For all the unquestionable progress that has been made in reducing gender biases at work, there is still clearly more that can, and should, be done.  New research from the University of Exeter suggests that those most culpable for biases persisting are those among us who are skeptical about biases existing at all.

The research saw participants given identical descriptions of a worker, with the only difference being the name of the worker.  The volunteers consistently rated the male worker more competent, and recommended an 8% higher salary on average.

When the researchers delved deeper into this phenomenon, the worst offenders were those who genuinely thought the gender bias didn’t exist in their profession.  For those who still believed such a bias existed, they were more likely to recommend equal pay.

Interestingly, while roughly two thirds of the volunteers who had this incorrect belief were men, there were also a sizeable number of women who were consistently under-valuing their female colleagues.

“Managers who thought gender bias is no longer an issue recommended annual pay that was £2,564 ($3,206) higher for men than for women,” the researchers say.  “When you break this down, it’s like going to that male employee after an hour’s work and saying, ‘ya know what, here’s an extra two bucks – not because you’re particularly qualified or good at your job, but simply because you’re a man’.”

Gender biases

There was a broadly mixed opinion about whether gender biases exist or not in the workplace, with 44% of respondents saying yes, and 42% no, with the remainder undecided.

It emerged that when female employees were seen as less competent, as well as not wanting to pay them as much, there was also a reluctance to give them managerial responsibilities or encourage them to pursue promotions.  It’s a sign of how harmful this can be to the career prospects of women at work.

The bias appeared to be evident not only among those who were extremely confident that no gender bias existed, but also among those for whom confidence was only moderate.  It was also consistent regardless of one’s own gender, managerial experience or length of time in the profession.

The findings are particularly interesting because they come from the veterinary profession, within which more women have operated than men for over a decade.  Despite this, false perceptions of a lack of competence among women persists.  It’s a finding that the researchers believe might act of a harbinger of what’s to come in other professions.

“With many professions working to increase the number of women in their ranks, companies need to be careful not to equate gender diversity with gender equality – even with equal numbers you can have unequal treatment,” the researchers say.  “There is no ‘silver bullet’ to ensure gender equality has been achieved.  Ongoing vigilance is required, including awareness training to guard against some forms of bias.”

They recommend removing names from job applications and the use of standard questions in interviews to guard against biases, but also urge greater awareness building of the persistence of gender biases in the first place.

“Overall, this research highlights a rather insidious paradox that can arise when individuals misperceive the level of progress made on gender equality in their profession, such that those who mistakenly think gender bias is no longer an issue become the highest risk for perpetuating it,” they conclude.