Men were 1.55 times more likely to receive promotions than women in 2024. New research suggests that such gender disparities in the American workplace might be due to unique challenges facing women workers.
According to a new report from HiBob, an HR tech company, women still benefit less than men with regards to mentorship and upskilling. Less than 10% of surveyed women reported having a formal mentor at work, compared to 15% of men. For what it’s worth, 46% of respondents said that their organizations offered targeted mentorship and/or technical training to help women advance in technology fields.
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Ronni Zehavi, CEO of HiBob, explained that disparities in mentorship and upskilling compound pre-existing hurdles, saying, “...while many women feel valued through their output and day-to-day visibility, there are disparities in female mentorship, upskilling and policies that exacerbate systemic barriers. This undoubtedly continues to hinder women’s pay and promotions, which is reflected in our findings.”
Beyond mentorship, it’s possible that certain benefit gaps are disproportionately affecting women. For example, 37% of respondents said their organizations did not have re-entry programs for employees coming off caregiving leaves. What’s more, only 42% of the represented organizations offered extended paid maternity leave and 15% provided child care-related benefits. Twelve percent of female respondents reported their employers offering fertility treatments, and just 19% indicated that their workplaces featured designated pumping or breastfeeding spaces.
Looking into the future, women are significantly less optimistic than their male counterparts about career advancement. Twenty-six percent of women respondents reported expecting a promotion, compared to 34% of men. A quarter of women said they didn’t foresee a pay raise or promotion this year.
Speaking about the pay gap, Zehavi exhorted leaders to take action. “The persistent gender gap in promotions and pay isn’t just a women’s issue—it’s a workplace issue. Businesses thrive when all employees have equal opportunities to grow and feel financially valued. It’s time for employers to prioritize transparency, accountability, and fair advancement for everyone,” Zehavi said.
Twenty-six percent of the report’s respondents claimed that their organizations restricted all salary information. Further, 25% said their employers’ provided full individual salary transparency.
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