Diversity and Inclusion

The business case for gender equality, diversity, and inclusion is strong and growing stronger. This collection examines the barriers that prevent companies from addressing gender and racial equality and identifies solutions for building a stronger, more inclusive workforce.
Article

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023

– Leaders need clarity on what works to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our 2023 report shows success factors that contributed to significant, quantifiable, scalable, and sustainable DEI impact.

$12tn

in additional GDP

if gender gap is narrowed by 2025

$2bn

in potential revenue

if financial inclusion efforts broaden services for black Americans

160m

women

may need to change jobs through 2030 due to automation

Report

Women Matter, Spain: Women are still far from top corporate-leadership positions

– Women are well represented in the country’s workforce but are relatively scarce at the top—and that won’t change... anytime soon given current promotion trends. Yet companies can act to turn the tide.
Article

Zooming in: Using local insights to inform US racial-equity efforts

– Neighborhood-level data could help cities across the United States strategically craft interventions to effect real change for... Black and Hispanic residents.
Article

Fixing the ladder: How UK businesses benefit from better social mobility

– Socioeconomic diversity merits consideration alongside gender, race, ethnicity, and other diversity dimensions on the UK corporate... agenda.
Article

Tracking diversity, equity, and inclusion data in private markets

– Institutional investors and private equity firms can implement some basic but crucial best practices to measure progress on diversity,... equity, and inclusion.

Featured Interviews

Collection

My Leadership Journey

In our new interview series, participants from the private sector, academia, the arts, and other walks of life reflect on the people and experiences that helped shape them, and the setbacks that made them even more determined to succeed.
Interview

Always connect, never give up: An interview with Jason Wright

– As president of Washington’s football team, Wright is calling on his experiences as an NFL player, business school graduate,... and McKinsey partner to change an entrenched culture.
Interview

Don’t leave points on the table: An interview with Lockheed Martin’s Stephanie Hill

– McKinsey sits down with Hill, an executive vice president at the aerospace giant, to discuss the new and emerging challenges of... leadership and technology, as well as the importance of work–life balance.
Interview

Being intentional and being lucky: An interview with Barry Lawson Williams

– The founder of Williams Pacific Ventures discusses the importance of learning from failure and finding sponsors who truly want... to help others succeed.

The business case for diversity 

Article

Race in the workplace: The frontline experience

– Three of four frontline workers want to be promoted, but less than one in four achieves it. Companies can take targeted actions to better support these workers.
Article

Beyond gender: Promoting diversity in French companies

– French companies want executives with diverse national origins and socioeconomic backgrounds. But they have had uneven success in achieving this goal.

Interactive: Diversity wins

– While companies have been slow to make significant progress, a close look at “diversity winners” shows that a systematic business-led approach and bold, concerted action on inclusion are needed to make progress.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Diversity still matters

– Inclusion and diversity are at risk in the crisis—but are critical for business recovery, resilience, and reimagination.
Report

Diversity wins: How inclusion matters

– The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is stronger than ever. Taking a closer look at diversity winners reveals what can drive real progress.
Report

Delivering through diversity

– Our latest research reinforces the link between diversity and company financial performance—and suggests how organizations can craft better inclusion strategies for a competitive edge.
Article

Why diversity matters

– New research makes it increasingly clear that companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially.
Article

One is the loneliest number

– Put an end to the costly workplace isolation experienced by many women by clustering them on teams and improving the promotion process.

A culture of inclusion

Article

Black consumers: Where to invest for equity (a preview)

– Effectively pursuing broad racial-equity goals can help consumer-facing companies better serve Black consumers.
Article - McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility

Investing in—and with—Black consumers in financial services

– Financial-services companies—specifically in banking and insurance—have an opportunity to address equity and gain... commercial benefits by better serving Black consumers.
Article - McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility

Rules of the road: Equitably serving Black automotive consumers

– Black consumers’ automotive spending is projected to grow, and companies have opportunities to create more equitable experiences.
Article - McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility

Nourishing equity: Meeting Black consumers’ needs in food

– Retailers and restaurants have an opportunity to give Black consumers equitable access to the foods they want.
Blog Post

Year one: Lessons from our new think tank focused on Black lives

– One year since we launched the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility, leaders reflect on their research, impact to date,... and what’s next.
Report

The economic state of Latinos in America: The American dream deferred

– Addressing the barriers preventing Latinos from full economic participation could have a multitrillion-dollar impact, further... unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit, creating millions of jobs, driving consumer spending, and building intergenerational wealth.
Article

The Black unicorn: Changing the game for inclusivity in retail

– In the age of the inclusive consumer, harnessing the power of retail can increase demand for Black-owned brands.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

A $300 billion opportunity: Serving the emerging Black American consumer

– There’s a big market to be unearthed if companies meet the real needs of Black consumers.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

The economic state of Black America: What is and what could be

– Closing racial gaps across the economy is not only about righting historic wrongs. It is also about choosing a more dynamic future... and realizing the full potential of a massively underutilized source of talent, to the benefit of all Americans.
Article

Black-owned businesses face an unequal path to recovery

– As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates systemic inequities, entrepreneurs also face the fallout of America’s racial reckoning.
Article

Black representation in film and TV: The challenges and impact of increasing diversity

– New research reveals the barriers that Black talent in the film and TV industry faces, the economic fallout, and solutions for... creating a more inclusive, equitable workplace.
Article

COVID-19 and advancing Asian American recovery

– Asian American communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Stakeholders in the public, private, and social... sectors can help spur their recovery and promote greater equity.
Report - McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility

The economic impact of closing the racial wealth gap

– The persistent racial wealth gap in the United States is a burden on Black Americans as well as the overall economy. New research... quantifies the impact of closing the gap and identifies key sources of this socioeconomic inequity.

The LGBTQ+ Experience

Article

Supporting employees in the work-life balancing act

– Work-life balance often feels elusive. But same-gender working couples take different approaches to dividing responsibilities—have they cracked the code?
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Being transgender at work

– Although corporate America has stepped up its public support of LGBTQ+ rights, it still has a long road ahead to foster a truly inclusive environment for transgender employees.
Podcast

How companies can make meaningful progress for LGBTQ+ employees

– Despite visible signs of progress, workplace challenges persist for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s what companies can do to help their LGBTQ+ employees bring their authentic selves to work.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

LGBTQ+ voices: Learning from lived experiences

– New research reveals the challenges that LGBTQ+ employees face, and six ways to help them bring their authentic selves to work.

How we are delivering through diversity

We have a deep and long-standing commitment to advancing gender parity, diversity, and inclusion in business, in society and within our firm.

Solutions at work

Article

Five Fifty: The pandemic’s gender effect

– Women are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Here’s how to help.
Article

Diverse employees are struggling the most during COVID-19—here’s how companies can respond

– New global research shows that despite companies’ recent efforts, diverse employees need more. Businesses should ask themselves... new questions for a changed workplace.
Survey

Understanding organizational barriers to a more inclusive workplace

– Survey results show that many employees do not feel fully included at work and want their organizations to do more to advance... inclusion and diversity. To do so, companies can address four factors.
Commentary - McKinsey Quarterly

Confronting the early-career gender gap

– To achieve workforce parity, businesses should apply the same practices they are using against the glass ceiling.
Article

Taking the lead for inclusion

– For pioneering organizations, inclusiveness is fundamental to enhancing gender... parity and overall diversity, and results in financial and organizational performance. Overall, employees with a low perception of inclusiveness in their organization state that they have already given up on career opportunities due to their environment—and this is particularly true for women. So, how can companies build and promote inclusiveness? What are the mechanisms in play to increase diversity at the top?

Featured podcasts

Podcast

The state of burnout for women in the workplace

– Women are doing more to support employee well-being but face higher stress levels as a result. Here’s how leaders can help.
Podcast

A conversation on artificial intelligence and gender bias

– Interaction between humans and machines has opened up new opportunities for fighting bias in the workplace. Here’s how artificial... intelligence can help companies reach gender parity.
Podcast

Investing in Black economic mobility

– Racial equity and inclusive growth can drive economic mobility and a postpandemic recovery.

From The McKinsey Global Institute

Article

Ten things to know about gender equality

– Since 2015, progress toward gender equality has been marginal, and now COVID-19 has hit women hard. We take stock.
Article - McKinsey Global Institute

COVID-19 and gender equality: Countering the regressive effects

– What is good for gender equality is good for the economy and society as well. The COVID-19 pandemic puts that truth into stark... relief and raises critically important choices.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

The power of parity: Advancing women’s equality in Asia Pacific

– Advancing women’s equality in the countries of Asia Pacific could add $4.5 trillion to their collective annual GDP in 2025,... a 12 percent increase over the business-as-usual trajectory.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

The power of parity: Advancing women’s equality in Canada

– Canada, a global leader on gender equality, has seen progress stall over the past 20 years. Further tapping into women’s... potential could reenergize Canada’s economy and its businesses.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

Realizing gender equality’s $12 trillion economic opportunity

– Investing in access to essential services and reducing the gap in labor-force participation rates could significantly expand the... global economy by 2025.

Industry Perspectives

Article

Closing the gender and race gaps in North American financial services

– An updated view into gender and racial diversity in financial services—as well as women’s day-to-day work experiences—reveals... some progress. But challenges in building an equitable and inclusive workplace persist.
Collection

Diversity in fashion: Voices from the industry

– Hear directly from fashion students, emerging designers, and industry leaders about their experiences in the US fashion industry—and... their ideas for creating more inclusive workplaces.
Article

How private equity can catalyze diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

– Private equity has an opportunity to transform the global business community and improve returns.
Article

Women as the next wave of growth in US wealth management

– An unprecedented amount of assets will shift into the hands of US women over the next three to five years, representing a $30... trillion opportunity by the end of the decade.
Article

Shattering the glass screen

– Research suggests women remain locked out of top roles in media and entertainment. A more diverse cast is required.
Article

How women can help fill the oil and gas industry’s talent gap

– New research identifies why women fail to advance—and suggests what the industry can do about it.

Women Matter

Article

Women Matter: Ten years of insights on gender diversity

– A decade into our research, we highlight key findings—and invite 16 global leaders to look at how to increase gender diversity in corporations and imagine the inclusive company of the future.

Knowledge Collaborations

Closing the tech gender gap through philanthropy and corporate social responsibility

The US tech sector isn’t doing enough to build pathways into tech for women—particularly women of color. What is behind... this gender gap, and what can tech companies do about it?

Dual careers in Germany: building success, together

Dual careers are not yet a matter of course in Germany. Women in particular often end up with the short end of the stick –... they are usually the ones to pass up career opportunities in order to support their male partner's career development, especially if the couple has children. However, dual career situations in which both partners pursue their professional paths offer many advantages