Why It’s Hard for Women to Enter the C-suite

There are still little to no opportunities for women in the C-suite in 2016. Men are being promoted at predominant rates and qualified women are being ignored. What’s more alarming is that although this gender disparity occurs in even the highest levels of leading companies, it’s established well before women get there.

A new study by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Co., Women in the Workplace, reveals that women begin their professions in a disadvantaged state and often remain there. Despite the many pledges to diversity and inclusion (D&I), companies continue struggling to truly implement D&I in their cultures.

The study elucidates two main themes that emerged throughout its course: 1) On average, women are promoted and hired at lower rates than men, so far fewer women become senior leaders. 2) At more senior levels, we see women shift from line to staff roles, so very few end up on the path to becoming CEO.

Study findings:

• Men are 30 percent more likely than women to be promoted to management roles
• Women’s participation in the corporate pipeline decreases the nearer they get to executive roles, comprising 46 percent in entry-level roles but only 19 percent by the time they enter the C-suite
• For every 100 women promoted, 130 men are promoted; at every level, companies hire fewer women from the outside than men
• By the time women reach the SVP level, they hold only 20 percent of line roles
• In 2015, 90 percent of new CEOs were promoted or hired from line roles, 100 percent of them were men
• Women of color are the most underrepresented group in the corporate pipeline, holding only 3 percent of C-suite positions, even though they comprise 20 percent of the U.S. population

Companies must help better situate their female employees for success. One victory is that the percentage of women being promoted into middle and senior management is higher than the percentage of women currently filling those roles, so important progress is taking place.

The future is bright for women in the workplace, but we must drive change to enable today’s women to succeed.

For more information on the study, please, click here.