Job Ad Gender Bias Means We’re Missing Out On Career Opportunities
Few of us need confirmation that certain areas of the job market are not entirely open to women. But when we learn that a staggering 3 in 5 UK industries are actually sexist towards female applicants, it kind of makes it all the more infuriating.
A new study by Gaucher, Friesen and Kay shows that gendered wording in job adverts leads to applicants applying according to their sex. Male-coded words like ‘lead’ and ‘dominant’ encourage a higher number of male applicants to apply, whereas female coded words such as ‘sensitive’ and ‘affectionate’ attract more female talent.
We need to avoid buying into this ‘not for me’ belief when job hunting says gravitas coach Antoinette Dale Henderson, who coaches female executives in assertiveness and leadership qualities through her Gravitas For Women programme (gravitasprogramme.com). “Women are in danger of discounting a raft of opportunities that could be appropriate for them. If we unconsciously associate words like ‘leading’ ‘dominant’ and ‘driving’ with men, it’s no wonder that we shy away from these opportunities and retreat”.
Antoinette Dale Henderson coaches women in assertiveness and leadership qualities
Why would we let the wording put us off, or think a role just isn’t meant for us? We are conditioned from a very young age to want roles that are deemed feminine, says Antoinette.
“Toys are gendered, so little girls will play with dolls while boys play with guns. Clothing also plays into the ‘girls are soft, boys are hard’ myth, with words like ‘Born to be spoiled’ on girls’ babygros and ‘Future Boss’ on boys’, as called out by the Let Clothes Be Clothes campaign,” says Antoinette.
Growing up, as a rule girls are encouraged to be kind and nice and play fair, while boys are allowed to express their forceful side. Says Antoinette: “When at primary school, the norm is for girls to say they want to be a teacher or nurse, while boys will say they want to be a fire fighter or soldier. So without even realising it we’re indoctrinated into choosing roles and opportunities that are softer and more nurturing than those that are open to men. In those industries that are male-dominated, the perception among women could be ‘That industry is not for me,’ so you wouldn’t even consider going there, especially if the wording of the job ads is gender-biased too”.
We don’t recognise ourselves in words like ‘lead’ and ‘dominant’, because we perhaps don’t like to think of ourselves in that way. “There’s the cliche of the domineering, aggressive, bitch type character who no one wants to be around – and who few women want to become. But we can learn to be leaders without being ballbreakers, and harness a variety of qualities, both soft and powerful, in order to thrive in positions that require leadership,” says Antoinette.
“We certainly shouldn’t shy away from major challenges just because we’re female,” she continues. But often we do. “We’re more risk averse than men and less likely to put our hands up to answer a question or volunteer to take the lead. Men are more comfortable taking risks but also society expects men to do so”.
Industries with the most male-biased language, according to Job search engine Adzuna, which searched for a selection of 170 traditionally masculine and feminine words within 1.2 million job adverts every year from 2014 to 2018, are consultancy, property, maintenance, sales and travel. Overall, they found that job ads in the UK contain 17% more male-biased than female-biased language, with 60% of all UK industries exhibiting significant male-bias within their job ads.
“While women are waiting for the world to catch up, they need to look beyond what might be perceived as gendered language and job descriptions that seem to be seeking just men. By looking beyond that to think about the qualifications and experience they have that are relevant to the role, they should find the confidence to apply”.
What’s more, says Antoinette, seeing beyond the wording and applying anyway should put you ahead of the pack. “Right now any woman going for a job that doesn’t seem to invite women to apply will be at a massive advantage, because she’ll stand out in a positive way, particularly given that this is such a hot topic. Companies are going to want to have an open mind about all of this and give women a chance”.
Whether we fight against or choose to ignore this gender stereotyping when job hunting, it’s in our interests to apply for roles that seem to be aimed at men. Four in ten private companies admitted this week that their latest gender pay figures show wider gaps than last year, and it’s a problem that won’t go away unless we get used to seeing ourselves in roles that are normally male-dominated.
Says Antoinette: “If women aren’t putting themselves forward for roles because subconsciously or consciously they feel they’re not for them, men are going to be appointed. And because roles traditionally held by men are paid more, as men tend to be more confident when negotiating salaries, they’re going to slot in at a higher wage band than a woman will have done. In this way the gender pay gap becomes self perpetuating. So let’s get braver about the roles we apply for”.
