How Gender Bias Affects Women in Their Workplaces

When we interact with fellow professionals, one of the most valuable opportunities for us is listening to others' experiences. At a recent event, we asked attendees to talk about moments they’ve observed in which gender bias was at play. The answers were enlightening.

Please take a moment to answer the following short survey. It will take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Your responses will be completely anonymous, with no way for us - or anyone else - to identify who answered the survey. If you find the survey interesting and valuable, please share it with your network. Thank you for your time.

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* 1. Please provide your gender.

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* 2. In which age group do you fall?

20-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71+

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* 3. Which best describes your role in your organization?

Member of the C-Suite

Manager of a division with more than 100 people

Manager of 10 to 99 people

Leader of a small team

Individual contributor with no supervisory responsibilities

Independent entrepreneur

Other

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* 4. Which best describes your field of work?

Advertising/Marketing

Architecture/Construction

Chemicals/Pharmaceuticals

Consulting

Energy

Engineering

Finance/Banking

Law

Medical/Health

Manufacturing

Media

Sales

Technology/Computer related

Other

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* 5. Which best describes your geography?

East coast

Midwest

Mountain states

South

West coast

Other (please specify)

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* 6. The following is a list of various manifestations of gender bias. Using a 7-point scale (1 = never; 7 = frequently), indicate how pervasive each type of gender bias is in your organization.

	Never						Frequently
Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome Never	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome Frequently
Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded Never	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded Frequently
Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women Never	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women Frequently
Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions Never	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions Frequently
Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men Never	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men Frequently
Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment Never	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment Frequently
Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter Never	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter Frequently
Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style Never	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style Frequently
Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels Never	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels Frequently
Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations Never	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations Frequently
Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions Never	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions Frequently
Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring Never	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring Frequently
Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children Never	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children Frequently
Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles Never	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles Frequently
More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men Never	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men Frequently
Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women Never	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women Frequently

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* 7. Using the same 7-point scale (1 = not at all; 7 = very significantly), indicate how seriously these types of gender bias have negatively affected your career advancement, job satisfaction, and belief in the fairness of your workplace.

	Not at All						Very Significantly
Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome Not at All	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome	Conversations or comments that make women feel uncomfortable or unwelcome Very Significantly
Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded Not at All	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded	Networking or social activities from which women are excluded Very Significantly
Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women Not at All	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women	Tasks, projects, and opportunities that are valuable for career advancement assigned more frequently to men than comparably qualified women Very Significantly
Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions Not at All	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions	Little or no consideration of women to fill leadership positions Very Significantly
Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men Not at All	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men	Unimportant tasks (social chair, note taker, administrative projects) being assigned to women far more frequently than to comparably situated men Very Significantly
Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment Not at All	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment	Sexual harassment Very Significantly
Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter Not at All	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter	Evaluation of similar behavior based on a gender-based double standard (for example, she's pushy, he's a go-getter Very Significantly
Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style Not at All	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style	Expectation that only a "male leadership style" is an acceptable leadership style Very Significantly
Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels Not at All	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels	Lower pay for women than men doing comparable work at comparable responsibility levels Very Significantly
Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations Not at All	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations	Demands for unnecessary face time, project completion deadlines, or late night presence that conflicts with women's family/personal obligations Very Significantly
Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions Not at All	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions	Frequent interruption of women in meetings, frequent disregard of their ideas or downplay of their contributions Very Significantly
Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring Not at All	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring	Obvious preference for men rather than women in hiring Very Significantly
Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children Not at All	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children	Depreciation of women's abilities or commitment after they have had children Very Significantly
Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles Not at All	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles	Dislike of or active hostility to women with forceful, confident leadership styles Very Significantly
More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men Not at All	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men	More praise/protection/help of women than men without the women advancing as fast or as far as men Very Significantly
Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women Not at All	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women	Undermining of or opposition to women's advancement opportunities by other women Very Significantly

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* 1. Please provide your gender.

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* 2. In which age group do you fall?

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* 3. Which best describes your role in your organization?

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* 4. Which best describes your field of work?

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* 5. Which best describes your geography?

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* 6. The following is a list of various manifestations of gender bias. Using a 7-point scale (1 = never; 7 = frequently), indicate how pervasive each type of gender bias is in your organization.

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* 7. Using the same 7-point scale (1 = not at all; 7 = very significantly), indicate how seriously these types of gender bias have negatively affected your career advancement, job satisfaction, and belief in the fairness of your workplace.

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* 8. What subject(s) would you like covered in future blog discussions or newsletter topics?