🔗 Share this article

Do your professional networking followers viewing you as a thought leader? Do numerous commenters praising your advice on growing your venture? Are headhunters reaching out to discuss collaborations?

If not, the explanation could be that you're not male.

The Test: Changing Gender Identity for Better Visibility

Numerous female professionals joined a collective LinkedIn experiment this week after viral posts indicated that switching their profile gender to "male" enhanced their platform visibility.

Some participants modified their profiles to incorporate what they called "masculine-oriented" language - inserting results-driven business buzzwords like "drive", "transform" and "expedite". Based on reports, their exposure also improved.

Algorithmic Bias Concerns Brought Up

The improved metrics has led some to speculate whether an inherent gender bias in LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes male users who use online business jargon.

Like many large social media platforms, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which content are shown to which members - promoting some while reducing others.

Company Statement

Through a company announcement, LinkedIn recognized the phenomenon but claimed it does not factor in "demographic information" when deciding content distribution. Instead, the company explained that "numerous factors" affect how content are received.

Changing gender on your profile does not affect how your content appears in search or feed.

Personal Experiences

A social media consultant, who modified her pronouns to "male pronouns" and her profile name to "a masculine version", reported remarkable outcomes.

"The numbers I'm seeing indicate a 1,600% increase in profile views and a 1,300% increase in impressions," she noted.

Megan Cornish, a marketing expert, started testing after noticing her reach decrease substantially.

The Process

• First, she changed her gender to "man"
• Subsequently, she used AI tools to rewrite her profile using "male-coded" language
• Finally, she repurposed previous content with comparable "assertive" language

The result was immediate: a more than fourfold rise in visibility within seven days.

The Downside

Despite the positive results, Cornish expressed unhappiness with the approach.

"Previously, my content were more personal - brief and clever, but also warm and human," she stated. "Now, the bro-coded version was assertive and confident - like a white male being overly confident."

She abandoned the experiment after seven days, stating "Every day I persisted, and results got better, I became angrier."

Varying Outcomes

Not all testers experienced positive results. One writer who modified both her gender to "man" and her race to "white" reported a decrease in reach and engagement.

"We understand there's algorithmic bias, but it's very challenging to understand how it operates in particular situations or the reasons behind it," she commented.

Wider Consequences

These experiments coincide with ongoing discussions about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a professional network and social space.

Recent changes in the past few months have apparently resulted in women professionals experiencing markedly lower exposure, resulting in informal experiments where the same posts by male and female users received dramatically unequal reach.

System Details

Per LinkedIn, the platform uses artificial intelligence to categorize and spread content based on multiple factors, including what's shared and the member's career profile.

The company states it frequently assesses its algorithms, including "checks for gender-related disparities."

A spokesperson suggested that current reductions in some users' reach might stem from higher volume due to more content on the network.

Evolving Environment

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

"People often view LinkedIn as more professional and refined," she commented. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly competitive and unpredictable."