Women are more ambitious than before the pandemic and equally ambitious as men, according to new research by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company. However, the survey results indicate that women still face significant advancement obstacles, including microaggressions and fewer early career promotions. These hurdles are exacerbated for women of color.
Their ninth annual research report, based on surveys of over 27,000 respondents representing over 270 companies, dispels the myth that women are less ambitious than men. Eighty-one percent of women reported a desire to be promoted to the next level this year, marking a notable increase from 2019, when only 70% reported wanting a promotion. Men’s ambition also increased, with the percentage of those desiring to move up the ranks rising from 74% in 2019 to 82% this year. Both women of color and younger women are particularly ambitious, with more than nine in ten hoping to advance in the next year.
The surge in hybrid and remote work arrangements following the pandemic could be fueling women’s increased ambition. One in five women said that flexibility was key in preventing them from reducing their hours or leaving their jobs altogether. Not surprisingly, mothers with young children place an exceptionally high premium on flexibility. Without it, 57% of the moms say they would have to reduce their work hours or quit.
Interestingly, more than half of the women surveyed also point to reduced pressure to manage their appearance as a benefit of remote and flexible work. A Today survey found that women spend about 55 minutes daily on beauty prep. Having an extra hour a day to focus on working instead of grooming would be advantageous for anyone’s career.
The Broken Rung Remains Women’s Biggest Obstacle
Despite women’s increased ambition, significant obstacles remain to their advancement. Women’s biggest hurdle occurs at one of the first steps on the corporate ladder—the initial promotion to management. Men are far more likely than women to be promoted from entry-level jobs to managers. This phenomenon, known as the “broken rung” on the first step of women’s career ladder, has been the most significant gender-related leadership obstacle in the nine years since the survey’s inception.
This year, for every 100 men promoted from an entry-level position to manager, only 87 women received a similar promotion. And for women of color, the gap is worse and trending in the wrong direction. Only 73 women of color were promoted for every 100 men, down from 82 last year. This early career inequity also helps explain why fewer women and women of color make it to senior levels of management—they can’t ever catch up.
The research report recommends that companies track who is put up for and receives promotions by race and gender. This monitoring allows the organization to identify and address any problems.
Microaggressions Keep Women From Fully Engaging
The researchers also found that women face more microaggressions at work than their male counterparts. Microaggressions are demeaning or dismissive comments or actions that are more subtle than overt discrimination but can significantly impact an individual’s well-being.
For example, women are twice as likely as men to report encountering challenges to their competence, such as when others take credit for their ideas or interrupt them. Women were also twice as likely as men to receive comments about their appearance and emotional state. Women of color indicate that they are often mistaken for someone of the same race or ethnicity. Asian and Black women are seven times more likely than white women to be confused with someone of the same race or ethnicity.
Several reported taking steps to conceal their identity to gain recognition at work. One Latina participant described, “When I was climbing the ladder to executive director, I felt that the only way that I could be successful was to do everything I possibly could to assimilate. I would watch how the white female leaders would dress, how they would communicate, how they would interact. I felt I needed to look like that, sound like that, and model that.”
Microaggressions at work can ultimately impact productivity. “Women who experience microaggressions are much less likely to feel psychologically safe, which makes it harder to take risks, propose new ideas, or raise concerns,” the researchers explain. Over time, microaggressions can lead to burnout, leaving these women less happy with their workplace. Medical research indicates microaggressions are also associated with health problems like depression and high blood pressure.
To create a more hospitable work environment and reduce the likelihood of microaggressions, the researchers recommend raising employee awareness about these insulting comments and actions. Employees may say hurtful things without fully understanding the repercussions of their words. Most importantly, companies must create a culture encouraging people to speak up when they witness disrespectful behavior. “Although these conversations can be difficult, they often lead to valuable learning and growth,” they explain in the report.
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