How to measure success without gender bias

In a new paper at Organization Science, we find that gendered responses to expressions of passion—a commonly used criterion in evaluating potential—both penalize women and advantages (unexceptional) men in high-potential selection processes (joint work with Joyce He and Celia Moore). https://lnkd.in/eeBjc_7j Across two studies—an actual talent review process and a preregistered experiment using videos with trained actors (plus two supplementary studies)—our paper shows: 1️⃣ Replicating prior work, we find a gender gap in high potential designations: men are more likely than women to be designated as high potential even when they perform the same. 2️⃣ Gender biases around passion provide one helpful insight into why this difference occurs. We find: ➡️ a male advantage: passion more meaningfully shifts predictions of diligence for men than women ➡️ a female advantage: passion is viewed as less appropriate for women than men, in particular those expressions which are highly affective and likely evoke stereotypes of women as "overly emotional" We summarize our work in a new Harvard Business Review article, including recommendations for what organizations can do to fix the gendered passion bias: https://lnkd.in/eT7DAdsq 1. Prioritize clear and objective criteria. Where possible, focus on concrete and objective indicators to evaluate potential rather than using subjective criteria like passion. 2. Encourage direct conversations over emotional displays. Rather than inferring how passionate and hardworking an employee appears to be based on their emotional expressions, managers should engage in meaningful conversations with employees to thoroughly gauge their commitment and motivations. 3. Broaden the criteria for high-potential selection. Expand the criteria for evaluating potential to include a mix of personal values, goals, and skill sets, which can help provide a fuller picture of an employee’s qualifications. 4. Conduct regular bias audits. Implement regular assessments of high-potential programs to identify gender or other biases in their selection process. 5. Consider raising the bar for moderately performing men. Given that reasonably high-performing men often receive an added boost from expressing passion, consider raising the performance bar for this group — for instance, by expecting higher levels of diligence commensurate with expectations for women.

Data becomes a powerful engine for change when we harness it as a tool, not as an end in itself. Consider these five crucial moments when measuring fairness is essential to prevent systemic bias from impacting your workforce: 1️⃣ During restructuring/layoffs: A study of over 300 US firms found that when organizations based layoffs solely on tenure or position without considering fairness, the share of female and Black managers declined by around 20%. 2️⃣ Before performance reviews: Our research with a multinational financial services firm found race and gender dynamics led to women of color receiving the lowest performance ratings (despite comparable performance) when managers had access to employees’ self-evaluations before completing their own assessments. 3️⃣ When setting compensation: Organizations can mitigate performance-reward bias, whereby women and people of color receive lower pay increases for identical performance scores, through systematic analyses of compensation data (and correlation of compensation data to performance data). 4️⃣ During promotion periods: The McKinsey & Company and Lean In 'Women in the Workplace' report shows that women of color experience the largest drop between entry-level positions and the C-suite, with the gender gap in promotions being particularly pronounced (https://lnkd.in/eEiYuybd). 5️⃣ When implementing flexibility: When flexibility policies aren't measured for equal impact, they can increase gender inequality, as women are more likely to use them but may face disproportionate career penalties when they do. Remember: We measure what we treasure! When organizations commit to collecting, analyzing, and sharing data at these critical moments, they signal that fairness is a priority AND a company value. Want more evidence-based approaches to making work fair? Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFPp-PHv

Women face harsher feedback than men. Fix it before you lose talent. Data you can’t igore as a Leader (Textio & Stanford): → 76% of women receive negative reviews. Men? Just 2%. → Women are 22% more likely to get personality critiques. → 56% of women are labeled “unlikable.” Men? Only 16%. → High-performing women face the same bias as low performers. → Women internalize bias 7x more than men. As a result, it’s causing your best talent to leave. How to fix it: 1/ Structure Every Review → Standardize criteria and ditch “gut feelings.” → Focus on measurable outcomes. → Document specific examples to ensure fairness. 2/ Upgrade Your Leadership Team → Conduct bias-detection workshops. → Practice feedback calibration with leaders. → Review patterns to catch unconscious bias early. 3/ Monitor Feedback → Track reviews by gender. → Compare personality vs. performance comments. → Standardize practices across managers. When to start? Your next review cycle. How?  → Use structured tools like Waggle AI to eliminate bias. → Waggle AI help structure feedback & monitor your unconscious bias in meeting. Because talent doesn’t have a gender and neither should your reviews. 👉 Repost to raise awareness about bias in feedback. 👋 Follow Sarah Touzani for actionable leadership insights.

She’s just… unlikeable. Ever heard that in a performance review? A 2024 study analyzing 23,000 reviews just exposed the ugly truth: High-performing women aren’t just judged. They’re judged differently. -“Unlikeable” – 4x more likely to describe women -Emotional” – 7x more likely -Abrasive” – 3x more likely -Bossy” – Almost always used for women And the kicker? Men with the same traits? They’re called leaders. So today, on International Women’s Day, let’s get real: -Women are told to be more confident—then called “too aggressive.” -Women are told to lead—then labeled “difficult.” -Women are told to speak up, then told they’re “too much.” This isn’t just unfair. It’s bad for business. -Women leave quietly. -Companies lose top talent. -Bias kills innovation. So, what’s the fix? 🛑 Stop blaming women for how they show up. Fix the system that’s pushing them out. 5 Data-Backed Fixes: -Ban Biased Feedback – No more personality critiques. -Use AI for Screening – Catch bias before it spreads. -Structured Reviews – Focus on metrics, not opinions. -Train Leaders Differently – Assess behaviors, not personalities. -Audit Everything – What gets measured gets changed. -Better feedback = Stronger teams = Higher performance. -International Women’s Day isn’t just about celebration. It’s about change. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of this, drop a 🔥 in the comments. ♻️ Share because it can help others ➕ Follow me for more unfiltered truths about building something that matters. Olga Alcaraz Source: Textio Performance Review Language Study (2024)