workplace culture
feedback or critically objective feedback). Cecchi-Dimeglio argues
that both gender bias and confirmation bias are apparent in the
performance review process – a highly subjective process by
nature – leading to double standards and a positive or negative
“spin,” depending on whether the reviewed subject was male or
female. As a result, gendered language and its implications have
the potential to play a key role in the performance review process
and can negatively impact a woman’s job performance narrative.
Another example of this can be found in a report published on
Fortune.com based on 248 performance reviews in which women
bore the brunt of critical feedback. As many as 87.9 per cent of
women’s reviews contained critical feedback, compared with 58.8
per cent for men. Moreover, the language used in women’s critical
feedback was distinctive – notably, the word “abrasive” was used 17
times to describe 13 different women, but was not once used to
describe any of the men.
The unfortunate reality for high-performing women is that
there can be a very real inverse relationship between a woman’s
professional progress and her popularity. In her book Lean In,
Sheryl Sandberg refers to this as the likeability penalty; women
tend to be less liked as they become more successful, whereas men
typically become more liked as they achieve success.
HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS HELP NEUTRALIZE
LANGUAGE AND NORMALIZE DIVERSITY?
The above-mentioned research highlights the ways in which lan-guage
enables unconscious bias and impacts the career of female
leaders. Being mindful about your choice of language can help to
engage a broader range of individuals in hiring and career advance-ment,
and to normalize female leaders in the workplace. Here are a
few takeaways for achieving this:
■■ Use language to attract diverse candidates. When posting
jobs, work to ensure gender neutral language is used. Forbes
research shows words such as “supportive,” “collaborative”
and “committed” will draw more female applicants, while
“competitive” and “dominate” attract more male applicants. Also,
■■ Control for human bias. Leveraging better tools for conducting
performance reviews can help remove unconscious barriers
related to language. Cecchi-Dimeglio recommends using “tailor-made,
■■ Question snap judgements. Unpack instant decisions and root
them in logical, evidence-based information. What is it that
caused you to overlook that CV? Was it related to the person’s
qualifications or did the use of language tell you something
that caused you to make a stereotyped assumption about their
ability to succeed in the role?
Challenge perceived barriers. Ask whether apparent obstacles to
performance or role alignment are real or perceived. For example, do
you believe a candidate or employee assessment would be the same if
the individual in question had a different gender? If you or your col-leagues
is an important step toward uncovering hidden bias. Make it a prac-tice
build awareness of how and when bias is sneaking in to the process.
Ultimately, we’re working toward a future where diversity is
the norm. To get there, we need to be willing to acknowledge
how much work we still have to do and how susceptible we are to
unconscious bias despite our best intentions. Exploring methods
that help eliminate gender bias is an exciting and important way
to make meaningful progress toward greater organizational diver-sity
Jane Griffith is a partner and national diversity leader with
Odgers Berndtson.
Peter V. Matukas
Employment Lawyer & Workplace Investigator
BA, LLB, AWI-CH
a thoughtful separation of the “must-have” skills from “nice-to-have”
skills, can help attract a more diverse candidate pool, as
research shows women often don’t apply unless they feel they
are 100 per cent qualified.
automated, real-time communication tools with instant
feedback on employees’ weekly performance from supervisors,
colleagues and clients,” asserting these methods can yield
“dramatic” results for women by removing bias through gender-neutral
feedback options.
can say “yes,” or you admit to being unsure of the answer, this
to continuously question the thinking behind decision making to
and the normalizing of female leadership. n
NEUTRAL WORKPLACE
INVESTIGATIONS OF:
(See our article on workplace investigations on p. 41)
• Workplace harassment and sexual
harassment
• Company policy violations
• Workplace misconduct
• Workplace violence or threats of
violence
• Bullying
• Retaliation and Reprisal
www.harrisandharris.com
295 The West Mall, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON, M9C 4Z4 Ph: 416.798.2722 e-mail: petermatukas@harrisandharris.com
46 ❚ NOVEMBER 2018 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
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