For Women and Minorities to Get Ahead, Managers Must Assign Work Fairly

Some assignments can set you up for promotion — this is the glamour work. Other assignments are necessary but unsung — this is the office housework. Research shows that women and people of color are much more likely to get housework-type assignments than to get assigned to glamour work. Managers and executives have to fix this imbalance if they’re going to make progress on corporate diversity goals. To do that, start keeping track of how projects are assigned in your organization. Managers can identify what the office housework is in their department and who is doing it, and spread out these humdrum assignments more evenly. For new glamour work assignments, consider all eligible employees, not just the ones who come to mind first or who ask to do it. Senior executives and HR leaders can help hold middle-managers accountable for making progress. The result will not only be a system that is fairer for women and minorities, but for all employees.