mckinsey presentations

How to structure your slides like McKinsey: A step-by-step guide with screenshots and Examples

Structuring and building your slides effectively can be the difference between landing major projects and struggling to find clients. Luckily, there are eight simple steps you can take to swiftly transform your slides - without doing a lot of extra work.

Why It's Important: Making Your Slides Shine

Slides play a pivotal role in million-dollar projects. They serve multiple purposes, including:

• Breaking down complex ideas into easily understandable portions
• Providing strategic insights that guide companies over the years
• Uncovering research and insights from multiple data sources

IIn simpler terms, your communication needs to be crystal clear. By following the principles below, you'll be on solid ground.

Section 1: Embrace the Pyramid Principle

The Pyramid Principle, introduced by Barbara Minto's bestselling book, is a cornerstone of the consulting world. First published in 1985 and updated several times, its central message remains just as relevant today:

• Lead with Your Headline/Key Message
• Organize and Theme Your Arguments
• Include Supporting Points

Why it matters

This framework is time-tested across generations. In addition, using this framework is a subtle way to let others know “I am in the know”.

How to do it

Usually when creating a slide, we work backwards through this structure. 

• We start by conducting the analysis that forms the basis for our supporting points.
• As these supporting points take shape, we can group them into categories or themes.
• Once we have a clear picture of all the supporting points, we can use our headline to craft a compelling narrative around the slide's content.

Worth noting: It's worth mentioning that sometimes we might enter the slide creation process with a fairly solid conclusion in mind. Other times, we may need to do more groundwork before even beginning the slide.

1a: Use your headline for a key message, not as a label

The marketing guru David Ogilvy said: “When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents of your dollar” .

The headline is the most precious real estate of any slide. It is the first thing an executive sees and it should be used for storytelling. In fact, a busy executive should be able to read only the headlines in a presentation and still grasp the key conclusions.

Many, especially younger analysts, use labels in their headlines. But here's a better approach: let your headlines encapsulate clear conclusions and actionable steps. This sets the stage for your audience and makes your slide a breeze to read. Here are a few examples:

• Key facts about Australia -> Australia is a highly developed country in the South-Eastern hemisphere with 27 million inhabitants
• Key findings from our analysis -> Company X can minimize supply chain issues by nearshoring widget production

Remember, it all boils down to the "bottom line upfront."

1b: Group and label items to create a natural flow

If you throw 9 supporting points on a slide without any clear categorization you are already overwhelming and losing the reader.

Throw the same 9 supporting points on a slide in groups of 3 and the flow is suddenly highly structured and the reader knows where to go next.

This isn't just about helping your reader; it's also a fantastic tool for you as the slide creator to emphasize what matters most. When you categorize or give themes, remember to:

• First, pick the most vital theme, then the second most crucial, and so forth.
• Second, arrange the sub-points by importance.

The bottom line : This categorization method makes slides much easier to digest and understand quickly.

1c: Create your supporting points and data

Your headlines and categories must be backed by solid evidence. This is where you showcase the data from your in-depth analysis, which, again, can be supported by appendix slides.

When you present facts on your slide, remember, it's another opportunity to weave a compelling story while emphasizing the most crucial points. As an example, take a look at this from Roland Berger. Pay attention to how all their supporting points contribute to the narrative introduced in the headline.

This is an executive summary slide, and I would expect the following slides to provide data for each of the points made.

Here is a more classical example from McKinsey. Notice how they provide context with callouts to augment the supporting data, all while the headline conveys the entire story.

1d: One message per slide

In consulting decks without any punch, we often see multiple topics crammed into one slide. 

When too many topics squeeze onto one slide, crafting a compelling headline becomes challenging. Moreover, it blurs your main message - what's truly important here?

The solution is simple: Stick to One Message per Slide.

Before you even start your slides, know what you are going to say. Don’t write your headline yet, but think about topics as you design your slide outline. Page 1 focuses on topic A, page 2 on topic B, and so on. 

For instance, let's look at this slide from a McKinsey presentation as an example:

In this slide, the spotlight is on the expected global payments growth. The left side provides a macro-level view globally, while the right side drills into the regional breakdown of this growth.

Section 2: How to make your slide stand out visually

Now that we've tackled section 1 and mastered slide structure, let's dive into section 2, where we'll explore crucial steps to ensure your slide shines visually.

2a: Box things up

Many PowerPoint slides consist of a headline, a graph, and some boring bullet points. To make your slide stand out with the exact same content, there’s a simple solution: Box It Up . This not only makes it more interesting for the reader but also gives a more professional appearance.

Same content, and a brand-new slide.

2b: Use images and icons

They say a picture paints a thousand words, but icons, well, they're at least a hundred words each. With images and icons, you can convey more using less.

Caution: Avoid going overboard with images and icons; use them strategically to provide additional information when it's relevant.

Let’s see some examples of good icon use

Looking at the earlier slide from Roland Berger, they augment the categorization with icons. 

In the image above, the icons are used cleverly. The icon on the left highlights one of the driving forces, namely the technological advances. The icon on the right highlights the other driving force, which is the change in consumer preferences.

Another good example is from this BCG slide. While the design is dated, the icons serve as a quick guide to understanding each of the driving forces.

2c: Remove chart junk

As a rule of thumb, if a chart element serves no purpose, delete it. We refer to this as chart junk. 

In the example below, we've eliminated the left axis and the gridlines because they're not needed. The data labels on the individual bars provide all the necessary information.

2d: Order your chart data (logically)

Take a glance at the chart above. Can it be improved? Absolutely.

In the initial chart, the data is presented in a seemingly random order. New York is followed by California, followed by Florida, and so on. In this case, it makes sense to arrange the data by size.

As shown above, we've reordered the data by size, making the chart much easier to comprehend. Typically, we sort data using one of the following parameters:

• Time : When illustrating a trend over time, we sort it by month, year, or a similar timeframe.
• Logical/Pre-determined : In scenarios like creating a waterfall chart, there's usually a natural order for presenting individual items. For example, to move from Revenue to Net Income, you start with Revenue, then factor in Variable Costs, followed by SG&A, and so on.
• Size : When there's no clear sorting logic, we often opt for size-based ordering.

If you use one of these 3 orderings, you are on safe footing.

Now there’s only one thing left!

Start implementing the tips above in your slides. 

If you enjoyed this article or have any questions or comments, please let us know at [email protected] .

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3 Great Examples of Slide Structure from McKinsey, Bain, and BCG

By Paul Moss

Consulting firms all around the world consistently rely on the pyramid principle to build high-quality presentations with proper slide structure..

Consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG rely on proper slide structure to communicate insights to their clients. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how they use the Pyramid Principle to structure their slides, and why it makes such a big difference in the clarity of their presentations.  

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Table of Contents

What is the Pyramid Principle?

Put simply, the Pyramid Principle is just a structured way of communicating your ideas where you  start with your main point and then work your way through the supporting details of that main point.  It is represented pretty well with a pyramid because you start right at the top of the Pyramid and then move down to the bottom with more supporting details and data.

Let’s say I am trying to communicate the idea that LeBron James is my favorite player. I would first start with the main point, and then provide my three key arguments for why he is my favorite player. Then below that, I could provide supporting details for each key argument. 

In this visualization,  each idea is meant to summarize all the ideas below it.  For example, the idea that Lebron James scores a lot of points summarizes the two supporting details about his career average of 27 points per game, and him being the 3rd highest all-time scorer. 

This style of top-down communication works really well in a variety of settings, including email, face-to-face communication, and of course, PowerPoint presentations — which is what I’m going to focus on here. 

BCG Example

The first example on our list is BCG . The slide is an excellent example of the Pyramid Principle because it is well-structured and clear. The slide title says “Melbourne seen as a cultural and creative city”, which is the main point the slide creator is trying to communicate (which is why it sits at the top of the slide in bold green letters).

Then they’ve split the main point into two key arguments: “Melbourne perceived by Australians as the country’s leading cultural city” and, “International travelers also perceive Melbourne as a creative city”. Then below each subtitle, there are four supporting points that are meant to provide support. 

“Melbourne as a Global Cultural Destination” BCG

In this example the Pyramid Principle is quite easy to see. The title of the slide is the main point, the subtitles of the slide represent the key arguments, and the bullet points below that make up the supporting details and data. Each aspect of the slide fits into one of these three layers, and  everything on the slide has a purpose.

By structuring the information in this way,  BCG makes it easy for the audience to process the contents of the slide quickly and easily.  There’s no question about what they’re trying to say, or why they’re trying to say it.

With data-heavy slides like this, it can be easy for the audience to get lost — especially if they’re trying to listen to a live speaker, read the words on the slide, and think critically about the slide’s message. Even for a smart person, this can be cognitive overload.  Organizing the slide into digestible bites significantly reduces the mental load on the audience. 

McKinsey Example 

The next slide from McKinsey is also reasonably straightforward. It’s from a deck about high-growth emerging economies, which they refer to as “outperforming economies”.

The title of the slide says “A pro growth agenda of productivity, income, and demand propelled the outperforming economies”, and the slide itself shows the three areas that have propelled the growth for these emerging economies: productivity, growth, and demand. 

“Outperformers: High-growth emerging economies and the companies that propel them” McKinsey, October 2018

There’s a few data points on the slide and a nice visual in the middle to break down the three main categories, making it pretty easy to spot the different layers in the Pyramid. So obviously, just like in our last slide, the main point will be represented by the title. That is what they want us to understand and take away from the slide first.

Then next the key argument level is also pretty clear with “higher productivity”, “boosting demand”, and “strong and inclusive growth” shown in bold text within each bracket (and also mentioned in the title). Then lastly, the bottom layer of the pyramid is represented by the various bullet points within each bracket (below the key arguments).

Altogether, it makes for  a well structured slide with a clear message and clear supporting points.  Despite not be organized visually in the same way as the BCG slide, the slide is very well structured and easy to understand. 

Bain Example

Then lastly, we have a slide from Bain , and this one is slightly more complicated than the first two. The title says “Greater than 60% of growth in 2011 continues to come from new customers. However, share from existing customers improved.” The slide is all about the luxury goods market in China, and more specifically, they’re trying to show where the growth in the market is coming from.

 “China Luxury Market Study” Bain & Company, December 2011

The BCG slide was organized neatly into the left and right sections of the slide, and in the McKinsey slide they were bolded with bullet points underneath. What’s tricky about this slide however, is that  the Pyramid Principle is not clearly visible at first glance. 

The title of the slide still represents the main point, and the key arguments are not emphasized visually, but logically they’re still present. The first key argument is that growth is coming from new customers, and the second key argument is that growth is coming from existing customers. Then if you look through the body of the slide,  you’ll notice that everything falls into one of these two categories. 

In the waterfall chart for example, notice how it is split into these two categories: new customers (as represented by the red columns), and then existing customers (as represented by the dark grey columns). Then on the right hand side of the slide, each of the bullet points can fit into one of the two categories. 

For example, the first bullet says “China market is still supply driven; new store openings create new demand.” This clearly fits into the key argument about growth coming (in part) from new customers. Combined with the key argument about growth coming from existing customers,  these two provide solid logical support for the main point. 

So despite not having an easy visual layout like the previous two examples, this slide is well organized logically, and provides a nice structure that helps the audience clearly understand the main message, as well as the support for that main message. 

You can watch a video version of this article on YouTube .

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12) 4 approaches to automate work using cognitive technologies

Sneak previews -- they do not just work for movies, but for PowerPoint presentations as well. This presentation uses a smart technique to give an educational solution it is their target audience.

13) Moving digital transformation forward: Findings from the 2016 digital business global executive study and research report

This consulting slide deck is another design and storytelling win. If you observe carefully, the content is presented to its audience as a journey from the start (slide 7) to the end (slide 21). The information is shown with an infographic, but focuses and explains each component, so that the reader can easily absorb the information.

PWC Consulting Presentations

14) putting digital technology and data to work for tech cmo's.

This gem is another brilliant presentation example. Not only does it provide a step-by-step actionable recommendation (slides 15-18), but it gives a real case study afterwards. Many presentations supply data and recommendations without showing how they apply. Remember, success stories and testimonies boost your credibility.

15) PwC Trends in the workforce

Something fresh is always great. This consulting slide deck made our list because of the layout it uses on the left-hand side. Having a consistent, simple visual element (like a table of contents) helps engage the audience.

16) World Economic Forum: The power of analytics for better and faster decisions by Dan DiFilippo

It is difficult to retain information from presentations. This consulting slide deck is a notable example because it gives the audience a summary (slide 19) to ensure that the important learning points are not forgotten.

17) Business Pulse - Dual perspectives on the top 10 risks and opportunities 2013 and beyond

Whether you are giving a sales presentation or simply sharing information, speak to your audience. This exceptional consulting deck asks questions of the audience that are creative and intelligently crafted. Check out slides 2, 3 and 7.

18) How fit is your capital allocation strategy?

You don’t have to include everything. You can provide high-value additional content at the end of your presentation. Help your audience know what’s next.

19) The evolving value chain in life sciences

This is a good PowerPoint presentation example because it uses the company’s template and has the logo on every slide. Although it sounds like a small detail, including your logo on every slide increases familiarity and brand affinity, especially if your company is new.

20) The new revenue recognition standard for life sciences companies

What we can learn from this consulting slide deck (slide 3) is to remember to introduce yourselves... especially if you are presenting to a new group of people! Providing your particulars also enable you to network easily afterwards and boost your professional connections.

21) Cultural Times - The first global map of cultural and creative industries

Literary techniques can go beyond poems or plays. Use acronyms, alliteration, similes, and metaphors when presenting. In this PowerPoint presentation example, the speaker used 4Ds to help its audience remember the key points. Brilliant.

Ernst & Young Consulting Presentations

22) ey human capital conference 2012.

This pitch deck by EY addresses the complexities of managing employee mobility, focusing on the various considerations that both employers and employees must navigate. It covers essential topics such as risk management, ensuring the quality and effectiveness of mobility programs, compliance with legal requirements and the need for effective coordination and communication.

23) EY Price Point: global oil and gas market outlook

This pitch deck from EY presents a global outlook on the oil and gas market as we enter 2021 with a sense of cautious optimism regarding global health, the economy, and energy markets. The early approval and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the US and UK have injected hope, particularly highlighted by the swift development and reported efficacy exceeding 90%.

24) IBOR transition challenges and opportunities

This consulting slide deck outlines the agenda and provides an overview for a webinar focused on the IBOR transition within the asset management industry. The webinar aims to discuss various aspects of the transition, including its current progress, the implications for asset managers and their products, insights from European central banking working groups, and how different firms are handling the migration process.

25) Power transactions and trends Q2 2019 overview

This EY pitch deck provides an analysis of global power and utilities deal activity in the second quarter of 2019, highlighting a substantial 44% increase in deal value from the first quarter, totaling $26.8 billion. The Americas emerged as the region with the highest deal value, contributing $13.1 billion. Financial investors played a pivotal role, predominantly targeting integrated utility assets for their stability.

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Download 120+ strategy consulting presentations for free

Looking for slide inspiration? Download 120+ consulting slide decks from top strategy consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain!

Or if you’d rather download the McKinsey presentations individually, you’ll find a list for you to download below:

McKinsey Presentations

• McKinsey – A Blueprint For Addressing The Global Affordable Housing Challenge (2015)
• McKinsey – Accelerating Hybrid Cloud Adoption In Banking And Securities (2020)
• McKinsey – Addressing The Global Affordable Housing Challenge (2016)
• McKinsey – Attracting Responsible Mining Investment In Fragile And Conflict Affected Settings (2014)
• McKinsey – Capturing The Data & Advanced Analytics Opportunity In Capital Markets (2017)
• McKinsey – Capturing The Full Electricity Efficiency Potential Of The U.K. (2012)
• McKinsey – Challenges In Mining: Scarcity Or Opportunity? (2015)
• McKinsey – Context For Global Growth And Development (2014)
• McKinsey – Covid-19 – Auto & Mobility Consumer Insights (2020)
• McKinsey – Current Perspectives On Medical Affairs In Japan (2018)
• McKinsey – Digital And Innovation Strategies For The Infrastructure Industry (2018)
• McKinsey – Digital Luxury Experience (2017)
• McKinsey – Digitally-Enabled Processes In The NHS (2014)
• McKinsey – European Banking Summit (2018)
• McKinsey – Fab Automation – Artificial Intelligence (Unknown)
• McKinsey – Fintech: How Financial Institutions In Europe (Should) Prepare For The Future (2017)
• McKinsey – Five Keys To Unlocking Growth In Marketing’s “New Golden Age” (2017)
• McKinsey – From Poverty To Empowerment: India’s Imperative For Jobs, Growth And Effective Basic Services (2014)
• McKinsey – Helping Global Health Partnerships To Increase Their Impact (2019)
• McKinsey – How Companies Can Capture The Veteran Opportunity (2012)
• McKinsey – How Unconventionals Are Changing Global Oil And Gas Markets (2013)
• McKinsey – How Will Internet Of Things, Mobile Internet, Data Analytics And Cloud Transform Public Services By 2030? (2015)
• McKinsey – Insurance Trends And Growth Opportunities For Poland (2015)
• McKinsey – Investment And Industrial Policy (2018)
• McKinsey – Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained: Workforce Transitions (2017)
• McKinsey – Laying The Foundations For A Financially Sound Industry (2013)
• McKinsey – Lebanon Economic Vision – Full Report (2018)
• McKinsey – Manufacturing The Future: The Next Era Of Global Growth And Innovation (2013)
• McKinsey – Modelling The Potential Of Digitally-Enabled Processes, Transparency And Participation In The Nhs (2014)
• McKinsey – Moving Laggards To Early Adopters (2019)
• McKinsey – New Horizons In Transportation: Mobility, Innovation, Economic Development And Funding Implications (2020)
• McKinsey – Outperformers: High Growth Emerging Economies (2018)
• McKinsey – Overview Of M&A, 2016 (2016)
• McKinsey – Perspectives On Manufacturing, Disruptive Technologies, And Industry 4.0 (2014)
• McKinsey – Race In The Workplace: The Black Experience In The U.S. Private Sector (2021)
• McKinsey – Refueling The Innovation Engine In Vaccines (2016)
• McKinsey – Reinventing Construction: A Route To Higher Productivity (2017)
• McKinsey – Restoring Economic Health To The North Sea (2015)
• McKinsey – Technology’s Role In Mineral Criticality (2017)
• McKinsey – The Changed Agenda In The Global Sourcing Industry (2019)
• McKinsey – The Five Frames – A Guide To Transformational Change (Unknown)
• McKinsey – The Future Energy Landscape: Global Trends And A Closer Look At The Netherlands (2017)
• McKinsey – The Future Of The Finance Function –Experiences From The U.S. Public Sector (2019)
• McKinsey – The Internet Of Things And Big Data (2013)
• McKinsey – Us Productivity Growth: The Company And Sector Story (2015)
• McKinsey – Using Artificial Intelligence To Prevent Healthcare Errors From Occurring (2017)
• McKinsey – USPS Future Business Model (2010)
• McKinsey – What Makes Private Sector Partnerships Work (2011)
• McKinsey – Women In The Workplace (2022)

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If you’d like to download more consulting decks from BCG, Bain, L.E.K Consulting, Oliver Wyman, Kearney and more, then check out our free database of 221+ downloadable consulting presentations .

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Partner At Firm Under Investigation For Role In Opioid Crisis Sat On Veteran Health Panel With Dem Governors

A partner at a consulting firm under criminal investigation for its role in the opioid crisis sat alongside Democratic governors during a Friday panel on veterans’ healthcare, Politico reported.

Scott Blackburn is a partner at McKinsey & Company, a consulting firm the Department of Justice is investigating for advising top opioid manufacturers on ways to sell more drugs, including by targeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), The Wall Street Journal reported . Blackburn on Friday sat alongside Democratic Govs. Janet Mills of Maine and Wes Moore of Maryland for a Democratic Governors Association panel concerning the best ways for veterans to obtain healthcare and re-adapt to civilian life, Politico first reported .

The VA had contracted McKinsey for consulting work since 2009, during which time the firm also advised opioid manufacturers on how to sell their drugs to the agency, according to the WSJ. Between 2013 and 2017, McKinsey provided several presentations to top opioid manufacturers on how to market their drugs to the VA.

One 2013 presentation McKinsey produced for Purdue Pharmaceuticals told the opioid manufacturer that it could “explore institutional sales channels and ways to engage large institutions (e.g. long term care, VA hospitals),” WSJ reported. A presentation later that year also advised the drug company to target the VA for increased sales.

Blackburn was a partner at McKinsey between 2005 and 2014, meaning his employment overlapped with the firm’s opioid consulting, according to his LinkedIn profile. After working at McKinsey, Blackburn served in various roles at the VA before returning to McKinsey as a partner in 2018.

“We’re proud of the work that Scott and other McKinsey colleagues do to support our veterans’ community, and we were pleased to participate in this important discussion,” a McKinsey spokesperson told Politico.

McKinsey reached a $642 million settlement related to opioid lawsuits in 2021, according to WSJ.

McKinsey has a cozy relationship with the Democratic Governors Association, donating $110,000 to the group in 2023, according to Politico. By comparison, the firm gave $71,500 to the Republican Governors Association that year.

McKinsey and the Democratic Governors Association did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact  [email protected] .

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Making government an even better place for women to work

When it comes to women’s representation in the US workplace, the public sector continues to have a clear edge over corporations. However, new McKinsey research finds that governmental organizations may struggle to keep leading the way toward gender parity. The latest edition of our annual Women in the Workplace report reveals that the public sector lags private-sector organizations in critical areas that could help curb burnout and attrition among women managers. 1 Women in the Workplace 2022 , McKinsey and LeanIn.Org, October 18, 2022. But there are steps leaders can take to shore up support for women in management roles to ensure the civil services continue to attract and retain the talented women the nation needs. 2 Richard Choi, Sameer Chowdhary, Drew Erdmann, and Tim Ward, Bridging the talent gap in state government postpandemic ; McKinsey, March 17, 2023.

A joint effort by McKinsey and LeanIn.Org, our 2022 report surveyed more than 40,000 people across more than 300 organizations to find out how women across the identity spectrum are faring in all levels of the workplace. 3 The survey questions covered multiple themes (such as overall satisfaction, flexibility and remote or hybrid workplaces, advancement, employee well-being, equity and allyship, and household characteristics and responsibilities) as well as demographic questions (such as gender, gender of primary manager, race and ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, role, and family status). In line with previous years, our latest survey found that women are better represented in public- and social-sector talent pipelines than their private-sector counterparts. But there is still work to be done. While women of color (WOC) are better represented at every level of the public sector compared with private organizations, they still occupy a smaller share of civil-service roles than White women, especially at the midmanager level. And although women are close to or above parity from the entry level to the senior vice president (SVP) level in the public sector, they remain underrepresented at the top of the talent pipeline, such as in the secretary’s or governor’s office and in legislature or oversight roles.

Our latest survey showed another troubling trend: the unprecedented burnout rate among women leaders seen in 2021 has continued to worsen, with our latest survey recording the highest rates of attrition for women leaders since the report launched in 2015. 4 Across all organizations, the gap between voluntary attrition rates for men and women leaders is also the largest it’s been since 2015.

Even though the public sector has better representation for women compared with the private sector, it underperforms in crucial areas, including setting manager expectations, training managers, and offering career development programs such as mentoring and sponsorship. Failure to deliver on these table stakes policies could be fueling greater burnout and attrition of managers and women at all levels. 5 At least 75 percent of 333 companies adopted table stakes policies, according to an HR survey conducted to gather data from human resource professionals for the Women in the Workplace 2022 report. While important, table stakes policies on their own are not driving enough progress.

In this article, we take a deeper dive into Women in the Workplace 2022 to examine where the public-sector talent pipeline diverges from that of the private sector. We also explore the opportunities to continue to grow the public and social sectors’ position as a front-runner in women’s representation in the workforce, with a focus on better supporting managers.

The state of women in the public sector

A deeper dive into the latest Women in the Workplace research reveals several noteworthy trends (Exhibit 1).

Progress in mending the ‘broken rung’

Since launching in 2015, the Women in the Workplace report has tracked progress toward eliminating the so-called “broken rung”—the lower rates of promotion for women from entry-level to managerial positions. Lower promotion rates cascade down the pipeline, making it difficult for organizations to lay a foundation for sustained progress at more senior levels.

In the overall workforce, the broken rung has persisted every year since we launched Women in the Workplace . Across all sectors in 2022, for every 100 men who were promoted, 87 women and just 82 women of color were promoted. A more granular breakdown reveals that for every 100 men who were promoted, only 75 Latinas were promoted. Rates were lower still for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous women.

However, our 2022 report also found that women in the public and social sectors saw higher promotion rates than men: 107 women for every 100 men promoted. By contrast, only 87 women in the overall workforce were promoted for every 100 men. WOC in government saw a promotion rate from entry level to manager of 4.2 percent compared with 1.6 percent for all women. These findings indicate that while the public and social sectors make up a small proportion of all industries, they are setting a higher standard on the promotion to manager relative to other sectors. While this is an encouraging trend, it is important to note that WOC are starting from a point of lower representation in entry-level roles.

Recent shifts in hiring and attrition for women in the public and social sectors

Other key shifts emerged in our 2022 survey compared with the previous year.

First, the share of women being hired in the public and social sectors is now higher than for all sectors at all tenure levels. However, a larger share of women than men in the public and social sectors were internal hires across all levels except in SVP and C-suite roles. This is important to highlight because such internal hiring may spread around representation without increasing the aggregate.

Second, our latest survey saw a significant increase in women’s representation in the public and social sectors in cabinet and department leader roles, from 41 percent in 2021 to 53 percent in 2022 (compared with 28 percent of women in equivalent roles across all sectors in 2022). This shift likely reflects the Biden administration’s focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), 6 “Fact sheet: President Biden signs executive order advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal government,” The White House, June 25, 2021. which has encouraged increased representation and more appointments of women leaders, particularly WOC.

Why women leaders are leaving

Women leaders across all sectors are deciding to leave their organizations because of three primary factors.

Lack of commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Women leaders want a better work culture and are more than 1.5 times as likely as men at their level to have left a previous job for an organization with greater commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This is not a new phenomenon. A 2021 McKinsey article showed that many people, especially parents, 1 Naina Dhingra, Andrew Samo, Bill Schaninger, and Matt Schrimper, “ Help your employees find purpose—or watch them leave ,” McKinsey, April 5, 2021. are no longer willing to stick it out at a job that doesn’t offer flexibility and benefits. 2 People & Organization Blog , “ Why women of color are leaving, and how to rethink your DE&I strategy ,” blog entry by Diana Ellsworth, Ruth Imose, Holly Price, and Nicolette Rainone, McKinsey, January 24, 2022.

Working in a remote or hybrid environment may offer a reprieve from bias. But this is not a substitute for systemic change. Organizations need to invest in creating a truly inclusive culture and cannot rely on remote and hybrid work as a solution. Hence, it is important to create spaces where women, whether working remotely or in person, can grow and feel empowered.

Being overworked and underrecognized

Forty percent of women leaders say their DEI work isn’t acknowledged at all in performance reviews, yet they are two times more likely to be driving the activities than men. While role modeling, championing, and advocating for healthy boundaries can help normalize workplace flexibility and foster a more inclusive environment, women who do so risk being penalized—that is, being overlooked for promotions.

Women leaders are also still overworked at home, which may be contributing to higher burnout rates. The Women in the Workplace 2022 report found that women in senior management are four times more likely than men at their level to be responsible for their family’s housework and caregiving, while women in entry-level roles are twice as likely as men at that level to carry this responsibility.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of women under 30 say they would be more interested in advancing if they saw a senior leader with the work–life balance they wanted.

Microaggressions

Women leaders face stronger headwinds in their day-to-day experiences than men. Women leaders are two times more likely to be mistaken for someone at a more junior level than men leaders (26 percent versus 13 percent). Women leaders are ten percentage points more likely to have had a coworker get credit for their idea than men leaders (37 percent versus 27 percent). Finally, women leaders are more likely to report that personal characteristics, such as their gender or parenthood status, have played a role in being denied or passed over for a raise or promotion.

Third, our 2022 survey found that while attrition of senior leaders has increased significantly across all sectors for both women and men, the gap between men and women is at its largest since we began the survey. For every woman promoted to the next level, two women directors chose to leave their organization—the highest rate of attrition relative to the average from 2017 to 2021 (Exhibit 2). Although attrition rates were lower at most levels in the public and social sectors compared with all sectors, they were still higher than the historical average (see sidebar “Why women leaders are leaving”).

The role managers play in attracting and retaining women workers

Although the public and social sectors have led the way in women’s representation in entry- to midlevel roles since we began our annual survey, these sectors continue to face challenges when it comes to supporting managers.

Supporting and retaining women managers sets up the next generation of women leaders for success, and can therefore help compensate for the increased attrition rates in senior women observed in our latest survey. By contrast, a lack of support for women in management roles can diminish the impact of mending the broken rung and hinder the recruitment and retention of younger, entry-level women (see sidebar “Current public-sector hiring challenges”). Indeed, manager support was one of the top five factors younger women across all sectors cited when considering whether to leave their jobs. Other primary factors included opportunity to advance; flexibility; company commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and company commitment to employee well-being—attributes that managers play a critical role in encouraging. 7 The McKinsey Great Attrition 2.0 Survey had similar findings: career development and leadership were the top two reasons why public-sector employees (nearly 50 percent) were considering leaving their current role over the next three to six months. For more, see “ What workers want is changing. That could be good for government ,” McKinsey, October 26, 2022.

Current public-sector hiring challenges

The public sector has long faced greater hiring challenges than the private sector. The inability to easily change compensation levels introduces yet another hurdle in an area of high inflation.

For every three government jobs available in February 2023, only one was filled. And as of March 2023, nearly 62 percent of public-sector job vacancies remained unfilled, relative to roughly 33 percent in the private sector. 1 “Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted,” US Bureau of Labor Statistics, updated May 2, 2023. The government has relatively high overall job vacancies: nearly 1.0 million in March 2023, 2 “Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted,” US Bureau of Labor Statistics, updated May 2, 2023. compared with about 8.5 million for the entire private sector. If these trends continue, workloads for public- and social-sector employees could increase if women’s attrition rates keep growing.

When managers are supported in their efforts to recruit and retain top talent, women in particular benefit across several dimensions that influence their experience in their jobs, including advancement opportunities, psychological safety, and work culture (Exhibit 3). But our survey revealed there is a growing gap between what’s expected of managers and how they’re being trained and rewarded to deliver on those expectations (Exhibit 4).

Based on the overall findings of our latest report, we’ve identified three steps leaders can take to support manager development and close this gap across all sectors (including government) and, in doing so, encourage the retention of women, and others, at all levels.

Train managers to foster diverse, inclusive, and hybrid teams

Expectations for managers have been increasing over the past two years. In addition to their traditional responsibilities, they are now often running DEI for their organizations and managing hybrid teams (see sidebar “Young women and diversity, equity, and inclusion”). Managers are also increasingly expected to support employee well-being, including helping employees maintain a sustainable workload.

Young women and diversity, equity, and inclusion

Supporting and retaining young women can help organizations build diverse and inclusive teams. Younger women are more likely than their older counterparts to be women of color and to identify as LGBTQ+. Young women are also more likely to actively practice allyship at work than more mature employees and young men. Retaining young women and advancing them to senior roles could help organizations reverse trends in burnout, unmanageable workloads, and employee well-being. At more senior levels, Black women, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities spend up to two times more effort than women overall on diversity, equity, and inclusion work outside their formal responsibilities. 1 “ Stepping up, but risking burnout: Women leaders in the public and social sectors ,” McKinsey, November 12, 2021. In addition, Black women in senior roles are more motivated to create a positive workplace and be role models for other Black women. 2 The state of Black women in corporate America , LeanIn.Org, 2020.

But training for this new scope of work has not kept up. Sixty-two percent of organizations say they train managers to manage remote employees, but only 46 percent of managers say they receive such training. And while 62 percent of employees felt that managers checked on their personal well-being, far fewer (38 percent) felt their managers went a step further by working to ensure their workloads were manageable. Indeed, 78 percent of organizations expect managers to promote well-being, while only 48 percent train managers on minimizing burnout. This is particularly important for women, half of whom say that having a manageable workload is a signal that a company is committed to employee well-being.

Targeted training could help public-sector managers better support their teams, including women. Topics to consider include proactively supporting employee career development, fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging, managing remote or hybrid employees (setting effective boundaries), facilitating team conversations about diversity issues, combating bias in promotions or everyday interactions, and effectively checking in on employee well-being. The US Office of Personnel Management recently announced that it would provide free, government-wide training to help federal workers improve performance and efficiency when serving in hybrid work environments. Such actions are positive examples of how the government is beginning to prioritize these topics more. 8 “Release: U.S. Office of Personnel Management announces government-wide training for federal employees to succeed in hybrid work environments,” US Office of Personnel Management, March 30, 2023.

Implement targeted sponsorship programs

Women employees could benefit if organizations expanded the scope of sponsorship programs. Unlike mentorship, which focuses on giving advice, answering questions, and strategizing about an employee’s career and professional development, sponsorship connects an employee to people, opportunities, and networks that directly help advance their careers.

Targeted sponsorship programs could make a significant impact on women’s careers, especially those of WOC. For example, Black and Asian women often don’t have strong allies on their team advocating on their behalf for increased pay or highlighting their accomplishments. Because of biases in performance evaluations, women and WOC often receive lower performance ratings and are given vague, unspecific feedback that hinders their ability to advance. 9 Rosalind Chow, “Don’t just mentor women and people of color. Sponsor them.,” Harvard Business Review , June 30, 2021. Having a sponsor who vouches for their performance, challenges biases, and connects them to a larger network could help women advance in their careers and feel more supported in the workplace.

For public-sector managers, this means finding time to connect with more-junior colleagues and being more intentional, specifically about the type of support provided to women within the organization. Public-sector leaders could also consider incorporating building sponsorship relationships into managers’ evaluations and training.

Update performance evaluations

Virtually all organizations build business goals into managers’ performance reviews, but very few do the same for metrics related to people management and DEI. This is an incomplete, but easily fixable, view of performance. Women managers could especially benefit from refined performance evaluations because they tend to invest more in people management and DEI than men in the same roles. Including this type of work in performance reviews would make it more likely that women managers would be recognized for their efforts. 10 People & Organization Blog , “ Why women of color are leaving, and how to rethink your DE&I strategy ,” blog entry by Diana Ellsworth, Ruth Imose, Holly Price, and Nicolette Rainone, McKinsey, January 24, 2022. This in turn could lead to higher performance ratings, faster advancement, and higher pay. Organizations could also implement reviews of manager performance from employees, adding prompts to evaluation forms to gather more nuanced input.

Indeed, one federal agency has already incorporated a DEIA goal into its Senior Executive Service (SES) performance targets, part of a broader implementation strategy to make every SES accountable for driving these initiatives.

In addition, many organizations track attrition rates, promotion rates, and other career outcomes, as well as conduct surveys to measure employee satisfaction and well-being. Insights from these processes could be built into public-sector managers’ performance evaluations. Leaders could also consider more clearly sharing their expectations and rewarding results. Sharing well-being and diversity metrics or publicly acknowledging managers who go above and beyond for their employees could be useful in boosting manager morale and motivation. Public-sector entities could also consider evaluating managers on managing employee career development and managing team morale and retention.

At all levels, women’s representation in the public and social sectors is higher than in corporate America. However, women leaders across all sectors are leaving at unprecedented rates, largely because they feel unsupported and overlooked in the workplace. By doubling down on improving managers’ experiences and their ability to support their coworkers, the public sector could build on its success with women’s representation. Because when managers show up, everyone benefits—especially women.

Nora Gardner is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Washington, DC, office, where Tatenda Mabikacheche is a consultant and Megan McConnell is a partner. Dani Lucas is a consultant in the New York office.

The authors wish to thank Patricia Sabga for her contributions to this article.

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