As the impacts of the pandemic on the US job market begin to settle, a high percentage of women are returning to the workforce. When the pandemic first began, many women left their jobs to fulfill caretaker roles, whether to care for sick relatives, or to stay home with their children and either monitor remote school attendance, or lead home school sessions themselves. Now, many women are starting to return to the workforce, especially to help pad their families’ income after the financial hit they took during the pandemic.
In fact, in June of 2023, the percentage of women between the ages of 25 and 54 who were either working or seeking employment reached a record high of 77.8%, and 80% for African American women.
However, according to a 2022 McKinsey study of professional women in America, a significant barrier to equitable promotions, often referred to as the broken bottom rung, is something that women in the workplace still face. The broken bottom rung is a metaphor for the phenomenon of women missing opportunities at the first level to advance to more senior positions in their companies, and it remains an issue even as more women are returning to the workforce.
In fact, the McKinsey study, which surveyed over 40,000 diverse women across 333 organizations, reveals that only 87 women for every 100 men receive promotions at that initial level. This puts many women at a disadvantage for receiving further promotions, and imposes a ceiling on their careers.
It also highlights that, while there has been an influx of women returning to the workforce, many are leaving their current positions to work for more inclusive companies that offer them equal opportunity for promotions, and an equitable foundation for climbing the professional ladder.
How Companies Can Repair the Bottom Rung
Companies that don’t step up to emphasize DEI and to provide equitable leadership opportunities for women could be at risk of losing valuable employees. Here are some tips for securing your organization’s “bottom rung”:
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Ensure equitable opportunities for women's advancement
It’s not enough just to say you value DEI—you have to take actionable steps to implement it. Start by obtaining metrics about women’s opportunities for career advancement within your organization, and address gaps by creating new policies that drive change.
This might include allocating the task to your current DEI lead, hiring a DEI lead if you don’t already have one, or outsourcing your DEI planning to a full-spectrum consulting company. Through detailed assessments, as well as strategy and policy development, you can ensure that there is truly equal opportunity for everyone on your team.
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Offer official flexible work arrangements
Make flexible work options part of your company’s policy, and communicate this clearly to employees so that they know what level of flexibility they have. This can include things like remote and hybrid work, as well as flexible work hours that still meet the company’s and the team’s needs. The McKinsey surveys showed that women who had more control over how they work were happier with their jobs, felt they had more equal opportunity, and were less likely to leave their jobs or burn out.
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Address intersectional challenges
While all women face an equity gap when it comes to promotions, women who are also members of other minority groups often face the most challenges. According to the McKinsey surveys, women of color are less likely to report that they feel supported or advocated for by managers or colleagues, while women with disabilities tend to face negative judgments about their level of expertise. It’s important to be aware of this issue and to make sure your DEI policies prevent intersectional marginalization from becoming a barrier to women moving up the professional ladder. -
Train managers in DEI
This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s a step a lot of companies don’t focus on enough. Managers have a unique role. They are leaders who are also in close contact with employees on a daily basis. They also often hold influence over the promotion process, through voicing their opinions or giving official recommendations. It’s critical to train managers in the complexities of DEI, and specifically how to mitigate unconscious bias. This is not something that necessarily comes naturally even to those who care about equality, so targeted training is imperative for ensuring equal opportunity for all women in your organization.
Learn more about the benefits of an inclusive workplace with our blog, 8 Benefits of Inclusion in The Workplace.
