Lack of access to high-profile work — the kind that sets you up for promotion and leadership opportunities — is a key reason people leave their organization. The costs of employee attrition are well-known and expensive — up to twice an employee’s annual salary.
How to Equitably Assign High-Profile Work
Working with researchers, four companies used a data-driven approach to balance who was doing the office housework and who was getting promotion-making assignments.
July 15, 2024
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Summary.
The gender and racial disparity in access to high-profile, career-enhancing work has been widely overlooked. Research across industries has shown that 81% to 85% of white men report fair access to desirable assignments, while that number falls to 50% for women of color. At the same time, women tend to be burdened with more non-promotable “office housework,” such as scheduling meetings, cleaning up, or being the peacemaker. The authors ran bias training workshops and fair distribution strategies in four companies, leading to noticeable improvements in the equitable allocation of both office housework and high-profile assignments.
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HBR Learning
HBR Learning
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.