The topic for this year’s International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias, which falls on March 8, 2022. We all have biases; it’s a fact of life. The cultures and processes that contribute to gender inequity can reveal our collective biases.
Rachel Thomas, co-founder and CEO of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org, states, “Gender bias and gender stereotypes are so firmly embedded in our culture that people of all genders fall into gender mistakes.” “For example, most of us tend to undervalue women’s abilities and are more prone to question their competence—even in their fields of expertise.” According to research on criticism during performance reviews, women are more likely than males to be chastised for their personal style. When all of these factors are considered, women are less likely to be considered for that first key advancement to manager.This implies there are fewer women to promote at every level. Even with some of the progress made in recent years in terms of women’s representation in leadership, only one in every four C-suite executives is a woman, and only one in every 25 C-suite executives is a woman of colour.”
Here are some frequent workplace biases that women face, as well as suggestions for how to overcome them.
When offering feedback, biases are frequently present, which means that the information we deliver may be influenced by prejudices. According to one study, 66 percent of women’s performance reports included negative personality remarks like “You should be less abrasive,” but just 1% of men’s reviews did. Gender biases may lead to women receiving comments that they are “too aggressive.” The double bind phenomenon refers to the belief that an aggressive woman might be perceived as abrasive, yet a woman who exhibits classic feminine traits such being “kind” can be perceived as too soft and unimportant.Furthermore, women are more likely to receive general comments that does not include precise insights about what they did well or how they might improve.
Remove uncertainty from performance reviews to reduce the opportunity for bias, such as by providing scorecards or rubrics that explain the criteria for evaluating employees’ performance. They should be based on the role’s specific goals or success indicators. Rather of depending on gut reactions, this encourages managers to provide evidence to show whether or not an employee meets expectations. By establishing the appropriate criteria, you may ensure that you’re evaluating accomplishments rather than personality.
The Motherhood Penalty: #BreakTheBias
The price of being a mother is high: According to research, 23% of working women believe they’ve been passed over for a promotion because they’re a mother. Furthermore, 41% of employed Americans believe working moms are less committed to their jobs, and a third believe they require a more flexible schedule. Women already face a parenting penalty, which contributes to the income disparity between men and women: When males had children, their earnings grew by more than 6% on average, whereas women’s salary declined by 4% each child.
“There’s also a perception that if a woman carves out some time for flexibility, which has been necessary during the pandemic, she’s not as devoted and engaged on work,” Thomas adds. “This goes back to the ideal worker standard of being available at all times and working long hours.” To overcome maternal bias, supervisors and coworkers should ask women team members what they want to do and then let them explain their boundaries. I would advise women to “don’t make assumptions,” and to “be very explicit about your aspirations [such as seeking stretch assignments or a leadership position].”
The Broken Rung #BreakTheBias
Only 72 women are hired and promoted to manager for every 100 men hired and promoted. The “broken rung” refers to the fact that fewer women are promoted to management positions, and so there is a smaller pipeline for women on the path to top leadership positions.
Anchor back to the facts to break the bias. “One way to achieve this is to ask a penetrating question,” Thomas explains, “since it forces individuals to reconsider their ideas.” “This often encourages people to describe the reasoning behind their decisions, which helps them recognise their own prejudice or leads to a more open discussion that ideally results in a better end.” ‘Is there anything in her performance assessments that would lead us to assume she’s not a good team manager?’ you can question if a woman is up for a promotion and someone indicates they don’t think she’s leadership material. She appears to have good results.When you go back at a woman’s reports and discover the outcomes are extremely positive, it causes a person to examine why they would be pointing to a lack of leadership, or it allows them to question why they think they need a certain type of style for someone to be effective in the role.”
Microaggressions: #BreakTheBias
According to the Women in the Workplace 2021 Report, as women advance in their careers, they are more likely to encounter microaggressions that undermine their competence, such as being interrupted, hearing comments about their emotional state, or having their judgement questioned. Disrespectful and othering behaviour, such as surprise at their language skills or other abilities, or being confused with someone of the same race and ethnicity, is significantly more common among women of colour than it is among white women. As a result, women who are subjected to microaggressions are twice as likely to become burned out, and they are less likely to stay at the company and promote it to others.
According to the Women in the Workplace Report, 73% of women face bias at work, but just 22% of employees claim they see biassed conduct in their workplace, and those who do seldom speak up. Allyship is essential for fostering inclusive cultures, such as halting bias in the moment. “Challenging bias and fighting for women is often good for the woman in the moment, but it’s also good for you and how you’re perceived by your coworkers, regardless of gender,” Thomas adds. “When employees challenge bigotry and practise allyship, it inspires others to do the same, creating a ripple effect that can transform your workplace culture.”
“You can have all of the proper regulations and initiatives in place, which is a terrific start, but the last mile is altering the culture of your company to better support women,” Thomas adds. “This means that all employees at all levels are involved in challenging bias, intervening when they notice harmful or undermining behaviour, and going above and above to practise allyship.” That’s when we’ll actually be talking about inclusiveness.”