Women in the Workplace 2023

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Debunking Four Myths That Hold Women Back

The ninth year of the Women in the Workplace report starts with the corporate pipeline because it offers a bird’s-eye view of the state of women in corporate America. The story is both encouraging and frustrating. Over the last several years, there have been sizable gains in senior leadership. This is an important step in the right direction and shows what companies can accomplish when they focus their efforts on a well-understood problem. However, with lagging progress in the middle of the pipeline—and a persistent underrepresentation of women of color—true parity remains painfully out of reach.

This report also debunks four myths about women’s workplace experiences and career advancement. A few of these myths cover old ground, but given the notable lack of progress, they warrant repeating. A few have re-emerged and intensified with the shift to flexible work. We hope highlighting them will help companies find a path forward that casts aside outdated thinking once and for all and accelerates progress for women.

The future of work for women depends on getting this right—and this year’s report provides a roadmap.

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“A president of a tech company said something that stuck with me. She said, 'Women are hired for what they have done. Men are hired for what they can become.' Women have to have a proven record, but men do not.”
—Southeast Asian woman, vice president, works hybrid

ninth year

Women in the Workplace 2023

Women in the Workplace is the largest study on the state of women in corporate America. Based on data from more than 270 companies employing over 10 million people, this year’s report features:

  • A detailed overview of women’s progress across the corporate pipeline,including weak spots in middle management and the heightened barriers faced by women of color.
  • Insights into how companies are managing the shift to flexibility, as well as the benefits (and potential downsides) of different work arrangements.
  • Data-driven best practices for advancing women, including specific guidance for fixing the “broken rung,” addressing microaggressions head on, and leveling the playing field across work arrangements.
Read the full report

“Flexible work has made me more productive because I can build work around whatever I've got going on with my personal life. If I wake up early in the morning, I can jump online and go through emails real quick.”
—White woman, mother, senior manager,
works remotely

RESOURCES FOR COMPANIES

TOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE

Lean In runs programs to support women leaders and improve the culture of work—and they’re available at no cost, because every company should have the tools to build an equitable workplace. 50 Ways to Fight Bias takes the guesswork out of identifying and challenging bias with specific, research-backed recommendations for what to say and do. Allyship at Work focuses on practical steps managers and employees can take to practice allyship. And Lean In Circles bring women together for ongoing peer mentorship and skill building, and pairs well with our new Women at Work Collection—a leadership curriculum designed specifically for women and customizable for women of color, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities. Find out why thousands of organizations like Adidas, Walmart, and Sony Music Group 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 67,000 leaders. This program—offered at no cost and which includes customized content relevant to Black, Hispanic and Latino, and Asian leaders—focuses on early professionals, midcareer managers, and senior executives. Our DEI Maturity Assessment has provided 250+ clients a comprehensive framework to assess and drive their DEI strategy. Inclusion assessment has been used by 100+ clients to assess employee perspectives on how effectively leaders, peers and systems support inclusion in the workplace. We also offer an Inclusion Incubator program aimed at fostering meaningful inclusive leadership behaviors. Visit mckinsey.com to explore McKinsey’s client service, research, and insights on DEI.

ABOUT THE STUDY

Women in the Workplace is the largest study on the state of women in corporate America. In 2015, McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org launched the study to give companies insights and tools to advance gender diversity in the workplace. Between 2015 and 2023, over 900 companies participated in the study, and more than 450,000 people were surveyed on their workplace experiences. This year, we collected information from 276 participating organizations employing over 10 million people, surveyed more than 27,000 employees, and conducted interviews with people of diverse identities, including women of color, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities.

McKinsey & Company report authors and contributors:
Zoha Bharwani, Quentin Bolton, Sara Callander, Ping Chin, Katie Cox, Emily Field, Robyn Freeman, James Gannon, Jenn Gao, Mar Grech, Alexis Howard, Isabelle Hughes, Sara Kaplan, Ananya Karanam, Alexis Krivkovich, Sandra Kuegele, Sophia Lam, Steven Lee, Nina Li, Anthea Lyu, Tess Mandoli, Abena Mensah, Laura Padula, David Pinski, Jane Qu, Charlie Rixey, Nicole Robinson, Sara Samir, Chanel Shum, Sofia Tam, Neha Verma, Monne Williams, Lily Xu, Yaz Yazar, Lareina Yee, Shirley Zhao

LeanIn.Org report authors and contributors:
Ashley Anglin, Amber Burton, Gina Cardazone, Deb Chong, Marianne Cooper, Brittany Cornejo, Katie DiClemente, Briana Edwards, Caroline Fairchild, Priya Fielding-Singh, Madelyn Flores, Archana Gilravi, Sammy Goldstein, Ryan Hutson, Thamara Jean, Lizbeth Kim, Julia Kung, Lauren Lamorena, Sidney Lee, Brandon McCormick, Mary Noble-Tolla, Nikki Pawsey, Sara Radjenovic, Leslie Shinn, Emma Spitzer, Mackenzie Stasko, Rachel Thomas, Nikki Tucker, Emma Williams-Baron, Jemma York

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org would like to thank the 276 companies and more than 27,000 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 Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), The Equity Collaborative, Expanding Equity, International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Massachusetts High Technology Council (MHTC), PayTech Women, The Press Forward, and Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) in convening participants in their respective industries.

We would like to thank Qualtrics and IntelliSurvey for their help in conducting the surveys for this study and Getty Images for providing the photography from the Lean In Collection for the 2023 report and website.