Corporate America is not just lagging — but stalling — in creating inclusive and supportive environments for women to grow, according to the recently-released 2018 Women in the Workplace report by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company.
The study, which collected data from 279 companies employing over 13 million people from 2015–2018 found the effects of compounding biases affecting women broadly, women of color and lesbian women in the workplace. Companies shared pipeline data and filled out a survey outlining HR practices, and women working for these companies filled out surveys and conducted interviews. In the three years it took to complete the data gathering, industry improvements were negligible.
The study identified factors that lead to women’s underrepresentation in the workplace, especially in managerial and other leadership positions. Women are less likely than men to feel they are represented in senior leadership, and women of color are even less likely than white women to feel represented.
