🔗 Share this article

Do your professional networking followers recognizing you as a thought leader? Are hordes of commenters applauding your advice on growing your venture? Do recruiters making contact to explore opportunities?

If not, the explanation might be your gender.

The Test: Modifying Profile Gender to achieve Increased Reach

Dozens of women participated in an organized professional network test this week after popular discussions indicated that switching their profile gender to "man" enhanced their platform visibility.

Other testers modified their professional summaries to incorporate what they called "masculine-oriented" language - inserting action-focused business buzzwords like "drive", "transform" and "accelerate". Based on reports, their exposure also improved.

Systemic Preference Concerns Raised

The improved metrics has caused some to wonder whether an inherent sexism in LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes men who use online business jargon.

Like most major networking sites, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which content appear to which members - promoting some while reducing others.

Company Statement

In a recent blog post, LinkedIn recognized the phenomenon but stated it does not factor in "personal characteristics" when determining content distribution. Instead, the company mentioned that "hundreds of signals" influence how posts are received.

Modifying profile gender in your settings does not affect how your content shows up in results or timelines.

Individual Results

Simone Bonnett, who modified her pronouns to "he/him" and her name to "Simon E", reported extraordinary results.

"The statistics I'm observing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a thirteen-fold jump in impressions," she commented.

Another professional, a communications strategist, started testing after noticing her reach decline significantly.

The Method

• Initially, she modified her profile gender to "male"
• Subsequently, she used AI tools to rephrase her profile using "male-coded" language
• Lastly, she repurposed previous content with comparable "assertive" style

The outcome was instantaneous: a more than fourfold rise in visibility within seven days.

The Negative Aspect

Although the success, Cornish voiced unhappiness with the approach.

"Previously, my content were more personal - brief and insightful, but also friendly and human," she stated. "Now, the masculine version was assertive and self-assured - similar to a white male being overly confident."

She discontinued the test after one week, saying "Every day I persisted, and outcomes got better, I became more frustrated."

Mixed Results

Some testers encountered favorable results. Cass Cooper who changed both her profile gender to "man" and her ethnicity to "Caucasian" described a decrease in reach and interaction.

"We know there's systemic preference, but it's extremely difficult to comprehend how it functions in particular situations or the reasons behind it," she remarked.

Wider Consequences

These experiments occur alongside continuing conversations about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a business platform and social space.

Recent changes in recent months have reportedly caused female creators experiencing markedly lower exposure, resulting in unofficial tests where the same content by male and female users received dramatically unequal reach.

System Details

According to LinkedIn, the platform uses AI systems to categorize and spread posts based on various elements, including post content and the user's professional identity.

The company states it regularly evaluates its algorithms, including "examinations of inequalities based on gender."

A spokesperson proposed that recent declines in certain members' visibility might stem from increased competition due to more content on the network.

Changing Landscape

As one participant noted, "bro-coding" appears to be increasing on the platform.

"People often view LinkedIn as more businesslike and polished," she commented. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly aggressive and less controlled."