Women at McKinsey

A moral and strategic imperative

Attracting and developing exceptional talent is core to our mission. If we do not have equal representation of women, we are missing out on critical talent.

At McKinsey, our “All In” commitment reflects a deep, long-standing practice of bringing everyone’s voices to the table, recruiting diverse talent, and creating an exceptional environment for growth and the advancement of women.

Over the past decade, we have led cutting-edge research establishing the connection between women’s inclusion and business success. That research informs our work and approach to improving gender parity in our own firm and beyond.

Our Commitment

Women at McKinsey

Our commitment to inclusion and equality for women is embedded into the fabric of our firm. It is an integral part of our mission to attract, retain, and develop the most talented and qualified people in world.

Best-in-class flexibility and parental-leave programs, inclusive leadership and unconscious-bias training, and our global initiative to ensuring women are well sponsored are just a few policies and practices that enable women at McKinsey to balance a full life with an exceptional career.

Learn more about McKinsey Women on our careers website.

Championing progress

We are proud to be champions of the UN Women HeForShe campaign —a groundbreaking initiative that engages men and boys as advocates for gender equality. In addition to the actions we are taking, we have committed to measuring and reporting on our progress to achieve gender parity.

One of our HeForShe priorities is to reach parity in undergraduate recruiting in North America. In 2018, we had representation levels of 43 percent, and in some offices we have now reached 50 percent.

We have made progress, but we have a long way to go—in particular, to increase the representation of women in senior leadership roles. Our own research shows that this requires a long, multiyear effort, but with continued senior sponsorship and a team of dedicated experts, we are committed to achieving our goals.

2017 representation of women at McKinsey

43%

overall

increased from 41% in 2014

43%

of new hires

increased from 39% in 2014

13%

in senior leadership

Top 6% of our firm, as defined by HeForShe.

External Recognition

Working Mother Top 10 Best Companies

We have been consistently rated as one of Working Mother magazine’s 100 best companies for working mothers. For the past three years, we have earned a spot as one of the top 10 companies on that list.
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Latest thinking

For two decades, our research has shaped the debate on women in the workplace across the world.

With over 20 major reports, we have established a compelling business and economic case for greater diversity and women’s inclusion. Our research also identifies common global barriers to gender parity as well as change drivers, enabling us to develop bold approaches to advancing women and girls in work and society.

Women in the Workplace 2018

Women and the future of work: A window of opportunity in Western Europe?

Closing the gender gap: A missed opportunity for new CEOs

Still looking for room at the top: Ten years of research on women in the workplace

Partnerships

By working in partnership with others, we seek to advance gender parity in our firm and more widely in business and society.

We are active participants in coalitions of leading companies committed to increasing their representation of women. We have also helped to convene initiatives, such as Australia’s Male Champions of Change and Germany’s Chefsache, which work to advance women in leadership across those countries. Through our partnership with LeanIn.Org, we have developed the largest data set of the experience and attitudes of women and men in the US workplace.

Blog Stories about our people

Brain researcher takes on bias

The research behind Women Matter: 10 years on 

Delivering the power of parity