Historically, women have faced inequality, discrimination and bias in workplaces across all industries and roles. And while women have indeed made important gains in representation over the last decade, there’s still a long way to go. 

Whether conscious or unconscious, bias continues to hold women – and workplaces – back from their full potential. That’s why this International Women’s Day is centred around the theme of #BreakTheBias at work, with a focus on women’s equality and shaping a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. 

According to research from Lean In, 73 percent of women experience bias at work, but less than a third of employees are able to recognise bias when they see it. The research also found that bias contributes to women being passed over for jobs and promotions, while women of colour, LGBTQ+ women and women with disabilities face more acute biases. 

Employers need to act to combat these biases in order to better support, retain, and advance their female workforce and, indeed, women globally. 

Knowing that bias exists isn’t enough. Employers, management and employees need to be aware of the different forms that biases take at work, so effective action can be taken to break them. 

Here are some of the most common forms of bias women face in the workplace.

Likability bias 

Likeability bias is rooted in age-old expectations. It is expected that men will be assertive, so when they lead, it is not questioned. Women, on the other hand, have traditionally been expected to be kind and communal, so when they assert themselves, they may be liked less. 

Also known as the “likeability trap”, these generalised gender perceptions and stereotypes can often be unconscious, due to the fact that they are so deeply rooted within our culture. Even so, they most definitely still have an implication on the role and status of women in the workplace. 

Research by social scientists in the U.S. has shown that people define a “good” woman as helpful, modest and nice. In other words, as focused on her family and community, rather than working in her own self-interest. Meanwhile, the “ideal” man is defined as direct, assertive, competitive and ambitious: a version of masculinity that maps perfectly onto what we expect from leaders. 

As women are often socially and culturally expected to be nurturing and likeable, this in turn often restricts their consideration for leadership position. On the other hand, if they display what is traditionally thought of as “masculine qualities” and are assertive and forthright, they are deemed to be unlikable, and too bossy to be good leaders. It is a no-win situation for women who wish to be liked in the workplace but have ambitions of progressing their career into leadership roles. 

Performance bias 

Performance bias is based on deep-rooted and incorrect assumptions about women’s and men’s abilities. That is, women’s skills and performance in the workplace tend to be underestimated in comparison to their male counterparts. 

This kind of bias plays a significant role in hindering women’s ability to receive promotions and progress their careers. This in turn impacts upon their income and increases the gender pay gap. According to the Workplace Equality Gender Agency, women are underrepresented in key decision-making roles across almost all industries in the Australian workforce. Despite making up just over half of the employees in the 2019-20 WGEA dataset (50.5%), women comprise only 32.5 percent of key management positions and 28.1 percent of directors. These numbers are even lower for CEOs and board chairs. 

Both women and men more readily associate men with leadership. This bias is so strong that when women work in teams, their contributions are often attributed to the team as a whole. In contrast, when men work on teams, they are more likely to be seen as taking a leadership role and receive a higher proportion of the credit. 

An example of performance bias at work might be if a woman is overlooked for a promotion, despite having the same, or more, experience and capabilities then her male colleagues. As a solution, employers can create detailed metrics for performance reviews, including clear expectations for leaders. This way, all employees will be evaluated based on standardised requirements.. 

Maternal bias 

Much like performance bias, maternal bias also hinders women’s ability to progress their careers and earn as much as their male colleagues. Maternal bias occurs when motherhood triggers false assumptions that women are less committed to their careers, or are even less competent. 

Studies have found that the maternal bias women face when they have kids is in fact the strongest gender bias experienced in workplaces. In fact, social psychologists found that performance reviews of female managers “plummeted” after pregnancy, partly because pregnancy activates the stereotype of women as irrational and overly emotional. 

Passing women up for opportunities, or making assumptions and comments about their competency based on motherhood seriously impacts women’s ability to progress professionally. And while women may earn less than their male counterparts due to taking time out from the workforce after having a child, it is how they are treated if they return to the workplace that will determine the trajectory of their career moving forward. 

Intersectionality bias 



Women don’t just experience bias due to their gender. Women can also experience biases due to their race, sexual orientation, a disability, or other aspects of their identity. Research on intersectionality in the workplace shows that women from diverse groups can face multiple and compounding disadvantages when participating and progressing in the labour force. These range from inequitable access to employment opportunities and experiencing biases in recruitment and promotion. 

It also results in the increased likelihood of discrimination in the workplace, which often takes the form of microaggressions – comments and actions that demean or dismiss someone. For example, women of colour are 2.5 times more likely than white women to hear someone at work express surprise about their language skills or other abilities, while lesbian, bisexual and trans women and women with disabilities are far more likely than other women to hear demeaning remarks about themselves or others like them. 

If there is intersectionality bias at play within your organisation, it can be useful to initiate training specifically focused on discrimination and the use of inclusive language, along with unconscious bias training for leaders. Looking at your organisational leaders, promotion statistics and salaries with a gender lens is a great starting point to identifying potential bias in your business. 

With consistent research demonstrating that placing women in leadership roles improves an organisation profitability, performance and market value, organisations should strive to #BreaktheBias, champion female employees and provide them with the same opportunities as men. Doing so will not only benefit these individuals, but organisations as a whole. 

If you’re looking to partner with an agency that implements fair and equal hiring practices, contact Bayside Group today.