Most employers promote their workplaces as fair and unbiased, with equal treatment for all. Unfortunately, many unconscious biases still exist that lead to unequal treatment of employees.
Women have faced many of these biases for years, and they still exist.
Behavior double standard
Employers’ expectations for behaviors are different for men and women. Women face harsher criticism or judgment for specific personality traits, such as being blunt or direct. Men rarely get criticized for these types of features. Employers also measure employee work performance based on strengths associated with their gender. When a woman behaves in a way that does not fit the stereotype, the employer is more likely to give them a negative review.
Stifling of contributions
Other employees are more likely to interrupt a woman than a man when one is speaking during a meeting. This leads to female employees having their ideas overlooked. In addition, women often do not get the credit they deserve for their contribution.
Networking gap
A disparity exists between men and women with the informal network of employees. This phenomenon is more accurate at higher management levels. Senior executives tend to reach out to men more often than women for mentorship opportunities. Men usually dominate the social infrastructure of an organization. This leads to a never-ending cycle of including male employees while excluding females.
Women have to work hard to compete for promotions in the workplace. Sometimes women struggle to have their accomplishments recognized. Everyone needs to continue to work towards actual equal treatment among the sexes.
