• Women are particularly underrepresented at the very top. While 51% of employees in non-management are women, women only hold 17% of top management positions. The jump from middle to top management seems particularly difficult and represents the most significant leak in the pipeline; the share of women is at 30% and above for the other management levels. In no other industry is the “drop” from middle to top management as sizeable as in consulting.
• The internal diverse talent pipeline is underutilized: Though women make up more than half of non-management positions, their share of lowest and lower management promotions is only 42%. The underutilization of the talent pipeline is even more pronounced for middle and top management promotions. In the Consulting industry, promotions barely contribute to increasing the share of women in management at any level, but particularly in middle and top management, in contrast to other industries.
• Promotion rates indicate the persistence of traditional career models – and seem to keep women from the top. 75% of all middle and top management promotions go to employees between 31 and 40 years old, and fewer than 1 in 5 of these promotions go to a woman.

The pipeline is both leaky and blocked in consulting

In the Consulting industry, regarding gender, non-management is particularly well-balanced. However, when looking at top management, less than 20% of positions are held by women. This gap immediately starts (when looking at lowest management level), then grows. At lowest and lower management levels, around 38% of the positions are held by women. Lower in the pipeline, efforts at getting more women to the top seem to bear fruit. However, in middle management, only 30% of employees are female, and only 17% in top management. Overall, there is still much equitable work for organizations to be done.

Promotions are barely contributing to diversifying middle and top management

Overview Consulting industry

When it comes to recruitment, an interesting trend persists for both men and women: New management hires have considerably higher shares of non-Swiss nationals than in the existing management population. This points to a growing internationalization in consulting, which further necessitates inclusive leadership and management as employees become more and more diverse.

Women at a disadvantage during the rush hours of life

Promotion rates indicate the persistence of traditional career models. Over 60% of all management promotions go to employees between 31 and 40, and it is precisely in this age category that the difference between men’s and women’s promotion rates is greatest – women only make up less than a quarter of promotions in this age group. This is even more pronounced for middle and top management promotions in the same age category. Less than one in five promotions in middle and top management goes to a woman, and three-quarters of all middle and top management promotions go to employees between 31 and 40. Compared to all other industries, the typical talent is particularly homogeneous (male, between 31 and 40, working full-time and has a tertiary degree).

Near-full-time in leadership more permissible than in other industries

Promotions and hiring patterns suggest that the traditional mindset in Consulting regarding career and gender roles persists. Yet, compared to other industries, the average employment percentages of women stay relatively constant across management levels – a slightly lower employment percentage in top positions might almost be considered a privilege deserved after working full-time all the way through the ranks.

Recommendations: Sustainably managing diverse talents

The “up or out” mentality in consulting seems to affect women more than men, particularly in the “rush hours of life.” How can consulting companies better implement good practices with regard to sustainable talent management? The focus should be: Everyone is a talent.

• Question your existing talent management concept: What is your company’s definition of talent and high potentials? What criteria do you use to determine whether a person is accepted into a talent program? Are these criteria transparent and fair? And is diversity ensured in the talent programs? How do you design your succession plans? How diverse are these plans staffed?
• Analyze how you manage talents in practice – and who gets left out: Who uses internal and external training (men, women, older/younger employees, certain nationalities, etc.)? Are there groups that are systematically excluded (e.g., certain age groups or part-time employees)?
• Make development opportunities accessible to all: Make regular development meetings mandatory (for all employees), including the definition and documentation of specific development goals and measures. Systematically offer reverse mentoring. Make big development opportunities (such as MBA or PhD sponsorship) available to all and guide promising diverse talents in taking the steps they need to qualify.

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