Using Glassdoor data we show that women are less satisfied at work than men and that female employ- ees care more about work‐life balance. Further analysis shows that this gender difference in workplace preference vanishes at the manager level, suggesting that women who care less about work‐life balance self‐select into career paths that ultimately lead to management positions. Exploring the per- formance implications, we show that family‐friendly workplaces with smaller gender gaps in work‐life balance satisfaction are associated with better firm performance. Overall, our study implies that policies that aim to narrow the gender satisfaction gap can be socially and economically desirable.