Career Advancement: Overcoming the Broken Rung in the Workplace

In recent years, the conversation around fairness and equal opportunity in the workplace has gained considerable momentum, with organizations increasingly recognizing the need to address systemic disparities. One of the most significant barriers to career advancement, however, remains the “broken rung.” This metaphor refers to the gap that exists at the very first step up from entry-level roles to managerial positions. It’s a crucial yet often overlooked obstacle that has long hindered the upward mobility of many employees, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.

In 2024, with a renewed focus on diversity, inclusion, and fairness, the broken rung is receiving more attention than ever. Understanding and addressing this issue is key to achieving a more balanced representation in leadership positions. This blog explores the broken rung, its impact on career progression, and how both organizations and individuals can work to fix it.

What Is the Broken Rung?

The “broken rung” refers to the disproportionate lack of opportunities for underrepresented groups, particularly women and people of colour, to be promoted from entry-level roles into their first managerial positions. Research from McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report highlights this issue, showing that for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women receive the same promotion. The gap is even wider for women of colour, with just 82 Latina women and 79 Black women promoted.

This disparity at the first step up to management creates a ripple effect throughout the rest of the corporate hierarchy. Because fewer underrepresented groups are promoted into managerial roles, fewer individuals are available for subsequent promotions to higher leadership positions, such as directors, vice presidents, and C-suite executives. As a result, the leadership pipeline remains predominantly uniform, perpetuating the imbalance in senior roles.

The Impact of the Broken Rung

The broken rung has far-reaching implications not just for the career progression of underrepresented groups but also for organizations seeking to build diverse and inclusive leadership teams. Here are some of the key ways the broken rung impacts both employees and companies:

1. Stifling Career Growth: The broken rung limits opportunities for employees to gain essential management experience, which is critical for advancing to higher leadership roles. Without this experience, individuals face greater difficulty competing for promotions to senior positions. Over time, this gap contributes to the underrepresentation of diverse leadership.
2. Widening the Compensation Gap: Promotions to managerial roles often come with higher salaries and bonuses, and the broken rung directly contributes to income disparities. Those who are not promoted miss out on the financial rewards associated with leadership roles, widening income inequality over the course of their careers.
3. Undermining Diversity in Leadership: Diverse leadership teams are known to drive better business outcomes, including increased innovation, improved decision-making, and stronger financial performance. However, the broken rung prevents many organizations from cultivating diverse leadership pipelines, leading to a lack of representation at the top. This stifles creativity and weakens the talent pool.
4. Negative Impact on Workplace Culture: When certain groups, especially women and people of color, are consistently overlooked for promotions, it sends a message that the organization may not prioritize equal opportunities for all. This can lead to disengagement, lower morale, and higher turnover rates among employees from underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, it reinforces stereotypes about who is “fit” for leadership.

Why Is the Broken Rung Still a Problem?

Despite growing awareness of the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, the broken rung persists for several reasons:

1. Unconscious Bias: Bias, both conscious and unconscious, continues to influence promotion decisions. Managers may be more likely to promote individuals who share their background, interests, or experiences, which often disadvantages those from different or underrepresented backgrounds. Stereotypes about leadership qualities—such as assertiveness, confidence, and decisiveness—are often associated with certain demographics, making it harder for others to be viewed as leadership material.
2. Lack of Sponsorship and Mentorship: Employees from underrepresented groups are less likely to have sponsors—senior leaders who advocate for their advancement and help them navigate the corporate landscape. While mentorship is important, sponsorship is crucial for career advancement because it involves direct advocacy for promotions and high-visibility opportunities. Without strong sponsorship, many individuals find it harder to break through the broken rung.
3. Inadequate Leadership Development Programs: Many organizations fail to provide adequate leadership development programs that are accessible and inclusive. Even when such programs exist, they may not be designed to address the specific challenges faced by underrepresented groups. As a result, individuals may not receive the training, coaching, and support they need to prepare for managerial roles.
4. Work-Life Balance Challenges: The demands of balancing work and personal life can also contribute to the broken rung. Individuals with caregiving responsibilities, often women, may be perceived as less committed to their careers or may face greater challenges in pursuing promotions due to rigid workplace structures. This is exacerbated by the fact that women often bear a disproportionate share of household and caregiving duties.

Fixing the Broken Rung: What Can Be Done?

Addressing the broken rung requires a concerted effort from both organizations and individuals. Here are some strategies to help fix this critical barrier to career advancement:

1. Implement Bias Training: Companies must invest in unconscious bias training for managers involved in promotion decisions. This training should focus on recognizing and mitigating biases that may disadvantage underrepresented groups. Regular evaluations of promotion practices can help ensure that decisions are based on merit rather than stereotypes.
2. Create Clear, Transparent Promotion Pathways: Organizations should establish clear criteria for promotions and ensure that all employees have equal access to development opportunities. This includes setting specific goals for increasing the number of underrepresented groups in managerial roles. Regular audits of promotion data can help identify disparities and drive accountability.
3. Expand Leadership Development and Sponsorship Programs: Leadership development programs must be designed with inclusivity in mind, offering employees from underrepresented groups the tools, training, and resources they need to advance. Sponsorship programs should also be expanded to ensure that high-potential employees are paired with senior leaders who can advocate for their promotion.
4. Promote Work-Life Balance: Companies can help address work-life balance challenges by offering flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, and support for caregivers. This ensures that individuals are not penalized for fulfilling family responsibilities and are given equal opportunities to advance in their careers.
5. Hold Leaders Accountable: Senior leaders must be held accountable for closing the broken rung. This includes setting diversity goals, tracking progress, and tying leadership performance evaluations to DEI outcomes. By holding leaders responsible for creating more inclusive promotion practices, organizations can drive meaningful change.

The broken rung is one of the most significant yet underrecognized barriers to career advancement and balanced leadership in the workplace. In 2024, with a heightened focus on diversity, inclusion, and fairness, there is an unprecedented opportunity to fix this systemic issue. By addressing unconscious bias, creating transparent promotion pathways, and expanding leadership development programs, organizations can help more employees advance into leadership roles, creating a more balanced and inclusive leadership pipeline.

Fixing the broken rung isn’t just about advancing underrepresented groups—it’s about building stronger, more diverse leadership teams that drive innovation, engagement, and success for the entire organization.

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