Slow career advancement, less pay rises and fewer promotions are still obstacles for women in corporate America, according to a new report.
The research, conducted by McKinsey and LeanIn.org, found that while women account for 47 per cent of entry-level roles, they make up only a third of senior managers and a fifth of c-suite executives.
The report also highlights that women from ethnic minority backgrounds face even bigger hurdles. At entry-level jobs, they hold just 17 per cent of positions, and just eight per cent of senior manager jobs and three per cent of c-suite roles.
The findings also show that men and women view the workplace very differently, with men thinking that women are doing better than they really are.
The research found that 63 per cent of men thought their company was doing what it takes to improve gender diversity, while only 49 per cent of women said the same. Only 47 per cent of men said that gender diversity was very important to them, compared to 58 per cent of women surveyed.
Other key findings in the report were that women get less of the support that advances careers; women are less optimistic that they can reach the top; and many women are still working a double shift – working a full time job and undertaking more of the household chores.
Writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn.org and COO of Facebook, said, “These gender gaps persist even though companies’ commitment to gender diversity is at an all-time high.”
“What’s going wrong?”
She continued, “Blind spots are getting in our way.”
“It’s hard to solve a problem we don’t fully see or understand – and when it comes to gender in the workplace, too often we miss the scope and scale of the issue.”
