Following is the summary of a recent MSPB report on women’s employment in the federal government.
In its 1992 report A Question of Equity: Women and the Glass Ceiling in the Federal Government, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) concluded that there was a “glass ceiling” that limited the advancement of women in the Federal Government. Evidence of that glass ceiling included (1) inadequate representation of women in supervisory and executive positions; (2) lower promotion rates for women from General Schedule (GS) grades GS-9 and GS-11; and (3) differences in grade level (and thus pay) that could not be explained fully by differences in experience and education. MSPB found that this glass ceiling consisted of factors that women could control, such as education, experience, and geographic mobility, as well as factors outside of their control such as employer expectations, assumptions, or stereotypes that could limit the opportunities available to women. Although employees generally agreed that the Federal Government had made considerable progress in its employment of women, many employees believed that the “playing field” for women and men seeking advancement was far from level.
There have been many changes in American society since then, and those changes have been mirrored in the Federal Government. Over the past two decades, the Federal Government has made substantial progress in hiring and advancing women in the Federal workforce. More women are employed in positions in professional and administrative occupations, which offer the greatest opportunities for pay and advancement. Increases in the representation of women in the executive ranks have outpaced projections from MSPB’s 1992 study. Pay differences between women and men have been considerably reduced.
These tangible gains have been accompanied by substantial, if less visible, improvements in Federal workplaces and the work lives of Federal employees. Fewer women believe that they have been subjected to overt or subtle discrimination at work. MSPB’s analysis of General Schedule promotion rates supports a belief that the prevalence and force of stereotypical assumptions about the abilities and appropriate roles of women have greatly diminished. Although women and men can differ in career factors such as occupation, family responsibilities, geographic mobility, and interest in supervisory roles, women are about as likely as men to be promoted when factors such as occupation, experience, and education are held equal.
Contributors to this progress include changes in American society that have expanded the opportunities available to women and changes in the civilian labor force that have expanded the pool of highly-qualified women in many occupations.
Within the Federal Government, those changes are reflected in diminishing differences between women and men in important characteristics such as education and experience. That trend, combined with a continued interest in career advancement among women in the Federal Government, bodes well for future gains in the representation of women at the highest levels of pay and responsibility, including the Senior Executive Service. Much credit is also due to agency efforts to recruit and advance women, to reduce the incidence of prohibited discrimination, to provide greater flexibility in work arrangements, and to focus on contributions and skills—rather than on indirect and unreliable indicators of performance and dedication such as time spent in the office or irrelevant factors such as marital status and family responsibilities—when evaluating and promoting employees.
Still, progress toward full equality is not yet complete. Women remain less likely than men to be employed in high-paying occupations and supervisory positions. That reflects, in part, continuing occupational differences between women and men in the Federal workforce and the broader civilian labor force. Women have made great strides in entering occupations such as physician and attorney, but remain relatively scarce in fields such as law enforcement, information technology, and engineering—fields important to the current and future Federal workforce. Also, even within a given occupation, women often have lower salaries than men, and those salary differences cannot be fully explained by differences in measurable factors such as experience and education.
Agencies and stakeholders should also be aware that future progress may come less easily than past progress. First, occupational differences persist between women and men in both American society and Federal workplaces. Such occupational differences can complicate recruitment and create glass walls—barriers to movement across organizations, functions, or occupations—within the Federal workforce, resulting in different opportunities for women and men even if they are comparable in terms of educational attainment, years of experience, and performance. Second, agencies have increased their use of external hiring and upper-level hiring to fill positions in professional and administrative occupations. Women are increasingly successful in employment competitions of all types, reflecting diminishing differences in critical factors such as education, experience, and career interests. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons, women are generally less likely to be hired when an agency fills a position through external (as opposed to internal) recruitment or fills a position at upper-level instead of entry-level.
Also, sex-based discrimination and stereotypes have not yet completely disappeared. Even in the absence of overt discrimination, many employees continue to believe that women are subjected to unfounded assumptions about their abilities or dedication to work. However, most issues that are critical to the fair treatment and advancement of women are universal. For example, concerns about the role of favoritism in personnel decisions are widespread and shared equally by women and men. Other issues important to both women and men include the recruitment and selection of supervisors, career management (e.g., helping employees understand what is required to advance), and balancing demanding jobs with life/family responsibilities.
Actions that agencies and managers can take to further progress in the representation and advancement of women and increase fairness for all employees include—
• Provide continuing feedback and development to employees, so that employees understand and can develop the competencies and behaviors that are important to job success and career advancement;
• Improve the recruitment, selection, and development of supervisors. Enhanced supervisory effectiveness will create a cadre of supervisors who are better able to focus on results, support work/life balance, and ensure fairness in work assignment and other aspects of human resources management;
• Make informed and appropriate use of both internal and external sources of talent. When used appropriately, internal hiring can provide a “bridge” from technical, clerical, or blue-collar occupations to professional and administrative occupations, to the benefit of both agencies and employees. However, agencies should also recognize that internal and external talent pools can differ in ways that have significant implications for assessment, development, and advancement;
• Recognize, and avoid reliance on, stereotypes and assumptions in day-to-day human resources management. Agencies should consciously focus on ability and results, rather than surface characteristics and impressions, when assigning work, allocating developmental opportunities, and evaluating employee performance and potential;
• Remain vigilant against sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment, and ensure that avenues for reporting and addressing such discrimination are accessible and trusted; and
• Maximize flexibility in work arrangements and job requirements. Flexible work arrangements can help agencies attract diverse pools of qualified applicants, retain employees, and sustain engagement without compromising teamwork and productivity. Conversely, unnecessary inflexibility in matters such as geographic mobility, work hours, and travel may result in the loss of highly capable applicants and employees who have life/family responsibilities and can find competing employers that are more accommodating.
We note that the subjects and recommendations of this report are not purely or even primarily “women’s issues.” Effective, merit-based human resources practices— including outreach and recruitment, workplace fairness, and effective supervision— matter to everyone and can yield positive dividends in workforce quality and organizational performance. All employees and all segments of the American public benefit from workplaces that are “representative of all segments of society” and fully utilize and recognize the talents of every employee.
