although no study can fully capture the experiences of women with traditionally
marginalized identities, this year’s findings point to these distinct experiences:
Women of color are more ambitious despite getting Women with disabilities often have their competence
less support. Forty-one percent of women of color challenged and undermined. They are significantly
want to be top executives, compared to 27 percent of more likely than other groups of women to have their
white women. judgment questioned in their area of expertise and to
have colleagues get credit for their ideas.
Latinas and Black women are less likely than women
of other races and ethnicities to say their manager LGBTQ+ women and women with disabilities are
shows interest in their career development. They also more likely to experience demeaning and “othering”
tend to feel less psychological safety26—for example, microaggressions.28 Compared to women overall, they
less than half of Latinas and Black women say people are more likely to have colleagues comment on their
on their team aren’t penalized for mistakes. appearance or tell them that they “look mad” or
“should smile more.”
Asian women and Black women are less likely to
have strong allies on their teams.27 They are also less Latinas and Asian women are more likely than
likely than white women to say senior colleagues have women of other races and ethnicities to have
taken important sponsorship actions on their behalf, colleagues comment on their culture or nationality—
such as publicly praising their skills or advocating for for example, by asking where they’re “really from.”
a compensation increase for them.
These are only some of the many groups of women who often have worse experiences at work due to intersecting and compounding biases. We surveyed
women with a wide range of other traditionally marginalized identities—including Indigenous women, Middle Eastern women, mixed-race women, and
transgender women, to name just a few—as well as women with multiple intersecting identities. However, due to small sample sizes, we are only able to
report on findings for the following groups: Asian women, Black women, Latinas, all women of color, all LGBTQ+ women, and all women with disabilities.
Women with traditionally marginalized identities

often have a worse experience at work 29
BETTER EXPERIENCE WORSE EXPERIENCE

WOMEN
LGBTQ+ WITH WHITE ASIAN BLACK
LATINAS
ALL MEN ALL WOMEN WOMEN30 DISABILITIES WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN
MANAGER SUPPORT31
Manager shows interest

42% 44% 53% 41% 46% 45% 39% 38%
in their career
Manager checks in
60% 64% 70% 64% 66% 60% 60% 60%
on their well-being
Manager promotes
53% 53% 61% 53% 55% 52% 48% 47%
inclusion on their team
SPONSORSHIP AND ALLYSHIP32
63% 65% 73% 62% Has strong allies on team 67% 59% 63% 59%
Senior coworker
53% 54% 59% 52% 56% 51% 48% 49%
publicly praised their skills
Senior coworker
31% 31% 33% 29% 33% 24% 27% 23%
advocated for a raise for them
MICROAGGRESSIONS33
Challenges to competence
21% 27% 33% 36% Others get credit for their ideas 27% 25% 24% 26%
24% 31% 39% 47% Their judgment is questioned 31% 24% 28% 36%
They’ve been mistaken for

10% 16% 21% 23% 16% 15% 16% 19%
someone more junior
Demeaning and “othering”
Others make assumptions about

5% 7% 9% 8% 2% 17% 16% 13%
their culture or nationality
Others comment on
4% 7% 14% 13% 7% 5% 7% 9%
their appearance
They’ve been criticized

10% 14% 23% 25% 15% 9% 14% 18%
for their demeanor
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY34
Don’t worry they’ll be

57% 56% 61% 56% 61% 51% 44% 45%
penalized for mistakes
Feel comfortable disagreeing

62% 54% 59% 52% 57% 51% 45% 44%
with coworkers
52% 48% 54% 49% Rarely feel excluded 52% 44% 39% 37%
IN THEIR WORDS
“ Someone I work with went behind my back and told

my VP that I was having personal conversations in
Spanish on the clock. They said I wasn’t working.
That simply wasn’t true. I was speaking Spanish on
the job because I manage an entire region that is
Spanish-speaking. I was so demoralized. I thought,
‘Why even go to work if I’m going to be bullied and
harassed about the language I’m speaking?’”
LATINA, MANAGER, PHYSICAL DISABILITY
“ There have been times when I’ve been excluded

from a work-related conversation just because
it’s easier for other people not to have to gender
me correctly. That’s happened a couple times.
There have been discussions within my sphere
“
of responsibility and I know the answer, but my
colleagues go around me.”
A coworker asked me, ‘Where are you
WHITE NONBINARY INDIVIDUAL, MANAGER from?’ And I replied with the name of the
U.S. town where I grew up. And then they
asked, ‘Where are you really from?’ These
are the conversations they teach you in
diversity training not to have, but here I am
having this conversation.”
SOUTHEAST ASIAN WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER,

IMMIGRANT
“
Being the only Black person in my workplace
made me think, ‘What am I getting myself into?’
I feel that I can never mess up. There’s that
voice in my head saying, ‘You know you’re the
first. If you mess up, what is that going to do to
the next Black person? Are they going to be
judged differently?’”
BLACK WOMAN, MANAGER, BISEXUAL

PART 4
The importance
of flexible and
remote work
25 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: FLEXIBILITY
Remote and hybrid work

are game-changing
for women
“
Two years after the pandemic forced corporate America
into a massive experiment with flexible work, enthusiasm I think working remotely has made it easier to deal
for flexibility in all its forms is higher than ever. A vast with bias and disrespect. After a meeting, I can
majority of employees want to work for companies that go sit outside for a few minutes and take deep
offer remote or hybrid work options. Only 7 percent of breaths. I can turn off my camera and cry. Working
companies plan to pull back on remote and hybrid work remotely has really improved my mental health.”
in the next year, and 32 percent say these options are
WHITE WOMAN, MANAGER, LESBIAN, REMOTE WORKER
likely to expand.
Although remote and hybrid won’t work for all companies

or all roles, it’s clear that these new modes of working
are here to stay. As companies continue to navigate this
Women who work in a different arrangement
transition, there are three key things they should keep from their teammates may get less support.
in mind: Women who work remotely significantly more often
than their colleagues—or on-site significantly more
Choice is critical. Employees who can choose to work than their colleagues—are less likely to report that
their manager supports their well-being and shows
in the arrangement they prefer—whether remote or
interest in their career.
on-site—are less burned out, happier in their jobs, and
much less likely to consider leaving their companies.
This points to the importance of giving employees
agency and choice when possible; a one-size-fits-all
approach to flexible work won’t work for all employees.
The option to work remotely is especially important

to women. Only 1 in 10 women wants to work35 mostly
on-site, and many women point to remote and hybrid
work options as one of their top reasons for joining or
staying with an organization.36 These preferences are
about more than flexibility. When women work remotely
at least some of the time, they experience fewer
microaggressions and higher levels of psychological
safety.37 The decrease in microaggressions is
especially pronounced for women of color, LGBTQ+
women, and women with disabilities—groups who
typically face more demeaning and othering behavior.
Although remote and hybrid work are delivering real

benefits, they may also be creating new challenges.
Most employees prefer working remotely at least some
of the time. And most HR leaders say that offering
flexible work options has helped diversify their 71% of HR leaders say remote work has
talent pipelines and retain more employees from helped their organization hire and retain more
underrepresented groups. However, there are potential employees from diverse backgrounds.
downsides to these new ways of working. A majority
of companies are concerned that employees who
work remotely feel less connected to their teams
and say that remote and hybrid work are placing
additional demands on managers. It’s also possible Remote and hybrid work can offer a reprieve
that employees who primarily work from home— from bias, but it’s not a substitute for systemic
who are more likely to be women—will get fewer change. On one hand, it’s positive that women
are experiencing fewer microaggressions when
opportunities for recognition and advancement.38
they work remotely. On the other hand, it’s
deeply problematic. Regardless of where they
work, all women deserve to feel valued and
included. Companies cannot rely on remote
and hybrid work as a solution; they need to
invest in creating a truly inclusive culture.
A majority of women prefer remote and hybrid work
WOMEN ARE FAR LESS LIKELY THAN MEN TO WANT TO WORK MOSTLY ON-SITE39
% of men and women who would prefer to work mostly remotely, mostly on-site, or split time
“
WOMEN MEN
If there were another job offering me
similar pay, but completely remote, I would
consider it. My company had us return to
the office two days a week. But in my role,
I mainly just need to work quietly alone.
When I go back to the office, I don’t feel as
50%
efficient. There are so many interruptions. I
Work mostly remotely 61% know the social aspect is important, but
getting work done is also important.”
EAST ASIAN WOMAN, MANAGER, HYBRID WORKER
27%
Split time evenly between 25%

remote and on-site
18%
Work mostly on-site 10%
Employees who can choose

their work arrangements
are less likely to leave
“
It’s important to me that my company treats people well
and gives us flexibility. Those things were improving in the
past, but the pandemic forced them to change faster. And
now it’s become a requirement to attract talent. You can’t
be the company that forces people to work the way you
want them to work.”
WHITE WOMAN, MANAGER, LESBIAN, MOSTLY REMOTE
WHEN WOMEN CAN WORK WHERE THEY WANT TO, THEY ARE HAPPIER AND LESS LIKELY TO LEAVE40
% of women who report the following when their work arrangement does and doesn’t align with their preference (i.e., mostly remote or mostly on-site)
Women don’t work where they want to Women work where they want to
61% I’m happy with my job 81%
I have equal
47% 67%
opportunity to advance
I’m unlikely to leave

41% 64%
in the next year
21% I’m rarely burned out 30%
100% 50% 0% 0% 50% 100%

Women experience fewer

microaggressions when they work
remotely at least some of the time
“
Some microaggressions just 100 percent don’t happen when
I’m remote. A lot of people have said I should be worried about
not having face time, but there’s another perspective, which is
that people of color don’t want to be in a work environment
where they don’t feel like they can be themselves.”
BLACK WOMAN, VICE PRESIDENT, HYBRID WORKER
WHEN WOMEN WORK REMOTELY, THEY EXPERIENCE FEWER “OTHERING” MICROAGGRESSIONS41
% of women who experience demeaning and disrespectful microaggressions when they work mostly remotely, hybrid, and mostly on-site
ALL WOMEN LGBTQ+ WOMEN WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES WOMEN OF COLOR
Experience fewer
microaggressions
Work mostly remotely 19%
23%
Work hybrid 24%
27%
Work mostly on-site 29%
31% 30%
37% 36%
38%
39%
43%
Experience more
microaggressions
A CLOSER LOOK
Remote work options are especially

critical for women with disabilities
The shift toward remote and hybrid work has been particularly beneficial for women with
disabilities. Working at home can help women with disabilities be healthier and more
productive, since it’s easier to manage mobility issues, chronic pain, and mental health
conditions when you have more control over your work environment.
Women with disabilities also feel more respected and supported when they have the option to
work remotely. They are less likely to experience certain microaggressions, such as hearing
negative comments about their appearance or having colleagues openly question their
qualifications. They are also more likely to say their manager trusts them to get their work
done and that they feel comfortable talking openly with colleagues about their challenges.
“ I don’t think I could work full-time if I was

required to be in the office. I think it is literally
that life-changing to be remote for me.”
WHITE WOMAN, ENTRY LEVEL,

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES WHO WORK MOSTLY
REMOTELY FEEL LESS MICROMANAGED
% of women with disabilities who say their manager consistently

trusts them to get their work done without micromanaging
Disabilities may or may not be readily apparent in

day-to-day interactions and can include a wide range of 82% 69%
conditions such as physical disabilities, mental illness,
neurodivergence, developmental disorders, and chronic
health conditions that interfere with daily life.
Mostly remote Mostly on-site

Five steps companies can

take to navigate the shift to
remote and hybrid work
For companies that are transitioning to remote and hybrid
work, it’s critical to ensure that these new modes of working
work for everyone. This will require a mindset shift. It’s not
enough to tweak old policies and practices; companies
need to fundamentally rethink how work is done. To start,
companies would be well served to focus their efforts in five
general areas:
Clearly communicate plans

1
“
and guidelines for flexible work
As remote and hybrid work policies continue to I’ve found that remote work is really,
evolve, companies should take extra care to ensure really role based. Sometimes we
that employees know what to expect and understand do need to be in a team working
the rationale behind decisions. It’s important to share environment for a project. But other
guidelines about who can work remotely and why, so than that, if someone can work better
people don’t feel they’re being treated unfairly. It’s also and feel more comfortable by working
important that companies provide clear guidelines to remotely, then why not?”
help employees navigate the day-to-day complexities
EAST ASIAN WOMAN, MANAGER, HYBRID
of remote and hybrid work; for example, establishing WORKER
specific windows during which meetings can be
scheduled and employees in different time zones
are expected to be available.
Gather regular feedback from employees

2
It’s hard to navigate any major transition without
understanding employees’ priorities and experiences.
But only about half of companies have surveyed
employees on their preferences for remote and hybrid
work over the past year—which means they may not
fully understand how policies are impacting different
groups or how changes have been received. And as
companies roll out new remote and hybrid work norms,
they will want to keep a regular pulse on what’s working
for employees and what needs to be improved.
Invest in fostering
3 employee connectedness
“
This means being intentional about working norms—
for example, having everyone join meetings via I have one report who has a toddler.
videoconference so it’s easier for employees to She also has essential on-site tasks.
participate when they are working remotely. It also So we aligned on the activities that she
means finding new ways to foster camaraderie and absolutely has to do on-site, and she
connection. Making creative use of technology to only has to be there for those. For a few
facilitate watercooler-style interactions and team months when the daycares were closed,
celebrations in a virtual work environment is a good we assigned somebody else to do her
start. Companies could also benefit from dedicating on-site tasks temporarily, so she could
resources to team bonding events and, whether stay at home with her kids. It didn’t
they’re virtual or in person, taking special care to affect her performance whatsoever,
make sure that all employees feel included and that or her aspirations in the company. It
events are accessible to everyone. didn’t change my perception of her.”
LATINA, MANAGER, HYBRID WORKER, IMMIGRANT
Be purposeful about in-person work

4
Employee expectations for in-person work are
changing—in particular, many employees don’t want
to come into the office to do work they can just as
easily do at home. In light of this, many companies
are starting to refocus in-person work on activities
that take advantage of being together, such as
high-level planning, learning and development
training, and bursts of heavy collaboration.
Make sure the playing field is level

5
It’s important that remote and hybrid employees get the Flexibility stigma is the unfair
judgment that employees often
same support and opportunities as on-site employees.
face when they work flexible hours
People managers play a central role here, and many or work from home. Research
could benefit from additional training on how to foster shows that employees who work
remote and hybrid employees’ career development and flexibly face more doubts about
minimize flexibility stigma. Equal access to mentorship and their productivity and commitment,
sponsorship are also key, yet less than half of companies even when they produce the same
results as their colleagues.42
offer virtual mentorship and sponsorship programs. Finally,
companies can put safeguards in place to make sure
employees who take advantage of remote and hybrid work
options aren’t disadvantaged in performance reviews. This
means communicating to managers that employees should
be evaluated based on measurable results—not when or
where they work—and closely tracking performance ratings
and promotions for remote, hybrid, and on-site employees.
If they see discrepancies, companies should revisit their
manager training, career development, and evaluation
practices to make sure remote and hybrid employees are
not being unfairly penalized.
Companies can take bolder steps

to support remote and hybrid work
“
My company could do a better job of training leaders
on how to manage remotely. We never had a course on
how to manage remote teams. I think it’s something all
of our managers need, not just me.”
WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER, HYBRID WORKER, PHYSICAL

DISABILITIES
WHAT COMPANIES ARE DOING TO SUPPORT HYBRID AND REMOTE WORK
% of companies that are putting the following practices in place
0% 50% 100%
Gathering employee input
Surveying employees on their

51%
preferences for remote work
Fostering employee connectedness
Making sure remote and on-site

employees get the same company updates
84%
Providing budgets for inclusive

45%
team bonding activities
Ensuring equal opportunity
Offering virtual mentorship

and sponsorship programs
36%
Training managers on supporting

remote and hybrid employees
62%
Training managers to ensure equal

opportunity for remote and hybrid employees
34%
Training managers to avoid common biases

experienced by remote and hybrid employees
32%
Tracking outcomes
Tracking outcomes (e.g., promotion and attrition

17%
rates) for remote and hybrid employees
CASE STUDY
How Blue Shield of California made a

successful shift to hybrid work
What Blue Shield of California did
Over the past two years, Blue Shield of California has made an intentional transition to hybrid work, with a
particular focus on balancing employee preferences with delivering on business goals. Their approach
included four key steps:
1. Allow remote work wherever possible. During the early stages of the pandemic, Blue Shield of
California realized that many of their roles could be remote. Most employees now have the choice to
work remotely at least some of the time, with only essential workers such as clinical staff fully on-site.
2. Trained managers. More than 90 percent of Blue Shield of California’s managers completed training
on how to manage hybrid teams. The training included live online workshops and toolkits on topics
like supporting employee well-being and ensuring that both remote and on-site team members are
included and treated fairly. Following the training, 95 percent of participants said they felt ready to
lead in a hybrid work environment.
3. Make in-person work purposeful. Blue Shield of California aligned on four types of work that are best
done in person: governance and planning, collaboration, connection, and learning and development.
4. Fostered healthy workloads. Blue Shield of California asked managers to work with their employees
one-on-one to create schedules that balance work and life. To protect employees’ personal time, the
company also has a policy of no meetings before 9 a.m., between 12 and 1 p.m., and after 5 p.m.
What impact did Blue Shield of California’s programs have?

In recent employee surveys, 90 percent of employees said the company is a great place to work, and 95
percent of women said they felt fairly treated. In addition, Blue Shield of California appeared on Fortune’s
100 Best Companies to Work For list in 2022, a first in the company’s history.
PART 5
The importance
of managers
37 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: MANAGERS
Managers are key

to retaining
women—but they
need more support
to get this right
Managers play an essential role in shaping women’s—and
Having a manager who cares about their
all employees’—work experiences.43 When managers invest
well-being really matters to women—it’s one
in people management and DEI, women are happier and
of the top three factors they consider when
less burned out. They’re also less likely to think about
deciding whether to join or stay with a company.
leaving their jobs and more likely to recommend their
company as a good place to work—which translates to
higher retention and better recruiting.
Better performance evaluations can especially
The problem is there’s a growing gap between what’s benefit women managers. Women managers
expected of managers and how they’re being trained tend to invest more in people management
and rewarded. Most companies say managers have been and DEI. For example, employees with women
expected to do more over the last two years to support managers are more likely to say their manager
employees’ well-being and advancement and promote checks in on their well-being, helps them manage
their workload, and promotes inclusive behavior
inclusion on their teams. At the same time, the shift to
on their team. When this work is included in
remote and hybrid work has made managers’ jobs more performance reviews, women managers are more
challenging. Yet relatively few companies are adequately likely to be recognized for their efforts—which
training managers to meet these new demands, and even could lead to higher performance ratings, faster
fewer recognize people management and DEI efforts in advancement, and higher pay.
managers’ performance reviews. Companies are effectively
treating this work as a nice-to-have—as opposed to a core
part of a manager’s job—and this disconnect is apparent in
the way managers are showing up. Only about half of
women say their manager regularly encourages respectful
behavior on their team, and less than half say their
manager shows interest in their career and helps them
manage their workload.
Company expectations are rising, but most

managers aren’t prepared to meet them
COMPANIES ARE EXPECTING MANAGERS TO DO MORE TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES AND FOSTER INCLUSION…
% of HR leaders who say managers are expected to do more than they were two years ago to:
Help employees Support employee Promote inclusion

develop their careers well-being on their teams
60% 78% 80%
…BUT EMPLOYEES SAY MANAGERS AREN’T SHOWING UP CONSISTENTLY
% of employees who say managers have consistently taken the following actions in the past year
Manager supports advancement
Shows interest in your career 43%
Makes sure you get credit for your work 50%
Gives you helpful feedback 60%
Manager fosters inclusivity and well-being
Encourages respectful and inclusive

53%
behavior on your team
Checks in on your personal well-being 62%
Works with you to make sure

38%
your workload is manageable
0% 50% 100%
How companies can equip, incentivize,

and reward good managers
To begin to close the gap between what’s expected of managers and how
they show up, companies could benefit from focusing on two key objectives:
Set managers up for success

1
Although a majority of companies provide general training 40% of people managers are
for managers, far fewer address specifics that are critical to burned out, compared to only
managing teams today, such as how to minimize burnout 31% of individual contributors.
and ensure promotions are equitable. Research shows
that when training focuses on concrete topics like these, it
leads to better results.44 Companies could also benefit from
stepping back to make sure people managers have the time
and resources they need to do their jobs well. Managers
have seen their scope of work expand dramatically over the
past two years, and, understandably, many are struggling
with the added responsibilities.
Hold managers accountable

2 and reward those who excel Managers may need more training
on how to ensure workloads are
While virtually all companies build business goals into manageable. More than 70% of
managers’ performance reviews, very few do the same companies instruct managers to help
for metrics related to people management and DEI. This is employees manage their workloads,
an incomplete view of performance, but it's relatively easy but only 38% of employees say their
to fix. It’s increasingly common for employees to review manager does this consistently. This
really matters: more than half of
their manager’s performance, and prompts to gather more
women say ensuring a manageable
expansive input can be added to employee evaluation
workload is one of the most important
forms.45 Many companies track attrition rates, promotion things their company can do to signal
rates, and other career outcomes and conduct surveys commitment to employee well-being,
to measure employee satisfaction and well-being; insights and women leaders are especially
from these processes can be built into managers’ likely to say this.
performance evaluations.
In addition, companies can take steps to more clearly

signal their expectations and reward results, such as
sharing well-being and diversity metrics with all employees
and publicly acknowledging managers who stand out for
their efforts to support employees and foster inclusion on
their teams.
Most companies are not

doing enough to train and
recognize managers
CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF TEAM MANAGEMENT ARE OFTEN MISSING IN MANAGER TRAININGS…
% of companies that report the following topics are covered in their manager training
0% 50% 100%
Training to promote inclusion
How to foster a sense of inclusion

and belonging on their team
82%
How to minimize and interrupt biased

behavior and microaggressions on their team
62%
How to facilitate team

conversations about diversity issues
47%
Training to support career development
How to proactively support

employees’ career development 76%
How to make sure promotions on

their team are fair and equitable 49%
Training to support employee well-being
How to effectively check in on their

employees’ personal well-being
62%
How to minimize burnout on their team 48%
…AND ARE EVEN LESS LIKELY TO SHOW UP IN MANAGERS’ PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
% of companies that report the following are included in manager performance evaluations
Meeting business goals 93%
Managing employee career development 43%
Team morale 39%
Progress on DEI 34%
Team retention 25%

When managers show up consistently,

women and companies benefit 46
WHEN MANAGERS DON’T WHEN MANAGERS TAKE

TAKE ANY KEY ACTIONS ALL KEY ACTIONS
Outcomes when managers consistently take all or none of the following actions: give helpful feedback, help manage
workload, show interest in career, check in on well-being, ensure credit for work, encourage inclusivity and respect on team
When managers take all the right actions, women have a better experience at work…
More opportunity to advance47 Greater psychological safety48 Better work culture49
Have equal opportunity People aren’t penalized Have the information and
compared to peers for making mistakes resources to get work done
35% 85% 30% 76% 24% 71%
Don’t feel held back by Everyone’s work is valued Have a chance to work on
personal characteristics things that feel meaningful
60% 87% 31% 90% 18% 66%
Think DEI is a high People rarely exclude Can be honest with colleagues
priority at their company each other about work challenges
49% 77% 22% 73% 23% 78%
…and are happier, less burned out, and less likely to leave50
Happy with job Would recommend company Rarely feel burned out Unlikely to leave in the next year
55% 92% 59% 92% 19% 38% 37% 75%

PART 6
Recommendations
for companies
44 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: RECOMMENDATIONS
A road map to
gender equality
To make meaningful and sustainable progress toward Most companies also need to take specific, highly
gender equality, companies should focus on two targeted steps to fix their “broken rung.” This starts with
broad goals: getting more women into leadership and identifying where the largest gap in promotions is for
retaining the women leaders they already have. This will women in their pipeline—for a majority of companies,
require pushing beyond common practices. Companies this will be at the first step up to manager, but it could
that have better representation of women, especially be at higher levels, too. Then companies need to make
women of color, are going further. They’re doubling sure women and men are put up for promotions at
down on setting goals, tracking outcomes, and holding similar rates, monitor outcomes to make sure they’re
leaders accountable—the building blocks of driving equitable, and root out biased aspects of their
organizational change. They’re offering more specific evaluation process.
and actionable training so managers are better
equipped to support their teams and employees know
how to practice allyship. They’re creating dedicated
programs to make sure women get the mentorship
and sponsorship they deserve. And they’re offering a
constellation of benefits to improve women’s day-to-day
work experiences: flexibility, emergency childcare
benefits, and mental health supports. Companies that
want to see better results would benefit from following
their lead and breaking new ground.
An overview of the policies and

programs that drive progress
Based on an analysis of HR and DEI best practices, we have identified three
distinct categories of policies and programs for advancing and retaining women:51
● Table stakes have been adopted by more than 75 percent of companies—
and while important, they’re not driving enough progress on their own.
● Leading practices are less common than table stakes—and more
prevalent in companies that have a higher representation of women
and women of color.
● Emerging practices are relatively rare—adopted by less than 30 percent
of all companies—but show promising early results.
To accelerate progress on gender equality, companies should consider adopting
more leading and emerging practices—and continue to look for opportunities to
break new ground.
TABLE LEADING EMERGING
STAKES PRACTICE PRACTICE
TRACK METRICS AND SET GOALS
Track representation and attrition by gender and race X
Set goals for representation in management and senior leadership by gender and race X
Set goals for representation in management and senior leadership by the intersection
X
of gender and race (e.g., women of color)
Begin tracking differences in outcomes between remote, hybrid, and on-site employees X
Track participation and outcomes for employee training and programs X
Survey employees about remote work and flexible scheduling preferences X
Use results of employee surveys to inform programs and policies X
HOLD LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROGRESS
Senior leadership reviews diversity metrics at least quarterly X
Share diversity metrics publicly X
Provide financial incentives to senior leaders for making progress on diversity metrics X
DE-BIAS HIRING AND PROMOTION DECISIONS
Track differences in hiring and promotion rates X
Set clear and specific evaluation criteria for hiring and performance reviews X
Share bias reminders before hiring and/or performance review processes begin X
Have a bias monitor sit in on candidate reviews for hiring and promotion decisions X
TABLE LEADING EMERGING

STAKES PRACTICE PRACTICE
TRAIN MANAGERS ON TOPICS RELATED TO PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AND DEI, INCLUDING:
Proactively supporting employee career development X
Fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging X
Managing remote or hybrid employees (e.g., setting effective boundaries) X
Facilitating team conversations about diversity issues X
Combating bias in promotions and/or everyday interactions X
Minimizing burnout and/or effectively checking in on employee well-being X
TRAIN EMPLOYEES TO COMBAT BIAS AND PROMOTE INCLUSION
Provide unconscious bias training X
Provide allyship training X
OFFER CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR
Women’s employee resource groups (ERGs) X
Formal sponsorship and/or mentorship programs specifically for women and/or

X
women of color
PROVIDE GENEROUS HEALTHCARE AND CAREGIVING BENEFITS
Paid sick leave, family leave, and bereavement leave X
Healthcare coverage that includes coverage for mental health X
Emergency backup childcare for parents X
Subsidies for childcare X
Ability for parents and caregivers to take extended time off and return X
Support for caregivers of sick or elderly adults X
Personal leave for mental health care X

A CLOSER LOOK
When implementing new policies and

programs, companies need to make
sure they don’t simply “check the box”
Programs need to be high quality—research shows that in some areas, low-quality
programs can be more harmful than doing nothing at all.52 Similarly, a one-and-done
approach won’t work. New policies and programs need to be rolled out broadly and
reinforced over time—for example, employees may need regular refreshers on bias
training if companies want to achieve long-term cultural change. Companies also
need to track participation. If relatively few employees are taking advantage of a new
policy, or the right people aren’t in the room for an important training, initiatives are
not delivering the intended results. And finally, companies should evaluate the impact
of programs to assess whether benefits are equitable and identify areas where certain
groups may need more targeted support.
CASE STUDY
How Intuit increased the

number of women in tech roles
What Intuit did
Between 2018 and 2020, Intuit launched two major initiatives designed to grow the representation
of women in technical roles—one that helps prospective employees upskill, the other that eases
the on-ramp for employees who’ve taken career breaks:
● The Apprenticeship Pathway Program is a seven-month software development program for

prospective employees who don’t have a computer science degree and have never worked
as a technologist. The program is open to people of all genders, but Intuit makes a specific
effort to recruit and enroll women and people of color. Apprentices take programming
courses, work directly on company projects, and receive mentorship from Intuit developers.
More than 80 percent of apprentices are ultimately hired into full-time roles.
● The “Intuit Again” return to work program is aimed at tech workers who’ve taken career
breaks, most of whom are women. Participants join an Intuit team for 16 weeks, where they
receive training to learn new programming languages and work with a dedicated mentor. To
date, nearly 70 percent of Intuit Again participants have been hired full-time by Intuit.
Results
At Intuit, 33 percent of tech roles are now held by women, up from 27 percent in 2019. This is a
significant increase and puts Intuit well above the average of 29 percent for the technology
industry overall.
CASE STUDY
How Citi exceeded its representation goals

In 2018, Citi set a representation goal of 40 percent women at the assistant vice president to managing
director levels by 2021—an important target, since women are underrepresented at these levels in
banking and consumer finance.
What Citi did

● Proactive recruiting. In 2021, Citi launched a Diversity Sourcing team in the U.S. to identify
diverse talent, including women in mid-level and senior-level roles. Citi has also invested in
mentorship programs and internships targeting women college graduates to ensure a strong
pipeline of women into management roles.
● Inclusive hiring practices. Citi has taken steps to make hiring more inclusive at the assistant
vice president and managing director levels, such as using diverse slates and offering inclusivity
training for all hiring managers. The training includes guidance for writing inclusive job
descriptions, creating diverse slates and interview panels, and for recruiting diverse slates
through active outreach.
● Developing talented women. Citi has expanded their “Women’s Career Empowerment Program”
for early and mid-career women so that it now reaches 14,000 employees worldwide. Women
participate in four training sessions over four months, covering strategic communication,
decision-making, and networking. The women’s managers also receive training on how to
support the women’s career growth.
Results
Citi surpassed their own goal: Globally, women now make up 40.6 percent of assistant vice presidents
through managing directors at Citi, up from 37 percent in 2018—above average representation at this level
for their industry. Citi has also committed to increasing women at those levels to 43.5 percent by 2025.
50 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Companies need to hold on to the

leaders shaping the future of work
The Covid-19 crisis and racial reckoning of 2020 pushed corporate America
to reimagine the way we work. Two and a half years in, employees don’t
want to return to the workplace of the past. They want to move forward.
This is especially true for women. Women are ambitious and hardworking.
They’re more inclusive and empathetic leaders. And they want to work for
companies that are prioritizing the cultural changes that are improving work:
flexibility, employee well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Companies that rise to the moment will attract and retain women
leaders—and this will lead to a better workplace for everyone.
They’ll win the war for talent today and into the future.
51 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Acknowledgments
McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org would like to thank the 333
companies and more than 40,000 employees who participated in this
year’s study. By sharing their information and insights, they’ve given us
new visibility into the state of women in the workplace and the steps
companies can take to achieve gender equality.
We appreciate the continued help of Canadian Manufacturers and
Exporters (CME-MEC), Defined Contribution Institutional Investment
Association (DCIIA), The Equity Collaborative, Expanding Equity,
Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA), International Dairy
Foods Association (IDFA), ISSA Hygieia Network, Massachusetts High
Technology Council (MHTC), The Press Forward, The SEMI Foundation,
Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), and Women’s Network in
Electronic Transactions (WNET) in convening participants in their
respective industries.
We would like to thank IntelliSurvey for their help in conducting the
surveys for this study and Getty Images for providing the photography
from the Lean In Collection used in this report and website.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR COMPANIES

This year’s report clearly shows that women want more opportunity to
advance and a better work culture. Lean In’s company programs can
help—and they’re available at no cost, because every company should have
the tools to build an equitable workplace. 50 Ways to Fight Bias teaches
employees how to recognize and challenge the biases women experience at
work. Allyship at Work empowers employees at all levels to take meaningful
action as allies and foster inclusion. And Lean In Circles bring women
together for peer mentorship, camaraderie, and skill building. Find out why
organizations like Adidas, Walmart, and WeWork are using our programs and
how you can bring them to your company at leanin.org/partner.
McKinsey & Company has made a commitment to researching and building

diverse leadership, as well as inclusive and equitable work environments. We
have a track record of client service to institutions working to modernize their
talent and business processes as well as cultures to support these aims.
McKinsey offers award-winning programs to equip leaders with the network,
capabilities, and mindsets needed to achieve their goals. Our Connected
Leaders Academy has enrolled 40,000 leaders. We will soon launch an early
career program and expand our capability-building offering designed to
support all leaders in creating inclusive organizations. Visit mckinsey.com to
explore McKinsey’s client service, research, and insights on DEI.
52 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: REPORT AUTHORS
Report authors
RACHEL THOMAS is CEO of LeanIn.Org, the nonprofit she LAREINA YEE is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Bay Area office.
cofounded to help women achieve their ambitions. Under her She is the chair of McKinsey’s Global Technology Council and
leadership, Lean In has become a go-to resource for original focuses on helping clients grow and sustain results. Lareina
research and training programs to fight bias and foster allyship served as McKinsey’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer
in the workplace, and the Lean In community has grown to and is a leading expert on advancing diversity in business,
include thousands of peer-support Circles in 188 countries. championing best practices that companies can use to change
Rachel regularly speaks and writes on issues related to results. She recently authored Race in the Workplace and
women’s advancement and diversity, equity, and inclusion. previously Diversity Matters.
MARIANNE COOPER, Ph.D., is a sociologist at the VMware ALEXIS KRIVKOVICH is the managing partner for McKinsey’s
Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab at Stanford University, where Bay Area office and oversees FinTech efforts in North America.
she conducts research on gender, DEI, and the future of work. She serves financial services and technology companies as they
She was the lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s best-selling seek to align their organizations for growth and productivity.
book Lean In. She’s written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Alexis is passionate about supporting executive teams to
and Harvard Business Review, and is one of LinkedIn’s 2022 Top execute on their diversity strategies and invests deeply in
Voices in Gender Equity. sponsoring younger women to build thriving careers.
KATE MCSHANE URBAN is a senior writer and research ISHANAA RAMBACHAN is a partner in McKinsey’s Bay Area
manager at LeanIn.Org. She earned her master’s degree in office. She helps major financial institutions across sectors improve
earth systems from Stanford University, where she focused on their performance, manage risk, and enhance organizational
translating science and environmental research for a general effectiveness. Her passion for building women’s leadership
audience. She is passionate about using the combined power capabilities predates her time at McKinsey; previously, Ishanaa
of data, empathy, and communication to build a more equal and was a Rhodes Scholar, where her research focused on women’s
resilient world. development.
WEI WEI LIU is a partner in McKinsey’s Bay Area office.

GINA CARDAZONE, Ph.D., is the research principal at LeanIn.Org,
She is a leader in the Growth Marketing and Sales practice
where she uses her expertise as a community and cultural
and helps consumer and retail clients drive omnichannel growth
psychologist to lead original mixed methods research. She believes
through personalization and data-driven marketing. Wei Wei is
data storytelling is a powerful tool for systems change. Gina has
passionate about building diversity and inclusion in the workplace
also taught psychology, worked in hybrid online/offline community
and is an involved sponsor and mentor across many communities
building, and consulted for nonprofits and government agencies.
at McKinsey.
MARY NOBLE-TOLLA, Ph.D., is senior manager of research and
MONNE WILLIAMS is a partner in McKinsey’s Atlanta office.
content at LeanIn.Org, where she creates trainings and public
She helps companies transform by applying culture, change
awareness materials that help shift people’s thinking in support of
management, executive team development, and capability
fairness and equality. Before LeanIn.Org, Mary worked in journalism
building levers to expand and sustain their performance gains.
and published on politics and social justice. She also taught English
Monne is a leader in the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic
and politics to undergrads at Oxford and Princeton.
Mobility, and recently authored Race in the Workplace.
SONIA MAHAJAN is project management and research lead at

NICOLE ROBINSON, Ph.D., is an associate partner in McKinsey’s
LeanIn.Org, where she uses data to examine the barriers women
San Francisco office and a leader of diversity, equity, and inclusion
face at work. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science
work within the firm’s Banking practice. She serves financial
from Columbia University. Previously, she contributed to research
institutions on resilience through organizational and
and other projects at various public interest organizations.
risk transformations.
BRIANA EDWARDS is LeanIn.Org’s research fellow, a role in HILARY NGUYEN is an engagement manager in McKinsey’s
which she contributes to research on the state of women at work. Chicago office. She focuses on helping clients in large-scale
She earned her bachelor’s degree in media analytics from transformations, particularly on topics related to leadership
Elon University. development, top team effectiveness, and organizational design.
53 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CORPORATE PIPELINE BY INDUSTRY
CORPORATE PIPELINE BY INDUSTRY
Industries have different talent pipelines

Although women are broadly underrepresented in corporate America, the talent pipeline varies
by industry. Some industries struggle to attract entry-level women (e.g., Technology: Hardware; IT
and Telecom; Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing), while others fail to advance women into
middle management (Energy, Utilities, and Basic Materials) or senior leadership (Oil and Gas).
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER SR. MANAGER VP SVP C-SUITE
47% 42% 38%

ASSET MANAGEMENT AND 32% 26% 20%
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
55% 47% 40%

BANKING AND 35% 30% 31%
CONSUMER FINANCE
53% 46% 43% 42%

CONSUMER PACKAGED 22% 36%
GOODS
ENERGY, UTILITIES, AND 36% 25% 27% 26% 25% 26%

BASIC MATERIALS
ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL 33% 25% 25% 23% 21% 23%

MANUFACTURING
FOOD AND BEVERAGE 45% 34% 35% 28%

25% 18%
DISTRIBUTION
50% 41%
FOOD AND BEVERAGE 37% 34% 31% 21%
MANUFACTURING
75% 70% 61%

45% 44% 32%
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
AND SERVICES
62% 53%
INSURANCE 40% 40% 35% 31%
IT SERVICES AND 37% 27% 24% 19% 26% 24%

TELECOM
54 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CORPORATE PIPELINE BY INDUSTRY
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER SR. MANAGER VP SVP C-SUITE
47% 43% 41% 41% 37%

MEDIA AND 34%
ENTERTAINMENT
OIL AND GAS 36% 23% 25% 25% 25% 13%
56% 49% 45% 39% 28%

PHARMACEUTICALS AND 34%
MEDICAL PRODUCTS
47% 43%
PROFESSIONAL AND 34% 27% 28% 26%
INFORMATION SERVICES
51% 44% 46% 49% 53%

PUBLIC AND 33%
SOCIAL SECTOR
62%
RESTAURANTS 48% 40% 35% 26% 28%
62% 57% 47% 39% 38%

RETAIL 31%
TECHNOLOGY: HARDWARE 32% 23% 20% 20% 26%

18%
TECHNOLOGY: SOFTWARE 41% 38% 33% 30% 27%

28%
TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS, 43% 33% 29% 21%

AND INFRASTRUCTURE 19% 17%
55 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: METHODOLOGY
Methodology
RESEARCH PARTICIPATION
This report is based on research from 333 companies across the United Where appropriate, some statements describing women’s experiences in
States and Canada, building on similar research conducted annually by the workplace were taken from past survey data that have been published
McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org since 2015, as well as research from in prior Women in the Workplace reports.
McKinsey & Company in 2012.
PIPELINE DATA AND ANALYTICS
Participating companies from the private, public, and social sectors
submitted talent pipeline and/or policies and programs data.53 In addition, Overall Metrics
more than 40,000 employees from 55 companies were surveyed on their All pipeline metrics (e.g., representation, promotion rates, hiring shares,
workplace experiences and we interviewed 34 women and non-binary attrition rates) were initially calculated for each participating company.
individuals, including people of different races and ethnicities, LGBTQ+ Company results were then averaged for each industry and each industry’s
individuals, and people with disabilities at all levels in their organizations data were weighted by the composition of the Fortune 500 in 2021. This
working remotely, hybrid, or on-site. enabled us to avoid overemphasizing or underemphasizing particular
industries and better estimate trends over time based on each year’s
We grouped companies by industry to create benchmarks that provide peer sample of companies.
comparisons.54 The number of companies from each industry is as follows:55
The industry breakdown of the Fortune 500 used for our weighting was:56
● Asset Management and Institutional Investors—37
Energy and Basic Materials—15%
Banking and Consumer Finance—31
●
●
Engineering and Automotive and Industrial Manufacturing—11%
Consumer Packaged Goods—5
●
●
● Energy, Utilities, and Basic Materials—14 ● Finance—19%
● Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing—26 ● Food and Restaurants—8%
● Food and Beverage Distribution—9 ● Healthcare—9%
● Food and Beverage Manufacturing—15 ● Media and Entertainment—3%
● Healthcare Systems and Services—19 ● Professional and Information Services—3%
● Insurance—9 ● Retail—17%
● IT Services and Telecom—10 ● Tech—12%

● Media and Entertainment—10 ● Transportation, Logistics, and Infrastructure—4%
● Oil and Gas—11
● Pharmaceutical and Medical Products—15 Definition of Job Levels
● Professional and Information Services—11 Companies categorized their employees into six levels based on the
following standard definitions, taking into account reporting structure and
● Public and Social Sector—16
salaries. The levels and definitions provided were:
● Restaurants—9
● Retail—14 ● L1—Executives: CEO and direct reports to CEO, responsible for
● Tech: Hardware—18 company operations and profitability (board members are not
● Tech: Software—37 included in our primary analyses unless they are also employees)
● Transportation, Logistics, and Infrastructure—11 ● L2—Senior vice presidents and other similar roles: senior leaders of
the organization with significant business unit or functional oversight
Companies opted in to the study in response to invitations from McKinsey &
Company and LeanIn.Org or by indicating interest through our public ● L3—Vice presidents and other similar roles: leaders within the
website. Participation in the Employee Experience Survey was encouraged, organization, responsible for activities/initiatives within a subunit of
but optional. a business unit or function, or who report directly to senior vice
presidents
All talent pipeline data collection occurred between March and August 2022. ● L4—Senior managers: seasoned managers and contributors,
Talent pipeline data reflect representation of men and women as of with responsibility for multiple teams and discrete functions or
December 31, 2021, as well as personnel changes (e.g., due to promotion, operating units
hiring, attrition) during 2021. Therefore, all talent pipeline data do not
represent any changes that occurred during 2022. ● L5—Managers: junior managers and contributors, responsible for
small teams and/or functional units or operations
Human resource leaders and professionals provided information on policies,
● L6—Entry level: employees responsible for carrying out discrete tasks
programs, and priorities on behalf of their company between June and
and participating on teams, typically in an office or corporate setting
September 2022. Additionally, employees were surveyed on their workplace
(field employees like cashiers or customer service representatives are
experiences between June and August 2022. These data sets represent
not included in our primary talent pipeline analyses)
point-in-time snapshots and reflect companies’ responses and employees’
experiences at the time that the survey was taken.
Methodology
Metrics and Analytics ● Definition of Aligned Work Arrangements
Participants were also surveyed on their ideal working arrangement
Talent pipeline data included the representation of men and women
(overall, in line versus staff roles, by race/ethnicity, and optionally for and were given five responses as options: work mostly remotely,
engineering and product management roles).57 In addition, companies work mostly on-site, split time evenly between working remotely
reported the number of men and women who were hired, promoted, and working on-site, not sure, and other. In combination with their
and who left the company (overall, by race/ethnicity, and optionally for answers on how they are currently working (see remote work status
engineering and product management roles as well as for voluntarily definitions), during data analysis the following composite variables
versus involuntarily leaving). were created to reflect their “alignment” with their work
arrangement:
Promotion and attrition rates were calculated for women and men,
○ Aligned (also referred to as “work where they want to”):
overall and by race/ethnicity, at each level. Promotion rates were
currently works mostly remotely and wants to work mostly
calculated by dividing the number of promotions of that gender into a
remotely OR currently works mostly on-site and wants to
level by the number of employees of that gender in the level below at
work mostly on-site
the start of the year. Attrition rates were calculated by dividing the
number of each gender who left the company at a given level by the ○ Mis-aligned (also referred to as “don’t work where they want
number of employees of that gender in that level at the start of the year. to”): currently works mostly remotely and wants to work
Submitted data were checked for consistency and inconsistent data mostly on-site OR currently works mostly on-site and wants
were excluded as needed. to work mostly remotely
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE SURVEY AND ANALYTICS HR PROGRAMS AND POLICIES

Survey Participation Human resource professionals from 317 companies provided information
More than 40,000 employees from 55 companies elected to participate on gender diversity policies and programs on behalf of their company.
in the Employee Experience Survey. The survey questions covered We report the percentage of companies that have a program, policy,
multiple themes (e.g., overall satisfaction, flexibility and remote/hybrid priority, or position out of the total number of companies that submitted
workplaces, advancement, employee well-being, equity and allyship, and HR program/policy data. In addition, senior HR leaders (chief human
household characteristics and responsibilities) as well as demographic resources officer or equivalent, head of diversity, equity, and inclusion or
questions (e.g., gender, gender of primary manager, race/ethnicity, age, equivalent) from participating companies provided information on
sexual orientation, role, and family status). diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and practices they deemed to
be most effective at their companies in achieving better outcomes. As
Bivariate and Multivariate Statistical Reporting part of this survey, HR leaders also provided qualitative comments in a
free text form.
Survey results were reported as an unweighted polled average of
responses across companies. Many of the questions offered a five-point
labeled response scale (e.g., “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”). QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
Unless otherwise specified, analyses aggregated the top two and bottom
two boxes of the response scale (e.g., “Somewhat agree” and “Strongly We conducted individual interviews with 34 women and non-binary
employees from nine companies across six industries, including Banking
agree”).
and Consumer Finance, Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing, and
Where we highlight differences between genders or other groups, we Retail. Interviewees were volunteers selected to reflect a range of levels,
highlight only those differences that are substantial and reliable. To departments, and demographic groups. Our interviews focused on
that end, all differences noted in this report are statistically significant to workplace experiences in order to gain a deeper understanding of the
a 95 percent confidence level using a two-tailed test and/or reflect a quantitative findings from the employee survey. Individual names,
company names, and any other identifying information were kept strictly
difference of at least five percentage points between two groups unless
confidential and individuals are anonymized in this report. Within the
otherwise indicated.
quotes, some identifying details may have been altered and/or withheld
● Definition of Remote Work Status Composite Variable to protect the speaker’s anonymity. Quotes have been edited for clarity.
Participants were asked

asked how often they currently work remotely
and were given five interval-level responses as options. During the
data analysis, the five options were transformed into the following
composite variables:
○ Mostly remote: 91% to 100% (always or almost always)
○ Hybrid: 20% to 50% (i.e., one or two days a week),
51% to 90% (i.e., three or four days a week)
○ Mostly on-site: 0% (not working remotely at all), less than
20% (i.e., less than one day a week)
Methodology
HR AND DEI BEST PRACTICES
DEI best practices are based on top performer analysis conducted with pipeline
data and HR survey data, supplemented by external research, past Women in the
Workplace studies, and responses from senior leaders about what has been most
effective in improving representation and advancement of women.
We used talent pipeline data from 97 companies that participated in 2019 and
2022 to identify top performers in the representation of women and women of
color. We compared their total women and women of color representation for L2 to
L6 from 2021 (data from Women in the Workplace 2022) to their past performance
in 2018 (data from Women in the Workplace 2019) and to their industry’s average
for these values. L1 was excluded from analysis due to the high variability of this
level.
We then ranked the companies by the extent to which they improved over time
and outperformed this year’s industry benchmarks for total women and women
of color representation from L2 to L6 in the pipeline to identify the top and bottom
quartiles of companies.
Leading practices were based on the top performer analysis and defined as
practices where there was a statistically significant difference in the percentage
of top performing companies (n = 24) and all other companies in that analysis (n =
73) that have adopted that practice. In cases where recommendations included
multiple individual practices (e.g., sponsorship and mentorship programs for
women and/or women of color), the recommendation was classified as a leading
practice if there was at least one statistically significant difference between top
performers and all other companies in the analyses for any of the listed practices.
In addition to leading practices, we used two other ways of classifying

recommended practices:
Table stakes (sometimes referred to as “common practices”)—practices that we

recommend and that are very common (at least 75 percent of the 317 companies
who completed the HR survey did this).
Emerging practices—practices that we recommend that are not yet common

(fewer than 30 percent of all companies who completed the HR survey did this)
and where the top performer analysis of 97 companies showed promise through a
small but not statistically significant difference in prevalence for top performers.
58 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ENDNOTES
Endnotes
1 This report contains stock photographs for illustrative purposes only. Images do not reflect the identities of the women quoted. Within the quotes, some
identifying details may have been altered and/or withheld to protect the speaker’s anonymity.
2 In this study, “women” includes cisgender and transgender women. Due to small sample sizes for transgender women, data are reported for “women
overall” or “LGBTQ+ women” in aggregate. Women of color include Black, Latina, Asian, Native American/American Indian/Indigenous or Alaskan Native,
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, or mixed-race women. Due to small sample sizes for other racial and ethnic groups, reported findings on
individual racial/ethnic groups are restricted to Black women, Latinas, and Asian women.
3 Except where otherwise noted, “women leaders” refers to employees at the senior manager level and above (L4 to L1 in Methodology). Findings for
“women leaders” may not hold for CEOs and other C-suite executives as there is high variability due to the relatively small size of the C-suite population.
4 LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2019 (October 2019), https://womenintheworkplace.com/.
5 Women and men leaders are equally likely to want to get promoted: 78 percent of women leaders and 78 percent of men leaders are interested in
getting promoted to the next level at their organization. And women and men leaders are similarly likely to want to be senior leaders at their company (81
percent of women leaders and 85 percent of men leaders). However, men leaders are more interested than women leaders in becoming top executives
(57 percent of men leaders and 49 percent of women leaders). Full questions: How interested are you in doing the following at your company?
[Respondents selected from “Extremely/slightly interested,” “Neither interested nor uninterested,” “Extremely/somewhat uninterested,” and “Not sure”] |
Getting promoted to the next level; Managing a team (1 or more full-time employees); Being a senior leader. (Note: This scale is asymmetrical due to an
error; however, this didn’t affect analysis of grouped results.) Do you want to be a top executive? | Yes; No; I already am a top executive.
6 Except where otherwise noted, “young women” and “young men” refer to employees under the age of 30.
7 Except where otherwise noted, “senior leadership” refers to individuals at the vice president level or above (L3 to L1 in Methodology).
8 Total percent of women and men per level in the race and gender pipeline may not sum to overall corporate pipeline totals, as the race pipeline does
not include employees with unreported race data. Some percentages may sum to 99 percent or 101 percent due to rounding. Pipeline data in this report
are based on data from the end of 2021 and do not reflect changes through 2022.
9 In this study, numbers for the “broken rung” assume an equal number of men, women, and women of color at entry level (L6 in Methodology).
10 In this chart, data for voluntary attrition from 2017 to 2021 come from unpublished pipeline data for the 2018 to 2022 Women in the Workplace reports.
Voluntary attrition rates for men and women leaders (L4 to L1 in Methodology) were calculated by weighting each employee level’s voluntary attrition rate
by the end of year composition.
11 In this study, unless otherwise noted, “voluntary attrition” refers to employees who left their organization of their own volition.
12 Data for women in engineering and technical roles are based on the following question: Do you work in an engineering or technical field (e.g.,
engineering, product development, data science)? | Yes; No. In 2018, this question was slightly different: Do you work in an engineering or technical
department (e.g., engineering, product development, data science)? | Yes; No.
13 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook,” filtered by pay (“more than $80,000/year”) and occupation growth rate (“faster than
average or much faster than average”), September 8, 2022,
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=$80,000+or+more&education=&training=&newjobs=&growth=Faster+than+average&submit=GO.
14 Data show that when managers take action to support employee well-being and promote inclusion, employees have better experiences. Full question:
Which of the following actions has your manager taken consistently in the past year? | Shown interest in your career advancement (e.g., asked about your
career goals); Encouraged respectful and inclusive behavior on your team; Checked in on your personal well-being; Trusted you to get your work done
without micromanaging; Worked with you to make sure your workload is manageable; Made sure you got credit for your work; Given you helpful feedback;
None of these.
15 LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2021 (September 2021), https://womenintheworkplace.com/.
16 Ibid.
Endnotes
17 In this study, “flexibility” refers to remote or hybrid work, as well as flexible work options such as the ability to set your own hours.
18 Full question: Compared to how you felt two years ago, how important are the following to you now: [Respondents selected from “Less important
now,” “Just as important,” “More important,” “Was never important,” and “Not sure”] | Flexibility (e.g., being able to work remotely and/or set your own work
hours); Working at an organization that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion; Working at an organization that is committed to employee well-being;
Having a supportive manager; Being recognized and rewarded for your work.
19 In this study, unless otherwise noted, “people management” refers to actions taken by managers to support employees’ well-being and career
development. This finding on women leaders and DEI is from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace 2021, unpublished data.
20 See endnote 23 for the full question.
21 In this study, “older women” and “older employees” refer to women or employees over the age of 40.
22 Full question: Why did you leave your last job? | I wanted more options to work remotely; I wanted a more flexible work schedule (e.g., ability to set my
own work hours); My workload was unmanageable; My manager wasn’t supportive; I didn’t feel welcome (e.g., I was excluded or treated disrespectfully); I
wanted to do more meaningful or inspiring work; I wanted more opportunity to advance; I wanted to work for an organization more committed to diversity,
equity, and inclusion; I had an opportunity that offered better pay and/or benefits; I left for personal reasons (e.g., I relocated); Other. This question was only
asked of people who switched jobs in the last two years. The number given for “flexibility” in this chart is a composite of “I wanted more options to work
remotely” and/or “I wanted a more flexible schedule (e.g., ability to set my own work hours)." For “opportunity to advance,” the difference between men
and women leaders is not statistically significant.
23 Full question: Over the last two years, has career advancement (e.g., getting promoted) become more or less important to you? | Less important now;
Just as important; More important now; Not sure. See endnote 18 for the second question.
24 “1 in 3” was obtained by subtracting the percentage of Black women leaders who selected “None of these” from 100 percent. Full question: In the last
year, have you felt that any of the following personal characteristics have played a role in you being denied or passed over for a raise, promotion, or
chance to get ahead? | Your gender; Your race/ethnicity; Having a disability or health issue; Your sexual orientation; Your age; Being a parent; Being a
remote employee; None of these.
25 This visual presents data for all women and men, not just those who live with a spouse or partner. Full question: When it comes to household
responsibilities (e.g., housework, childcare, managing family's schedule, helping children with school), would you say… | You are responsible for all of the
work; You are responsible for most of the work; You share responsibilities equally with a partner; Your partner is responsible for most of the work; Your
partner is responsible for all of the work; Someone else (e.g., family member, nanny) is responsible for all or most of the work.
26 Psychological safety is the belief among employees that it's safe to take interpersonal risks. It means employees believe they won't be punished or
humiliated if they propose new ideas, raise concerns and issues, or admit mistakes. Amy Edmondson, “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in
Work Teams,” Administrative Science Quarterly 44, no. 2 (June 1999): 350–83, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2307/2666999. Full question:
Which of the following are true on your team? | [Select all that apply] People aren’t penalized for making mistakes; People feel comfortable disagreeing
with each other; People rarely exclude other team members; People celebrate each other’s accomplishments; Everyone’s work is valued; People listen to
each other’s ideas and concerns; None of these.
27 “Asian women” refers to women of South Asian, East Asian, and Southeast Asian origin or descent. Unless otherwise stated, “Asian women” does not
include individuals of Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, West Asian, or Middle Eastern origin or descent.
28 Due to small sample sizes, all women identifying as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, otherwise non-heterosexual, and/or transgender were analyzed and
reported in a single category as LGBTQ+ women. This means that, throughout this report, the composite “LGBTQ+” most closely describes the experiences
of larger groups in the sample (e.g., lesbians and bisexual women).
29 This visualization utilizes data from multiple survey questions. See endnotes 31 to 34 for the full list of questions. Categories represented in this table
(e.g., LGBTQ+ women, white women, women with disabilities, etc.) are not mutually exclusive or collectively exhaustive even within subcategories (e.g.,
some women with disabilities are also LGBTQ+ and fall across racial/ethnic categories).
Endnotes
30 The LGBTQ+ population in this sample significantly differs from the overall population (e.g., skews much younger), which may affect the results
presented in this study.
32 Full questions: How much do you agree with the following statements? [Respondents selected from “Somewhat/strongly disagree,” “Neither disagree
nor agree,” or “Somewhat/strongly agree”] | I have strong allies on my team; I actively try to practice allyship at work. In the last year, has someone in a
more senior role done any of the following for you? | Put you forward as a candidate for a promotion; Recommended you for a stretch assignment; Told you
that you have what it takes to advance at your organization; Advocated for a compensation increase for you; Publicly praised you for your skills or
accomplishments; None of these.
33 Full question: In the last year, over the normal course of business, have you experienced any of the following? [Respondents selected from “Yes,” “No,”
or “Not sure”] | Having others take or get credit for your ideas; Having your judgment questioned in your area of expertise; Having others comment on your
appearance in a way that made you uncomfortable; People making assumptions about your culture or nationality (e.g., asking you where you’re “really
from”); Being mistaken for someone at a lower level; Being criticized for your demeanor (e.g., being told you look mad or should smile more); Hearing or
overhearing negative comments about your accent or way of speaking; Having someone say or imply you’re not qualified for your job; Having someone
question whether you were working because you didn’t respond right away.
35 Full question: Ideally, would you… | Work mostly remotely; Work mostly on-site; Split time about evenly between working remotely and working on-site;
Not sure; Other.
36 Throughout this study, when referring to employees’ current work situations, “mostly on-site” refers to employees who work remotely 0 percent to 20
percent of the time (i.e., less than one day a week). “Hybrid” refers to employees who work remotely 21 percent to 90 percent of the time (i.e., between
one and four days a week). “Mostly remote” refers to employees who work remotely 91 percent to 100 percent of the time (i.e., always or almost always).
37 In this study, employees who “work remotely or hybrid at least some of the time” refers to those who work remotely 21 percent to 100 percent of the
time.
38 Robin J. Ely and Irene Padavic, “What’s Really Holding Women Back?” Harvard Business Review, March–April 2020,
https://hbr.org/2020/03/whats-really-holding-women-back. Herminia Ibarra, Julia Gillard, and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “Why WFH Isn’t Necessarily Good
for Women,” Harvard Business Review, July 16, 2020, https://hbr.org/2020/07/why-wfh-isnt-necessarily-good-for-women
39 Percentages in this chart may not sum to 100 because options such as “Not sure” and “Other” are not depicted in data visualizations. For the full
question, see endnote 35.
40 “Women work where they want to” refers to women who work mostly remotely and want to work mostly remotely or women who work mostly on-site
and want to work mostly on-site. “Women don’t work where they want to” refers to women who work mostly remotely and want to work mostly on-site or
women who work mostly on-site and want to work mostly remotely. Neither group includes women who work or want to work in a hybrid environment. “I’m
rarely burned out” is a composite of respondents who selected “Seldom” and “Almost never.” Full question: In the last few months, how often have you felt
burned out at work? | Almost never; Seldom; Sometimes; Often; Almost always; Not sure.
41 In this study, an “othering microaggression” refers to: Having had others comment on your appearance in a way that makes you uncomfortable; People
making assumptions about your culture or nationality (e.g., asking you where you're “really from”); Being criticized for your demeanor (e.g., being told you
look mad or should smile more); Hearing or overhearing negative comments about your accent or way of speaking. See endnote 33 for the full question
text. Notable differences are between those working mostly on-site and those working mostly remotely. In some cases, differences between those working
hybrid and other groups are not significant.
42 Joan C. Williams, Mary Blair-Loy, and Jennifer Berdahl, “Special Issue: The Flexibility Stigma,” Journal of Social Issues 69, no. 2 (June 2013): 209–405,
https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15404560/69/2.
Endnotes
43 Tony Simons and Quinetta Roberson, “Why managers should care about fairness: The effects of aggregate justice perceptions on organizational
outcomes,” Journal of Applied Psychology 88, no. 3 (June 2003): 432–43, https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.3.432. Jixia Yang, Zhi-Xue Zhang, and
Anne S. Tsui, “Middle Manager Leadership and Frontline Employee Performance: Bypass, Cascading, and Moderating Effects,” Journal of Management
Studies 47 (April 2010): 654–78, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00902.x.
44 Joelle Emerson, “Don’t Give Up on Unconscious Bias Training—Make It Better,” Harvard Business Review, April 28, 2017,
https://hbr.org/2017/04/dont-give-up-on-unconscious-bias-training-make-it-better.
45 Jack Zenger, “How Effective Are Your 360-Degree Feedback Assessments?” Forbes, March 10, 2016,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackzenger/2016/03/10/how-effective-are-your-360-degree-feedback-assessments/.
46 This visualization utilizes data from multiple survey questions. See endnotes 47 to 50 for the full list of questions.
47 Full questions: Compared to my peers in this organization I have equal opportunity to advance | Somewhat/strongly disagree; Neither disagree nor
agree; Somewhat/strongly agree. In general, how much of a priority is diversity, equity, and inclusion to your organization? | DEI higher priority; DEI lower
priority. See endnote 24 for the third question.
49 Full question: Which of the following are true for you on most workdays? | You feel like you need to be available 24/7 (e.g., checking email at all hours);
You feel like you have to prove you’re working; You have the information and resources you need to get your work done; You’re in meetings for most of
the day; You have a chance to work on things that feel meaningful and important; You feel overwhelmed (e.g., you can’t get all of your work done in the
time you have); You feel like you can be honest with your colleagues about challenges you’re facing; None of these.
50 Full questions: Overall how happy are you with the following? [Respondents selected from “Somewhat/very unhappy,” “Neither unhappy nor happy,”
or “Somewhat/very happy”] | Your job. I would recommend this organization as a great place to work. | Somewhat/strongly disagree; Neither disagree nor
agree; Somewhat/strongly agree; Prefer not to say. How likely are you to leave your organization in the next year? | Somewhat/very unlikely; Neither
unlikely nor likely; Somewhat/very likely; Not sure. For the full text of the fourth question, see endnote 40.
51 In this study, “common practice” or “table stakes” refers to practices that are standard in most (≥75 percent of the 317 participants in the HR survey for
2022) organizations—they’re important but not driving enough progress on their own. “Leading practice” refers to practices that are less standard (< 75
percent) but more prevalent in companies that have both improved women’s representation (including women of color) and outperformed their industry
from 2019 to 2022 when compared to other companies with data from the same time period. A recommendation is classified as a leading practice if at
least one of the named actions shows a statistically significant difference between top performing companies and other companies. “Emerging practice”
refers to those that are less common (< 30 percent of organizations that participated in 2022 do these things) but show promising early results. See
Methodology for more details. Policies and programs highlighted in this table are not exhaustive of all table stakes, emerging practices, or leading
practices analyzed.
52 Katerina Bezrukova, Chester S. Spell, Jamie L. Perry, et al., “A meta-analytical integration of over 40 years of research on diversity training evaluation,”
Psychological Bulletin 142, no. 11 (November 2016): 1227–74,
https://www.proquest.com/docview/1819126367/fulltextPDF/7F606D14126144BBPQ/5?forcedol=true.
53 Participating companies were required to have a minimum of 1,000 U.S. and Canadian employees to participate. Exceptions were addressed on a
case-by-case basis.
54 A minimum of five companies is required to create an industry benchmark.
55 Overall weighted pipeline is based on 311 private-sector firms and does not include Public and Social Sector organizations or Law Firms. Three Law
Firms were excluded from this list as they did not meet the minimum benchmark threshold of five companies per industry.
56 Percentages sum to 101 percent due to rounding.
57 Representation calculations by gender include data for employees whose race was not reported. However, representation calculations by
race/ethnicity and gender do not include data for employees whose race was not reported.
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About the study

Sign up to participate in the 2023 study at womenintheworkplace.com.

06 The state of the pipeline

12 Why women leaders are switching jobs

19 An intersectional look at women’s experiences

24 The importance of ﬂexible and remote work

31 Navigating the shift to remote and hybrid work

36 The importance of managers

43 Recommendations for companies

We’re in the midst of a “Great Breakup”

Two pipeline challenges

More women leaders are leaving their companies. Now

Despite modest progress, women are still

REPRESENTATION IN THE CORPORATE PIPELINE BY GENDER AND RACE8 MEN WOMEN

% of employees by level at the start of 2022

WHITE MEN 33%

“When I joined this company, I noticed there were a lot

BLACK WOMAN, MANAGER

The “broken rung” is still

WOMEN LOSE THE MOST GROUND AT THE FIRST STEP UP TO MANAGER

Women leaders are leaving their

Last year, women leaders

BLACK WOMAN, VICE PRESIDENT

Women remain deeply

Women leaders are

SOUTH ASIAN WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER,

WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER

BLACK WOMAN, VICE PRESIDENT

MEN LEADERS WOMEN LEADERS

WOMEN LEADERS WOMEN UNDER 30

20% 31% 58%

22% 31% 41%

Black women leaders are more

BLACK WOMAN, MANAGER, BISEXUAL

question their competence and to be subjected to demeaning

BLACK WOMEN LEADERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNDERMINED AT WORK

% of leaders who have experienced these microaggressions in the last year

ALL MEN ALL WOMEN BLACK WOMEN

Having someone say or imply

Being mistaken for someone at a lower level

Having your judgment questioned

Women leaders are also

WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER,

30% 58% 21% 58% 13% 52%

Some women face

WHITE WOMAN, SENIOR MANAGER, LESBIAN

Women with traditionally marginalized identities

BETTER EXPERIENCE WORSE EXPERIENCE

Manager shows interest

SPONSORSHIP AND ALLYSHIP32

They’ve been mistaken for

Demeaning and “othering”

Others make assumptions about

They’ve been criticized

Don’t worry they’ll be

Feel comfortable disagreeing

“ Someone I work with went behind my back and told