What Happens when Women Truly Support Each Other in the Workplace?

Why It Matters

A replicable network of sponsorship and flexible role models directly counters early career attrition, boosting women’s retention and leadership pipelines in tech‑driven industries.

Key Takeaways

• Women’s representation in European tech fell from 22% to 19%.
• Early career drop‑off, not just senior leadership, drives gender gap.
• A Budapest women’s circle provides sponsorship, safe space, and role models.
• Peer sponsorship translates mentorship into concrete project opportunities.
• Flexible operating models and community reduce motherhood‑career trade‑offs.

Summary

The video spotlights a tight‑knit group of women partners at McKinsey Budapest who have built a supportive circle to counteract a broader decline in women’s tech representation across Europe – a drop from 22% to 19% – and to address the steep attrition that occurs well before senior leadership.

The participants cite McKinsey’s research showing the “broken rung” early in careers, and they describe how their circle turns mentorship into active sponsorship: members alert each other to project openings, rotate roles for returning mothers, and deliberately showcase diverse operating models. They also discuss the looming AI‑driven skill shift, urging women to choose companies that invest in development and to acquire future‑proof competencies.

Personal anecdotes illustrate the circle’s impact: a colleague received a job lead while on maternity leave, another was immediately offered a role upon her return, and a senior partner recalled being told never to fetch coffee—a moment that cemented her resolve to reject traditional gender scripts. The group emphasizes authenticity, safe‑space dialogue, and the power of varied role models to normalize flexible career paths.

The broader implication is clear: structured peer sponsorship and a community that normalizes flexible operating models can mitigate early career exits, improve retention, and prepare women to thrive in an AI‑augmented workplace. Companies that replicate such ecosystems may close the gender gap while unlocking diverse perspectives that drive better business outcomes.

Original Description

In this podcast, we explore what sisterhood at work really means—beyond the buzzwords. Featuring colleagues from our Budapest office, the conversation covers navigating challenges, challenging the myth of competition, and building meaningful support systems.

It also offers a unique perspective: five senior women, all mothers, with seven daughters between them—each born during their time at McKinsey—bringing a deeply personal lens to how they think about support, growth, and lasting connections.

Together, they discuss how women lifting each other up can reshape careers, build confidence, and influence workplace culture—grounded in insights from our latest Women in the Workplace research.

Subscribe to our channel: http://mck.co/YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletters: http://mck.co/Subscribe

**Find us on**

Facebook: http://mck.co/Facebook

Twitter: http://mck.co/Twitter

LinkedIn: http://mck.co/LinkedIn

Instagram: http://mck.co/Instagram