Breaking the Gender Bias

Siri Nomme, London

Whether intentional or unconscious, bias makes it harder for women to get hired and promoted and negatively impacts their day-to-day work experiences. Almost 60 percent of women regularly experience micro-aggressions at work, impacting their confidence, engagement and satisfaction. Creating inclusive working environments is critical to the advancement of gender equality. To foster inclusive work cultures, there are some actions which organisations can take to address and eliminate gender inequity and inequality – some of these are listed below.

1. Educate workforce on gender bias: If employees are not aware that there is an issue, they won’t change their attitudes and behaviours. Educate people on how to identify and challenge bias in the workplace using specific examples. Make sure everyone knows what gender bias looks like (the subtle and not-so subtle) and how to avoid it at work. Make it clear that gender bias works both ways, not just towards one gender. With clear education and definition, employees can be better prepared to identify bias when they see it or hear it – and learn how to interrupt it.
2. Stand up to gender bias when it happens: Whether it’s a brushed aside comment in a meeting or a bad joke at lunch, gender inequality, bias and micro-aggressions need to be called out when they occur. It’s how you increase awareness of what gender bias looks and sounds like. This doesn’t mean berating colleagues or superiors. It can present an opportunity to teach someone else what is respectful and inclusive behaviour at work. It isn’t and can often be awkward and uncomfortable for all involved, but the more it is called out and dissuaded, especially by managers and leaders, the more likely an organisation will eliminate gender bias in the workplace.
3. Remove bias in your hiring, talent reviews and promotion processes: The wording of job descriptions can affect who applies and who gets hired. Avoid using words that have a masculine connotation like: competitive, decisive, outspoken. To remove overtly feminine tones, avoid words like: nurturing, loyal, and collaborative. Try to refrain from using gender-charged words in your recruitment and hiring practices. Educate recruiters, hiring managers and interviewers on how to recognise and reduce bias in the hiring process. Train managers on reducing bias in talent reviews and promotions where biased assessments can have a big impact on women’s careers.
4. Evaluate and standardise pay: Evaluate your pay structure to identify any discrepancies: people should be paid equally for the same job. Women should be encouraged to seek pay raises just as much as men. By evaluating your compensation trends, you can be aware of any patterns, inconsistencies or obvious bias that might exist. By acknowledging it, you can take steps to make your compensation system more progressive and reflective of equal pay for equal work.
5. Offer flexible work options – but beware of flexibility bias: Whilst the future workplace may offer flexible working hours and flexible working locations, thereby minimizing gender bias by allowing men and women to optimise their working hours from the location of their choice and during the time that works with their other responsibilities, past research shows that employees can be penalised when they take advantage of flexible work arrangements because constant availability and in-person work is still a preferred way of working. This creates a flexibility bias, where employees who choose flexible working arrangements are stereotyped as less committed and not worthy of rewards. This tension can make hybrid working arrangements particularly detrimental for women, many of whom have the burden of caregiving responsibilities and might therefore take advantage of hybrid working arrangements to balance the needs of their work-life situation. It is also likely that women would ask for and take advantage of work-from-home policies more often than men, thereby putting women at a disadvantage in terms of visibility and their ability to develop strategic networks that get them promoted. It will therefore be critical that managers, high-performing individuals, and those without caring responsibilities also use flexible work arrangements when possible, and support others who do so.
6. Establish mentoring programmes: Research suggests that mentoring programmes make for a more diverse work hierarchy. They give women and minorities a spotlight, and help them climb the professional ladder with the support of networks, skills and organisational knowledge. Mentoring relationships can pair women with senior leaders or colleagues who can illuminate steps and knowledge needed to get to their next role or promotion. These mentors don’t have to be of the same gender. It is beneficial for men to mentor women, as men still hold the majority of senior leadership positions. All forms of mentoring - mentoring circles, reverse mentoring, high potential mentoring – impart a feeling of inclusivity that can help women feel more connected and engaged with their place of employment. But beware …. research also shows that women are over-mentored and under-sponsored ! See next point.
7. Sponsorship: It is often a lack of high-visibility assignments and senior advocates from within an organisation that keep women from advancing to the next level in their career. In a sponsorship relationship, a senior individual uses their networks and influence to propel their protégé forward. Women, and men, who have a sponsor at work are significantly more likely to ask for a raise or to request an assignment on a high-visibility team. As a senior leader, acknowledge where you could be a better advocate for the women in your organisation, suggest someone for a stretch assignment or arrange an introduction between another senior leader and high-potential women in your organisation. Building a culture of sponsorship takes time but it should be actively promoted and showcased.
8. Improve gender diversity in succession plans: Organisations should clearly articulate and make transparent the specific skills and experiences needed for progression into senior and leadership roles, and create mechanisms for ensuring women are given career-enhancing work and exposure to the development experiences they need in order to progress.
9. Leaders should take responsibility for their actions and ownership for driving change: All leaders have the influence to instigate and drive change, so it is important that their words, actions and decisions are consistent, fair and inclusive in promoting and supporting women. Leaders should ensure there are adequate policies and strategies in place to create inclusive workplace cultures where people's differences are valued. Such workplaces ensure that everyone - regardless of background or identity - is respected, their voices heard and their contributions valued.

Let's continue breaking the bias and challenging the status quo to create truly inclusive environments where women feel included, valued and supported to achieve their full potential.