The report Women in the Workplace 2024 by McKinsey and LeanIn.org sends an important message to organizations: there is still a gap between the female talent available and the actual opportunities for development within companies. This gap not only has a cultural impact, but also an operational and productive one. 

Although the presence of women in management positions has improved in recent years, progress remains slow. The main sticking point appears early on, in the transition to the first supervisory roles. 

The first ascent as the main barrier 

The study shows that for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women advance to the same level. This initial difference reduces the number of women available for future leadership positions and limits the depth of talent in organizations. 

From a productivity perspective, this means that some of the most highly skilled human capital does not reach positions where it can have the greatest impact. 

Effects on rotation and internal coordination 

The report also shows that women tend to experience higher levels of job burnout. In many cases, they take on coordination, monitoring, and team support tasks that are important for day-to-day operations but are not always recognized or distributed evenly. 

This can have two significant effects on the company: 

• Higher turnover, which increases replacement and training costs. 
• Lower efficiency, due to unbalanced workloads that affect the continuity of the teams. 

Practices that are showing results 

According to McKinsey, there are three measures that correlate with better performance and retention indicators: 

1. Clear and measurable promotion processes, which reduce uncertainty and improve internal mobility.
2. Well-managed flexibility, with defined rules that allow productivity to be maintained without affecting development opportunities.
3. Active monitoring by leaders, using metrics such as turnover, work environment, and internal progress to evaluate which practices are effective. 

Companies that implement these measures show better results in terms of team stability, efficiency, and ability to attract talent. 

The study points to a simple message: making better use of female talent is not only an organizational goal, but also a way to improve productivity, continuity, and leadership availability. For many companies, reducing these internal frictions can become a competitive advantage. 

Fynsa 

Source: McKinsey