New research shows men and women are equally committed to being their best at work, but the gap in ambition is widening among women looking to get ahead, which could be because companies are pulling back on career progression, sponsorship and stretching opportunities for women.
This is according to Lean In and McKinsey & Company’s latest Women in the Workplace Report, now in its 11th year.The report examines data from 124 companies and 9,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada, evaluating talent pipeline data, employee experience surveys, and HR programs and policies.
The survey found that 80% of all women say they want to advance to the next level, compared to 86% of men.
The gap in ambition is greatest at entry level, where only 69% of women early in their careers want to be promoted, compared to 80% of their male colleagues, and at senior level, 84% of women want to be promoted compared to 92% of their male colleagues.
This is part of a larger “alarming” trend in which companies are backing away from advancing women’s careers in the workplace, says Rachel Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Lean In.
“Only half of companies are still working to advance women’s careers,” Thomas told CNBC Make It, citing data from the report. “Our sense is that (women) feel that way. Why shouldn’t they?”
McKinsey partner Megan McConnell said that despite the first-ever ambition gap, it has closed among women who say they receive the same level of career support, sponsorship and stretching opportunities as men, from entry-level to senior-level employees.
Beginner-level women are facing limits to their ability to advance early on.
Historically, entry-level women under the age of 30 have been the most ambitious workers who aspire to advance and become senior leaders, Thomas said, even more so than men under the age of 30.
But they are also being ‘overlooked’ for new opportunities, particularly support for first-time managers, which can delay future career progression by years.
According to the report, only a third of all entry-level HR managers are women, and only 31% of entry-level women are sponsored, compared to 45% of entry-level men.
“Sponsorship is one of the biggest drivers for advancement and makes you feel confident and supported at work,” says Thomas. “This year’s Women in the Workplace study found that employees with a sponsor are twice as likely to be promoted.”
If you have less support, “it’s unlikely that it won’t affect your optimism, and it can actually directly impact your sense of ambition,” Thomas says.
AI learning support and flexibility bias play a role
Young professional women also receive less support from their managers for using AI in the workplace, which is important if early adopters are rewarded and promoted.
“We know that AI is going to be difficult for jobs, and it’s going to be hardest for people who don’t know how to use the tools,” Lean In founder and former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin in an interview Tuesday.
Encouraging more men than women to use AI early in their careers could further worsen the position of young professionals. “We’re going to see a disproportionate impact. It’s going to be really embarrassing for our businesses and it’s going to be bad for our economy,” Sandberg said.
Young women are also more likely to have their careers hindered by flexibility bias, the report said. Entry-level women are more likely than men to work outside the company and remotely, and their promotion rates are slower than their male counterparts, with similar promotion rates regardless of whether they work in the office or remotely.
Senior-level women feel the path to the top is difficult
An early lack of support for women’s advancement into the workforce can have negative consequences over time. Senior-level women who say they don’t want to be promoted are more likely than men to say it’s because they’ve been passed over for a promotion in the past and don’t see a realistic path to the top.
These factors can make career advancement feel out of reach and make you less likely to pursue it.
Some women may decline higher-level jobs because they don’t offer the professional development they want or the flexibility they need.
Women at senior levels are “significantly more likely to believe that employees more senior than them are burnt out or unhappy,” Thomas says. These women “consider the path to the top to be difficult and unattractive.”
Women’s personal obligations, such as taking on housework and caregiving responsibilities, can be a factor in declining promotions. About 25% of entry- and senior-level women who don’t want a promotion say it’s because their personal responsibilities make it difficult to take on additional work, compared to 15% of men at these levels.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story. “Women who are mothers are just as ambitious as women who aren’t mothers,” Thomas says. “So, while it’s a factor, I don’t think it’s the main factor. I think it’s more about the lack of support from businesses than what’s going on within our culture right now.”
Women want to be promoted at work if they receive career support.
The survey found that a majority of companies reported prioritizing inclusive culture (88%) and diversity (67%) this year. However, only about half (54%) say they are actively working on programs to help women advance their careers. When considering the advancement of women of color in the workplace, this percentage remains at just 48% of companies.
“Companies are cutting back on programs that they know are particularly beneficial to women, including flexible remote work, formal sponsorship programs, and career development programs that include content aimed at women,” Thomas said.
While these programs are particularly beneficial for women, Thomas adds, they also create a more inclusive culture for those who take advantage of these programs and those who learn how to work better with others through them.
According to McConnell, effective career support can be as simple as talking with your manager about your career aspirations, as well as offering new skills, promotions, and special projects that will get noticed by senior leaders within your company.
One contributing factor to the problem is the continuing flattening of middle management, which can have three major implications. First, managers may have to oversee more reports, leaving them with less time and energy to help women advance their careers. On the other hand, women may think they have fewer opportunities to hold middle management positions, and even if they do, they may find the leadership position less attractive given the burden of managing more people with fewer resources.
“Women should always be able to choose the path that makes the most sense to them,” Thomas says. “But I don’t want that to be the case, because companies aren’t doing what they should be doing to support women at all levels, especially entry-level women.”
Do you want to give your kids the ultimate advantage? You teach them how to read and ride a bike, but you often leave out managing their money. Learn how to build healthy financial habits and prepare for real-world milestones by enrolling in our new course, How to Raise Financially Smart Kids. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 30% off. Offer valid from December 8th to December 22nd, 2025. Terms and conditions apply.
