Professional Network Engagement Boost: Women Discover Better Results By Pretending to be Men
Do your professional networking followers recognizing you as a industry expert? Are hordes of commenters praising your insights on expanding your business? Are headhunters reaching out to discuss collaborations?
If not, the reason might be that you're not male.
The Test: Modifying Gender Identity to achieve Better Visibility
Dozens of women participated in an organized LinkedIn experiment this week after viral posts suggested that switching their profile gender to "man" boosted their network presence.
Other testers rewrote their professional summaries to incorporate what they termed "bro-coded" language - inserting results-driven business buzzwords like "drive", "transform" and "accelerate". Anecdotally, their visibility similarly increased.
Algorithmic Bias Questions Raised
The improved metrics has led some to speculate whether an inherent gender bias in the platform's system favors men who employ professional networking terminology.
Similar to most major networking sites, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which posts appear to which users - promoting some while reducing others.
Company Statement
In a recent blog post, LinkedIn acknowledged the phenomenon but stated it does not consider "personal characteristics" when deciding content distribution. Rather, the company explained that "numerous factors" influence how content are received.
Modifying profile gender on your profile does not affect how your content appears in search or feed.
Personal Experiences
A social media consultant, who changed her gender identifiers to "he/him" and her profile name to "a masculine version", described extraordinary results.
"The statistics I'm observing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a thirteen-fold jump in impressions," she noted.
Another professional, a marketing expert, began experimenting after observing her reach decline significantly.
The Method
- First, she modified her gender to "man"
- Then, she used AI tools to rewrite her profile using "male-coded" wording
- Lastly, she repurposed previous content with similar "assertive" style
The outcome was instantaneous: a 415% increase in visibility within seven days.
The Negative Aspect
Despite the success, Cornish expressed dissatisfaction with the approach.
"Previously, my posts were more personal - brief and insightful, but also warm and relatable," she stated. "Now, the bro-coded version was assertive and self-assured - like a Caucasian man being overly confident."
She abandoned the test after seven days, stating "Every day I persisted, and results got better, I became more frustrated."
Mixed Results
Not all participants experienced favorable results. Cass Cooper who changed both her profile gender to "man" and her race to "Caucasian" reported a reduction in reach and interaction.
"We know there's algorithmic bias, but it's extremely difficult to understand how it operates in specific cases or the reasons behind it," she commented.
Broader Implications
These experiments coincide with continuing conversations about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a professional network and community site.
Recent changes in recent months have apparently caused female creators experiencing markedly lower exposure, resulting in unofficial tests where the same posts by male and female users received dramatically unequal audience engagement.
Technical Explanation
Per LinkedIn, the platform uses AI systems to classify and distribute posts based on multiple factors, including post content and the user's professional identity.
The company claims it frequently assesses its systems, including "checks for inequalities based on gender."
A spokesperson suggested that recent declines in certain members' visibility might originate from increased competition due to additional posts on the network.
Changing Landscape
According to a tester observed, "bro-coding" appears to be growing on the network.
"Users typically consider LinkedIn as more professional and polished," she remarked. "That's changing. It's becoming increasingly aggressive and unpredictable."
