The bias that may hold young women back the most? Ageism

Welcome to The Lead, Lean In’s newsletter connecting you with the latest news and insights to help you advance in your career and achieve your ambitions. Let’s dive right in.

The first time it happens, a boss may say in passing that you remind him of his daughter. Later, during a team-wide Zoom, a manager could call you “young lady” or “missy.” Then, as you gain more responsibility, a colleague might incorrectly assume that the man who reports to you is the one who is in charge.?

Many assume that ageism—or unfair treatment based on a person’s age—predominantly impacts older women and men at work. In reality, it impacts younger women the most, according to our most recent Women in the Workplace report .?

“I found myself always trying to hide my age and it felt uncomfortable,” says 31-year-old Nicole Gartside Jenkins, a product marketer from Austin, Texas, who feels like she experienced ageism early on in her career. “I didn’t want people to think less of my abilities just because I was younger than them.”?

Interviews with more than a dozen women in their early 30s or younger prove that no matter how it starts, ageism against women early in their careers can have a big impact.?

"Young women are saying that [ageism] is leading to missed opportunities—whether it's promotions, raises, or other career-advancing opportunities,” I said recently in an interview with Forbes . “They feel like because of the way that they present or the way they look or just their age in general, they're having a harder time being taken seriously."

Read more in a recent article I wrote for Girlboss and send us an email to [email protected] with your thoughts or experiences on this phenomenon.?

?? ? ? —Caroline Fairchild, Lean In Editor-in-Chief

Remembering an equal pay advocate. Lilly Ledbetter, for whom America’s Fair Pay Act of 2009 was named, has died at the age of 86. Her namesake act now gives employees 180 days after their last paycheck to file a claim that their pay was discriminatory. Ledbetter devoted her life to the cause after discovering that for many years she was paid less than her colleagues who were men, losing out on more than $200,000 in earnings. [The Persistent ]?

From $661 billion to $1.3 trillion. In the past decade, Latinas’ contributions to U.S. GDP have grown based on increased labor force participation and higher educational attainment. And yet, they still remain significantly underrepresented in leadership positions across corporate America. “We need companies to really reinvest and reinforce their commitment to promoting women, especially Latinas and Black women, since they are the ones who have been most overlooked,” said Lean In CEO Rachel Thomas. [El País ]

Women calling it quits. More than 60% of C-suite leaders whose companies implemented return-to-office mandates say the policy has led a disproportionate number of women to quit, according to a recent survey by Upwork. In 2023, our Women in the Workplace report found that 38% of mothers with young children say that they would have to quit or reduce their work hours without workplace flexibility. [Forbes ]

The appreciation gap. Around 63% of men feel appreciated or highly appreciated, compared to just 51% of women. Meanwhile, 28% of women say they feel undervalued or neutral, compared to 16% of men. Appreciation is key to motivation—only 6% of staffers who don’t feel appreciated say they are highly motivated. [Fortune ]?

Differing POVs. American 12th grade girls today are at least twice as likely as boys to say women face a lot of discrimination when it comes to gaining leadership positions, getting elected to political office, getting equal pay for work, and obtaining top jobs. [Pew Research ]

Circle Leader Training (60 minutes)?

How to get your Circle started, from deciding on your Circle’s purpose and recruiting members to join, right up to hosting your first meeting. October 17 , October 25 , October 28

Allyship at Work Moderator Training (90 minutes)

Learn how to bring this free digital program—designed to empower employees to take meaningful action as allies—to your organization.?October 21

Over the last 10 years, Lean In and Getty Images have teamed up to shift the depiction of women and girls with the aim to change perceptions, overturn clichés, and incorporate authentic images of women into media and advertising. And alongside the launch of our 10th anniversary Women in the Workplace report, we partnered to analyze what’s changed—and what hasn’t—when it comes to popular depictions of working women. Here is what stood out to me about Getty’s analysis :

• In 2014, nearly half of all visuals featuring women at work were portrait shots, taken in studios with neutral backgrounds, focusing on how women looked rather than the work they were doing. Today, 93% of visuals showcasing women's expertise involved in their work environments, reflecting their competence and professionalism.?
• Yet there is still more work to be done: despite women making up 40% of management roles, only 6% of top downloads from Getty of people in manager positions show women managers.??
• Depictions of Latinas and Asian women are still underrepresented in popular download imagery. Nearly 60% of both Latinas and Asian women participate in the U.S. workforce, but Getty finds they are seen in only 16% of customer?downloaded visuals depicting women at work.

Our latest Women in the Workplace report showcases that the youngest women in the workplace face unique biases and barriers. But we also know that girls encounter challenges well before they start working. That’s why we’re excited to announce that two of the most popular sessions from our Lean In Girls program are now being held online this fall—making them available to girls (ages 11 to 15) everywhere. Sign your girl up to join these free 1-hour sessions where girls will explore the ways they might already be leading, identify their unique strengths, and learn to recognize and push back on limiting stereotypes.

Learn more and register your girl for an upcoming session here .

Dear Lean In,?

I am a newish manager and struggle with addressing poor performance. I let it fester instead of addressing it immediately. I try to set clear expectations, but greatly dislike conflict, and often blame myself when a direct report is not meeting my expectations. Are there [any] good trainings or other methods to improve my skills in this area?

—“Newish” Manager

Dear “Newish” Manager,

Before I give you any advice, I want to acknowledge that performance problems can be daunting for any manager, regardless of experience. That said, here are four steps to help you address performance issues while minimizing the risk of conflict:

1. Create a positive feedback climate. Many leaders underestimate the need to balance criticism with encouragement. Research shows that the ideal ratio of positive to critical feedback is about four to one. And acknowledging even small wins helps team members feel valued and more open to constructive feedback.
2. Make feedback timely, specific, and actionable. This will help make sure employees don’t take feedback personally or feel overwhelmed. For example, instead of saying, “You should work on your client relationship skills,” provide concrete feedback like, “I’ve noticed you sometimes get defensive when clients ask questions—let’s discuss examples and come up with some alternative responses together.”
3. Foster psychological safety. Reassure your reports that you’re on their side and want them to learn so that they can excel in their roles.
4. Involve team members in their improvement plans. Ask how they plan to change and how they want to hold themselves accountable. Research shows that employees are more likely to take action when they propose the course of action themselves.?

—Dr. Mary Noble-Tolla, Senior Manager, Lean In?

Do you have a career question that you’d like to ask an expert? Or do you need advice on how to handle a challenging situation at work? Send us an email with your question. We’ll keep your identity anonymous and find the right person within the Lean In network to give you an actionable answer. Email [email protected] with your questions.