sexism when it comes to who gets fast-tracked and promoted

10 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 25,2023 at 2:40PM UTC

   It's not ideal, but yes, seems to still be pretty common. Unconscious bias is still a thing.

   What can you do? Make sure you are promoting yourself, your work, and your own results. I made the mistake for years of thinking my results would speak for themselves. They can't if no one knows about them. It's hard to get started, but make networking within and outside your company a priority. Set monthly or quarterly 1-1s with people up the chain. Don't be afraid to ask! It shows initiative, curiosity, and a passion for growth - all things people want to see in the people they promote. Make sure people know your aspirations as well - what level are you trying to get to? Let people know so they can be on the lookout for opportunities to grow you into those roles.

   I once had a manager reporting into me that was very clear about his ambition - I want to be 2 levels up in 2 years. I appreciated his willingness to be bold and state how he wanted to grow. It also gave me the opportunity to provide feedback for any tweaks that needed to be made in his current performance that were holding him back from this goal.

   For the above example I do want to provide this caveat - reading the room is important. There are some managers who would not handle that statement or ambition well. There are some managers that feel you need to pay your dues and won't look kindly on this sort of ambition. Knowing your audience is important in that regard. If your direct manager will not be supportive in this way, feel free to network and find others in the organization that will - it's all about creating the right connections.

   Hope this helps!

2. Anne KrookApril 25,2023 at 3:51PM UTC

   It's universal, and sad, because it is not only unfair and discouraging but wastes talent. An enlightening and infuriating look at this is Virginia Valian, Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women

   https://amzn.to/3V2ist7

3. AnonymousApril 25,2023 at 4:54PM UTC

   Yes, my last boss had less education than myself. Was in his entry position under 2 yes and was absolutely one of the worst emotional abusers I met in awful. He screamed at me, yelled at me and got away with it, I’m front of everyone.

4. AnonymousApril 28,2023 at 8:02PM UTC

   Studies have shown that men are more confident than women, and they are better at convincing others that they're more qualified than they are. There are also times when subject matter is not as important as people skills.

   .... and then there's just plain old sexism, which may really be subconscious. Sounds like a class action situation.

5. AnonymousApril 30,2023 at 4:42PM UTC

   Yes it does happen in many companies but in companies where women ask for what they want and show their confidence and ability it does not, be the change!

6. AnonymousApril 30,2023 at 9:48PM UTC

   Not sure that’s accurate. I’m sure it’s your experience tho. Been working for over 30 years and I’ve seen confident women deserving of pay equity ask for it and get shot down in the same companies where idiot men walk in with larger pay packages for the same work.

7. Toni StokesApril 30,2023 at 8:42PM UTC

   This is so true. I see it on my job as well. It's very unfortunate.

8. Dcre1977May 1,2023 at 12:02AM UTC

   Yes I have seen it. I wish I could tell you how to overcome it.

9. AnonymousMay 3,2023 at 3:39PM UTC

   Ugh, it’s rampant and so disappointing that this is still going on, with no end in site in 2023. Companies talk a lot of talk about equality but I have yet to see real change. Yes promote yourselves ladies, etc. But having done that, with way more experience than the men around me, hasn’t helped much. They boys club wins every time.

10. Dcre1977May 3,2023 at 9:03PM UTC

    Honestly once I start promoting myself it becomes even worse. Meanwhile someone with barely three years in our field gets credit for his four additional years in the industry, wheras i have 4 years in the industry and total of 14 in my field. He goes around saying he wants to be ceo, i just want to be promoted to senior, guess who actually gets promoted?

    In this case I went and found a job where I was a senior with better money and benefits. I informed HR of everything, with documentation that the manager was lying about my abilities and work. The manager was let go, but not even a year later they promoted that same guy to supervisor.