Gender Bias: Let’s call it what it really is.

I've been writing, podcasting, posting on social media and advising organisations about workplace gender equality and how to overcome gender bias for nearly a decade.

While gender bias is commonly attributed to deep-seated societal norms, rigid gender stereotypes and prejudices, I believe it’s way past time to call out that gender bias in the workplace is really just very poor management.?

There is more research than I have had hot dinners about why organisations must have gender diversity at all levels of management, particularly those levels of management that are setting the direction for the firm.??There is no excuse for a manager to lack awareness about this critical business metric. So it is time to call workplace gender inequality and bias for what it is – poor performance.?

Six areas connect gender bias and poor management. Boards must pay attention to these to ensure that ineffective management does not perpetuate gender inequality in the workplace.

1. Lack of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and Implementation Plan

Poor management often neglects the development of a meaningful DEI strategy and/or implementation plan. This also manifests with statements like:

“There’s no budget for DEI.”

“We’ve got other priorities.”

“We don’t have a problem because <insert excuse here> ….”

“The employee resource group will take care of that.”

Effective leadership understands the importance of a workplace where DEI is embedded into business strategy and operations, actively seeks to create an inclusive culture, and encourages diverse perspectives to thrive.

2. Inadequate Recruitment and Hiring Processes

Poor management accepts that gender bias is baked into recruitment and hiring. It manifests by continuing to accept statements like “we only hire on merit” or “it’s the best person for the job” from hiring managers.??

Effective leadership ensures that the recruitment strategy, policies, and processes are continuously reviewed through a gender lens and that hiring managers are provided with training on hiring inclusively.

3. Lack of Transparent Performance Evaluation

Gender bias can also manifest through performance evaluations that lack transparency and objectivity. Poor management allows performance management systems, processes, and practices to occur without standardisation and scrutiny of the subjectivity of the rater.??A lack of a gender lens on evaluations can result in women being overlooked for promotions and pay raises despite their qualifications and accomplishments.?

Effective leadership develops transparent, objective, and standardised performance evaluation processes to mitigate bias and ensure equitable treatment for all employees, regardless of gender.

4. No Formal Talent and Career Management Pathways

Poor management fails to develop equitable talent and career management pathways. Without equitable access to development and advancement opportunities, gender bias will thrive. Women, particularly those in male-dominated workplaces, will face challenges such as being excluded from high-profile projects and not receiving strategic mentorship or sponsorship.?

Effective leadership proactively addresses inequity in talent management systems and processes. It holds executives accountable for the growth and advancement of women and addresses gender imbalance with robust review processes when developmental opportunities arise.

5. Failure to Support Working Families

Poor management allows rigid gender stereotypes to dictate policies about the intersection between team members' work and home life. Poor management also fails to recognise that society still burdens women disproportionately with unpaid labour, which can affect their career progression. Poor management overlooks the importance of creating a family-friendly work environment that accommodates the needs of all employees, regardless of gender.?

Effective leadership knows that families come in all shapes and sizes. It also acknowledges that team members (of all genders) have different needs and measures the performance of team members by the outcomes they generate, not their attendance in the office. Effective leadership regularly audits and updates workplace policies and practices to be family-friendly.

6. Absence of DEI Accountability and Metrics

Poor management fails to establish accountability mechanisms and metrics to track progress towards workplace gender equality. Without clear aspirations and metrics, there is no DEI “North Star,” which results in no action, fragmented actions or ineffective activity misaligned with the business strategy.??

Effective leadership holds itself accountable for creating an inclusive workplace, sets measurable goals, and regularly assesses progress against the goals to ensure continuous improvement.

It’s Time to Call It

While gender bias has deep roots in societal structures, poor management practices play a significant role in perpetuating and sustaining gender disparities in the workplace. By calling out this for what it is, management underperformance, boards and other stakeholders can ensure that the organisation becomes effective at adopting inclusive practices and taking substantive steps toward creating equitable environments that enable women and derail gender bias.?

________________________________________________________________

About Michelle Redfern

Michelle Redfern is a globally recognised gender equality, diversity and inclusion strategist. She advises organisations in the business and sporting sectors on DEI strategy development and implementation and works directly with women leaders to advance their careers.?