When it comes to understanding women in the workplace, there are few organizations better equipped to offer research and support than Lean In, the nonprofit organization founded by Sheryl Sandberg to foster women’s leadership and workplace inclusion.
That’s why it was exciting to have Caroline Fairchild, Editor in Chief & VP of Education at Lean In, speak at this year’s Curiosity Con. Lean In uses SurveyMonkey to do original survey research on topics like sexual harassment, the impact of COVID-19 on women at work, and to understand parents and gender bias.
Below, Caroline breaks down the myth-busting insights from a recent Lean In study and offers practical steps for organizations to leverage curiosity and use insights to address workplace inclusion.
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Common myths about women in the workplace: what the research reveals
According to Lean In’s “Women in the Workplace 2024” report, the biggest challenges to women aren’t always what they seem. Here are 4 common myths that the Carolyn noted from the research:
- Myth: Women are less ambitious, especially those working remotely.
Reality: Women are more ambitious than ever, and workplace flexibility is actually fueling that ambition. The pandemic-era notion of "lazy girl jobs" doesn't align with the data, which shows women's career aspirations have increased. - Myth: Only women want and benefit from flexible work arrangements.
Reality: Both men and women see flexible work as a top-three employee benefit and crucial to their company's success. The desire for flexibility spans across genders. - Myth: Microaggressions have a minor impact on women's careers.
Reality: Microaggressions have a long-lasting and significant impact on women in the workplace. Women experience these subtle forms of discrimination at a much higher rate than men, with women of color facing even more challenges. Examples include: being interrupted or spoken over (women are 2x more likely to experience this); others taking credit for their ideas (21% of women vs. 14% of men); being misidentified as someone of the same race or ethnicity (particularly affecting Black and Asian women).
The impact is substantial: women who experience microaggressions are 3x more likely to want to quit their jobs and 4x more likely to feel consistently burned out at work.
- Myth: The "glass ceiling" at the executive level is the biggest barrier to women's advancement.
Reality: The "broken rung" at the first step to management is the most significant obstacle. For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 87 women and 73 women of color are promoted. This early disparity has long-lasting effects on the entire pipeline of women's career advancement.
What companies can do to support inclusion in the workplace
It's not enough to simply raise awareness about workplace inequities. To create truly inclusive environments, organizations must establish a continuous feedback loop, leveraging insights to drive actionable change and foster ongoing improvement. As Carolyn from Lean In emphasizes, companies can take concrete steps to address the key issues identified from this research, including:
- Addressing microaggressions: Raise employee awareness and set the right tone by developing updated codes of conduct. Encourage leaders to call out inappropriate behavior, and cultivate a culture where speaking up against disrespectful behavior is normalized and encouraged. You can also implement training programs that teach employees how to recognize, challenge, and call out microaggressions. And don’t overlook the importance of empowering allies to play a role in addressing and preventing microaggressions.
- Maximizing the Benefits of Flexibility: Establish clear expectations and norms around flexible work arrangements to ensure all employees, especially women, feel comfortable utilizing these options. Implement tracking systems for new flexibility initiatives, adopting a "test and learn" mentality to continuously improve these programs. You should also consider putting safeguards in place to ensure employees aren't penalized for opting for more flexible arrangements. As Carolyn said, you should shift the focus from where and when work is done to outcomes and results in performance evaluations.
- Tackling the "broken rung" issue: Increase awareness about the disparity in promotion rates between men and women (roughly 60% of men are managers, vs. 40% of women), creating a cascading effect of fewer women available for promotion at higher levels. Start from the very first stages of promotion and track advancement data by both gender and race, as most companies currently lack this crucial information.
To help de-bias the promotion process, send timely bias reminders before hiring or performance reviews, as anti-bias training effects can diminish over time. You can also introduce "bias monitors" to sit in on promotion discussions. Consider utilizing Lean In's programs like "50 Ways to Fight Bias" or "Allyship at Work" to provide structured support.
To implement these strategies effectively, organizations need reliable data and continuous feedback from their employees. Regular surveys can track the effectiveness of new initiatives, identify areas for improvement, and ensure diverse voices are heard.
SurveyMonkey offers customizable DEI survey templates that can provide the data-driven insights needed to make informed decisions and drive meaningful change in your workplace.
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