What women really want at work: Growth, not just balance
Career advancement (82%), fair compensation (78%), and purposeful work (66%) rank far above work-life balance—busting outdated assumptions about what drives women at work today.
Based on India’s most definitive survey on women’s ambitions, career interferences, and professional realities, The GRAND Women & Workplace Report captures what truly matters to women at work today. Going beyond surface-level narratives, it reveals what drives their aspirations, what holds them back, and what organizations must do to support their growth.
Here’s what we uncovered
- What women want
- The state of affairs
- What you can do
The real roadblocks—and revelations.
- Pay > Balance, clearly
Across leadership levels, earning potential outweighs work-life balance as the top priority—peaking at 73% for business leaders. - Support starts at home
93% of women say a supportive family or spouse is crucial for career growth—outranking workplace policies and perks. - The pay gap peaks at the top
Women in CXO roles earn just 74% of what men do—the widest gender pay gap exists where equality should matter most. - Promotions pass women by
At every stage, fewer women get vertical promotions—only 14 for every 37 men at the business lead level, revealing a broken pipeline.
