Tag: Gender Bias

Stop Telling Women to ‘Smile More’— It’s Time to End This Workplace Double Standard | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As we race to our social media channels to recognize and honor Women’s Equality Day, let’s not forget the daily struggles women continue to face both at our kitchen tables and at our conference room tables.

In our workplaces, the everyday bias women face on how we speak, how we look and how we act can slowly chip away at us. And sometimes, these comments and actions that may be categorized as “innocent mistakes” impact performance reviews and advancement and promotion opportunities. All of which hits our paychecks, ultimately contributing to widening the gender pay gap.

In my book, The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses, I share that my former boss, whom I nicknamed The Cheerleader, always wanted me to be happy. He wanted me to be smiling big like a Cheshire Cat or The Joker.

“Why aren’t you smiling? What happened? Don’t worry, be happy!” The Cheerleader would always say this to me, pointing to his mouth and making a hand gesture for me to smile. And most of the time when I received this feedback, nothing had actually happened. I would be just at my desk diligently working, focused and apparently, not smiling. But he wanted me to always be smiling and always be projecting happiness, no matter what the circumstances were. This left my cheekbones sore and me feeling exhausted from the pretense of always projecting a positive, can-do attitude instead of just doing my work.

So on this Women’s Equality Day, stop asking women to smile at work. Instead, here are three things leaders should focus on to break the bias in our workplaces.

Related: 3 Ways Female Entrepreneurs Can Shatter Stereotypes While Also Empowering Others

1. Focus on performance, not if they are smiling

According to one study, 98% of women reported being told to smile at work sometime during the course of their careers, and 15% said the request to smile on demand happens weekly for them, if not more frequently. Of course, individuals who smile may be viewed as happier, likable and approachable.

“Smiling is very much associated as a gender marker,” says Marianne LaFrance, a professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Yale University and author of the book Why Smile? “It marks one’s femininity and a more communal stance toward life. Though smiling is generally a positive characteristic, it falls to women to do more of it because we want to make sure women are doing what we expect them to do, which is to care for others.”

Telling women to smile may seem harmless in the workplace. And it reinforces the societal expectation that women should be cheerful, approachable and make others feel more comfortable with a simple smile.

Don’t use “the smile” as an indicator of whether women are performing or not on the job. Rather than focusing on their facial expressions, focus on their performance. Ensure all employees have clear goals and metrics and they understand when and what they are expected to deliver. And take the time to evaluate them fairly based on their work, and not based on how often they smile.

Related: If You Want to Honor Women’s Equality Day, Start by Re-evaluating the Performance Feedback You Give Women at Work

2. Recognize and respect how individuals express emotions

I enjoy smiling. But when my former boss, The Cheerleader, would tell me to smile on demand, that’s when I started to dislike smiling. At times, I would shoot a quick smile back just to appease the situation. And when I am doing work at my desk, I am concentrating on completing the task at hand. I am not focused on how I look, if I am smiling or not. I just want to do the best work I can.

For women, smiling on demand in the workplace can seem more like a requirement. According to Harvard Business Review, “This pervasive stereotype not only characterizes Black women as more hostile, aggressive, overbearing, illogical, ill-tempered and bitter, but it may also be holding them back from realizing their full potential in the workplace.”

Let’s recognize and respect how women, and all individuals, express emotions, especially being content or happy at work. Depending on the culture and environment you were raised in, a smile doesn’t always equal happiness.

For some, a smile without clear context or reasoning may seem suspicious, even a sign of weakness or dishonesty. For some, smiling constantly may be a way to mask how they are truly feeling. For some, they may not smile freely at strangers and only smile with close friends or family members where they feel comfortable. Remember that smiling is not the only way to determine if someone feels they are content and doing well at their job.

Related: Men Are Seen as Experts More Often Than Their Women Counterparts — and It’s Time to Break Those Gender Biases.

3. Challenge the idea that smiling is part of the job requirement

As leaders, do we ask women to smile more than men? And if we do, why is it a job requirement at all to be ready to flash a smile on demand? Here’s how we can respectfully challenge and break through the bias:

Do we ask Jeff to smile more often, who is also up for a promotion? Why is this feedback we are specifically giving Mita, to smile more and be happier in the office?

Mita has gotten strong performance ratings the last two years in a row, and this year, she has exceeded all her goals and has received positive feedback from her team and peers. Can someone help me understand why we need her to smile more?

Why do we need Mita to smile more often? What makes us uncomfortable about her not smiling? Is her lack of smiling impacting her performance?

Next time you have the urge to ask a woman to smile more at work, stop and pause. Why does she need to smile to be successful and happy at work? Help yourself and others move beyond how she looks and focus on how she drives business results to help break the bias in our workplaces.

As we race to our social media channels to recognize and honor Women’s Equality Day, let’s not forget the daily struggles women continue to face both at our kitchen tables and at our conference room tables.

In our workplaces, the everyday bias women face on how we speak, how we look and how we act can slowly chip away at us. And sometimes, these comments and actions that may be categorized as “innocent mistakes” impact performance reviews and advancement and promotion opportunities. All of which hits our paychecks, ultimately contributing to widening the gender pay gap.

In my book, The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses, I share that my former boss, whom I nicknamed The Cheerleader, always wanted me to be happy. He wanted me to be smiling big like a Cheshire Cat or The Joker.

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Mita Mallick

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August 26, 2025
“He Yelled at Me Two Days Ago”: Robert De Niro’s Former Assistant Takes the Stand

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At the beginning of Robert De Niro’s civil trial this week, the actor’s testimony attracted attention for its volume and bluster. He’s in court over two lawsuits, one claiming that he was an irascible boss who discriminated against his former employee Graham Chase Robinson based on her gender, and the other, filed by his company Canal Productions, alleging that Robinson diverted company time and resources to her own ends. In his defense, De Niro shouted on Monday, “This is all nonsense!”

It was this sort of remark, Robinson testified on Thursday, that came to characterize her time working for De Niro. When asked by her lawyer how often he lashed out at her, the AP reported, Robinson replied, “He yelled at me two days ago.”

Continuing her testimony on Friday, Robinson elaborated on her experiences with De Niro. After becoming his assistant in 2008, she went on to work as Canal’s vice president of finance and production. She testified that these jobs entailed being on call 24/7 and 365 days a year, according to Variety. By the time she left her role in late 2018, she said that he had twice called her a “bitch.”

It was “very difficult to have him call me that,” Robinson said, and “it was very demeaning [and] incredibly hurtful to hear that from your boss.”

Earlier this week, De Niro exclaimed “You got me!” after admitting that he asked Robinson to scratch his back on two occasions when he couldn’t reach an itch. On the stand, Robinson took offense to the tenor of these “creepy” and “disgusting” requests. “I like the way you do it,” she remembered him saying.

The trial is expected to last another week.

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Dan Adler

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November 3, 2023
The Gender Pay Gap Is About to Widen as Companies Adopt a ‘Men First’ Work Policy Without Realizing It | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Is your organization walking back decades of progress in gender equity with a snap of its fingers? The question may sting, but the data tells an uncomfortable truth: forced Return to Office (RTO) policies may unintentionally roll back the progress we’ve made toward gender equality in the workplace.

By scrapping the gains in flexible working environments made during the pandemic, firms are essentially establishing a “men first” hiring policy, whether they realize it or not. An inflexible RTO approach is pushing women out, which in turn fosters an environment that is even more exclusive. This exclusivity cycles back as a self-fulfilling prophecy, putting yet another layer of glass on that notorious ceiling.

Gains on the gender pay gap: A precarious progress

McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org recently published their Women in the Workplace report for 2023. The study spans an impressive 27,000 employees, 270 senior HR leaders, and 270 companies. We are inching toward equality, however reluctantly. Women make up 28% of the C-suite, a historical peak. But before we uncork the champagne, let’s not overlook the asterisks that accompany this headline. The journey to this milestone has been arduous, and the path ahead is fraught with stumbling blocks that threaten to undo this progress.

Women reaching the C-suite represents a powerful narrative of hard-won battles in boardrooms, oftentimes against a backdrop of systemic obstacles. Yet, even as we celebrate the 28%, we must grapple with the glaring disparity that women of color comprise just 6% of this top-level leadership. It’s a somber footnote that screams: our work is far from done. And unfortunately, the barriers are not just confined to the boardroom — they infiltrate every level of the corporate hierarchy.

Let’s talk about mid-tier promotions, a critical inflection point in anyone’s career, but especially for women. This is the stage where the corporate ladder starts to narrow significantly, and every rung upwards becomes exponentially more competitive. According to the report, for every 100 men promoted from entry-level to managerial positions, only 87 women achieve the same elevation. Break it down by race, and the numbers are even more bleak — 73 women of color get promoted for every 100 men.

We can’t talk about progress without addressing microaggressions. They’re the tiny pebbles in the shoe, easily dismissed but impossible to ignore. Women are 1.5 times more likely than men to have a colleague take credit for their work and twice as likely to endure unsolicited commentary about their emotional state. Consequently, the majority of women — particularly women of color — adapt their appearance or behavior to circumvent these demeaning experiences. And guess what? Those who do are three times more likely to contemplate leaving their jobs.

What these numbers don’t show are the invisible forces at play: the quiet sidelining of women during key project assignments, the unconscious biases coloring performance reviews, and the systemic hurdles in networking opportunities. Put bluntly, the system is rigged, and the odds are skewed heavily against women, even more so against women of color.

Given the existing imbalances, the question becomes: can we afford to destabilize this precarious progress? Because what’s at stake isn’t just a few percentage points in a C-suite representation chart—it’s about shifting the entire cultural narrative around what leadership looks like. And more practically, it’s about leveraging the full extent of available talent in an increasingly competitive business landscape.

Related: We’re Now Finding Out The Damaging Results of The Mandated Return to Office — And It’s Worse Than We Thought.

Why a forced return to office is a gender issue

And now for the gut punch: all this hard-won progress is on the brink of unraveling. Why? Because a mandatory return to office is hitting women harder.

At first glance, bringing people back to the office seems like an equitable move — everyone, irrespective of gender, resumes the daily commute. Yet, it’s anything but. The consequences of this seemingly uniform policy are essentially hitting the rewind button on the modest gains we’ve made.

To understand this, let’s take a look at a recent survey of over 1,000 UK CTOs and CIOs conducted by Nash Squared, which revealed a disturbing trend. Companies that mandated employees to be in the office at least four days a week had a conspicuously lower rate of hiring women — comprising just one in five new hires. Contrarily, firms that allowed more flexible work arrangements saw a 50% higher hiring rate for women. That’s a staggering difference, one that exposes the underlying biases and systemic issues at play.

Other research shows similar findings. A Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence survey focusing on the financial sector illustrates that if leaders have caregiving responsibilities, they are 30% times more likely to exit if their remote work options are rescinded. And unfortunately, women still are much more likely to be caregivers.

The blow to women from an inflexible return to office applies especially to high-paying, high-pressure jobs that demand workers be available at unusual times outside their contracted hours. The recent Nobel Award winner in economics, Claudia Golden, calls these “greedy jobs” and pointed out that flexibility during the pandemic allowed women to take more of these roles, helping narrow the gender pay gap. Reversal of RTO naturally reverses these gains.

What explains such disparities? Forced RTO policies neglect the existing social inequalities and pressures disproportionately faced by women. Talking about childcare responsibilities, the flexibility to work from home helps mitigate these challenges, allowing women to integrate their professional and personal lives more effectively. With RTO, the juggling act becomes more precarious, leading many to opt out of full-time roles or sidestep promotional opportunities that demand more in-office presence.

Moreover, women, especially women of color, often have to deal with microaggressions in the workplace, from being interrupted during meetings to having credit for their work usurped by male colleagues. The option to work from home doesn’t entirely eliminate these issues, but it does offer some level of insulation. Forced RTO means a return to these exhausting daily battles, which could lead to attrition among women who are already three times more likely to consider quitting when experiencing such microaggressions.

Now, let’s bring it back to the data. If women make up only one in five new hires in an RTO-enforced environment, imagine the ripple effect this will have on the already dismal ratios of women in mid-tier and senior roles. And if they are 30% more likely to exit, they are much less likely to be retained.

So, as we navigate the ever-shifting terrains of the post-pandemic workplace, it’s crucial to scrutinize the unintended consequences of our choices. Forced RTO isn’t just a logistics or productivity issue; it’s a dire gender issue with the potential to reverse years of slow but consistent progress. It’s a pivotal moment that calls for conscious decision-making, weighing the allure of returning to “business as usual” against the cost of squandering the inclusive workplaces we’ve started to build.

That’s why I tell the clients I work with to determine their RTO policies to focus on the impact of RTO on all categories of employees, not only white males. Doing so helps inform more inclusive decisions considerate of the needs of all employees.

The unintended consequences of RTO policies

Let’s not kid ourselves. The thought behind a return-to-office policy often stems from a well-intended desire to reestablish workplace culture, foster team dynamics, and reclaim some sense of “normalcy.” But in achieving these objectives, are companies factoring in the regressions that might occur in other equally crucial areas, like gender equality? The balance of power is already skewed; the flexibility in work arrangements is one of the few equalizing factors we’ve managed to introduce. Strip that away, and you’re not just affecting logistics — you’re altering career trajectories.

Enough with the doom and gloom. Here’s the wake-up call: this isn’t about appeasing any one group; it’s about ensuring that your talent pool is as rich, diverse and dynamic as it can possibly be. Make gender neutrality a cornerstone of your RTO policy. Use advanced analytics to monitor promotion rates across gender and racial lines. Equip your managers to recognize and counteract microaggressions.

Is this hard work? Absolutely. But if we let forced RTO policies dismantle what progress we’ve made in gender equality, then we aren’t just failing our women; we are failing our organizations.

So, are you in, or are you out?

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Gleb Tsipursky

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November 3, 2023
Robert De Niro’s Girlfriend on the Former Assistant Suing Him: “Very Single White Female”

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Robert De Niro’s ongoing civil trial has been filled with a series of colorful one-liners. “You got me!” he exploded, after admitting that he had twice asked his former employee Graham Chase Robinson to scratch his back when he had an itch he couldn’t reach. In his testimony this week, he described Robinson’s accusations of harassment and gender discrimination as “all nonsense,” but acknowledged that he may have asked her to have a late-night martini delivered to him from Nobu.

On Thursday, De Niro’s girlfriend Tiffany Chen joined the fray. While on the stand, according to the Independent, she discussed a text she sent to a then employee of Canal Productions, De Niro’s company where Robinson worked as vice president of finance and production after rising from her role as his assistant beginning in 2008.

“The whole situation has become very Single White Female,” Chen wrote. She was discussing how Robinson had gone into the couple’s home and allegedly unplugged all of her electronics.

In the courtroom, Chen elaborated on what she meant by this reference to the 1992 erotic thriller: a woman who is “obsessive, crazy, and dangerous.”

Robinson, Chen testified, dreamt of dating De Niro herself. “I believed she lived her whole life as a fantasy,” Chen said.

The trial, which began on Monday and is expected to last two weeks, addresses two lawsuits that Robinson and De Niro filed against each other. In 2019, De Niro accused Robinson of using company resources for personal purposes, including the use of over $125,000 in frequent flyer miles and a Netflix account that the suit alleged she repeatedly accessed during work hours. In short order, Robinson responded with a suit of her own, claiming that De Niro subjected her to repeated sexist remarks and “gratuitous physical contact.”

In Chen’s view, the dispute was romantic in origin. She testified that Robinson had an “imaginary intimacy” with De Niro and that Chen urged him to get rid of her. Robinson, she said amid a stream of angry remarks, was “obsessive, psychotic and dangerous.”

In other texts displayed in court, Chen described Robinson to De Niro as a “straight up Nasty B****” and wrote “her possessive manner over the house makes me very uncomfortable.”

When asked if she had written these messages, Chen was just as direct. “Yeah,” she testified. “I wrote it.”

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Dan Adler

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November 2, 2023
7 Strategies for Dealing with Gender Bias in Family Businesses | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

For Janette Silva, having a family business has been both a blessing and a curse. As the sole daughter, her involvement with the family business was never predetermined, in contrast to her brothers, who have enjoyed the security of stable salaries and lifelong perks a family business brings.

Gradually, Silva took on the mantle of running the company, yet the official CEO title remained out of her grasp. In addition to her professional duties, she shouldered the care of her aging parents and managed her household responsibilities. This burden wasn’t the subject of discussion but rather her family’s unspoken expectation. At her workplace, she often cringed when she heard phrases like, “You don’t know what you’re talking about; let me talk to your dad” or “Ah, I see, you got this job because you’re his daughter.”

Although women in the broader business landscape contend with various gender biases, those in family businesses grapple with an added layer of complexity and severity that further complicates the picture — and the situation is worse than it might appear.

Related: Running a Family Business Means You Need to Prepare Your Kids to Take Over — Here’s How to Do It Right.

Revealing gender discrimination in family businesses

Regrettably, stories like Silva’s are all too familiar. That should be no surprise, as gender-based expectations persistently permeate family dynamics. Nevertheless, in today’s world, it’s both unjust and unwise to limit the prospects of a capable family member on the basis of their gender.

A research team composed of experts from my team at Loyola Marymount University’s Family Business Entrepreneurship Program, Business Consulting Resources, the University of San Francisco’s Gellert Family Business Center and Women Leaders in Family Enterprises decided to examine this issue more closely.

We were curious about the extent to which women face uphill battles and how the experience of bias and discrimination in the family business impacts how they perceive their own sense of work performance and career progressions. We embarked on an extensive three-year study, which entailed conducting qualitative interviews and organizing focus groups in 2019 and 2020. This was followed in 2023 by an extensive survey involving more than 100 women leaders. Our respondents primarily represented multi-generational businesses (77%) consisting predominantly of CEOs or senior managers (74%) who boasted an average tenure of 16 years.

Remarkable revelations

Our study revealed that gender discrimination still casts a shadow, manifesting as the infamous “glass ceiling effect,” the persistent “sticky floor impact” and a lack of opportunities in leadership roles. Around 49% of our respondents reported experiencing gender bias (compared to 42% for all businesses in the U.S., according to Pew Research from 2017). Forty percent of the respondents who acknowledged bias also expressed a belief that their gender had hindered their progress within the family business.

Given that our survey respondents were mostly top managers, it is not surprising that much of the biases came from the external business environment. They emanated from customers (51%), vendors (37%) and the broader business community (45%), highlighting the pervasiveness of the issue in our society. Astonishingly, family members themselves served as the source of discrimination in over a third of cases.

One respondent candidly shared, “My father openly says women are no good in business,” while another recounted, “The men in the family are automatically granted the most senior positions, leaving me with limited options.” Additional comments painted a similar picture: “Had I been a boy, I would have been a managing director, but as a girl I wasn’t considered,” and “I was told that the CEO position would always be held by a male.” One woman leader poignantly reflected, “In my family business, I had to work tirelessly compared to my brothers to achieve the same recognition.”

The consequences of gender biases proved enduring, leaving a lasting impact on those affected. Individuals who experienced bias reported that it had a detrimental effect on their work performance. They were more prone to suffering from imposter syndrome — an affliction characterized by feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt and a haunting fear of being exposed as a fraud. This syndrome had the potential to further erode their performance, making these findings both eye-opening and concerning.

Related: The Pros and Cons of Hiring Family Members in a Small Business

Navigating unique challenges in family businesses

Women in family-owned businesses have traditionally fared better than those in large publicly owned companies. For instance, it was widely celebrated that, as of January 2023, women had exceeded the 10% threshold for Fortune 500 CEOs. On the other hand, it is generally accepted that at least 24% of family businesses are led by a woman CEO or president. This progress is commendable, especially when considering that family businesses often impose distinctive challenges to their female members.

One key challenge arises from entrenched family traditions rooted in the culture and history of these businesses, which can overshadow an objective assessment of qualifications. Typically, sons ascend to leadership roles, relegating daughters to supportive positions, regardless of their abilities. Furthermore, the familial dynamics and the informal nature of decision-making within these family units — relying more on personal biases and stereotypes than formal policies and procedures — can further perpetuate gender disparities. Compounding the problem is the usual absence of external oversight (e.g., external board members) in family-owned enterprises.

Adding to the complexity of gender discrimination in family businesses is its deeply impactful nature. Women who experience gender bias often encounter it from their own kin, including parents, siblings and close family associates. This personal dimension can heighten the emotional toll, and confronting family members risks straining vital relationships further.

Due to their emotional commitment in the legacy of the business, many women find it exceedingly difficult to pursue other opportunities, even when discrimination persists. This predicament is exacerbated by the fact that women in family businesses often have limited external support systems to turn to, as seeking help from external sources can amplify familial conflicts. As a result, women who grapple with gender discrimination in family businesses often find themselves extremely isolated, making the experience all the more formidable.

This type of situation could sound familiar to you — perhaps you’re the leader of a family business or have experienced it firsthand. But it is possible to break the chains of gender bias and impostor syndrome in family business.

The following are the strategic steps you can take to not only dispel gender bias but also fortify family dynamics and improve business performance.

Acknowledge the problem: Collectively agree on the presence of gender bias within the family business and the need for change. Ensure buy-in and commitment from top leadership.

Revamp the family charter: Revise the family charter or institute a code of conduct that explicitly champions gender equality and nondiscrimination within the family and the business.

Educate and raise awareness: Educate all family members and employees about the prevalence and significance of gender equality using workshops and other training programs.

Implement a gender-equal HR policy: Rework the HR policies to ensure fairness, objectivity and transparency across all facets — hiring, evaluation, promotion and compensation.

Forge an equal opportunity succession plan: Redefine succession planning through an egalitarian lens, focusing on capabilities rather than gender.

Foster a supportive culture: Establish an inclusive and supportive work culture where every individual can freely voice concerns without reprisal. This culture also acts as a potent antidote to imposter syndrome.

Tap into external expertise: Consider enlisting the aid of external consultants or experts in diversity and inclusion to provide guidance and offer an objective perspective.

Related: How to Sustain a Family Business Across Generations

Transforming family businesses

Gender bias in family businesses can have a detrimental effect on both the business and the family. On the other hand, breaking free from bias and discrimination and rewriting the rules can have a positive impact on the business, leading to improved morale and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. It also fosters more harmonious family relationships, allowing both the family and the business to truly flourish.

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David Y. Choi

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October 19, 2023
4 Myths About Women in the Workplace, Debunked | Entrepreneur

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The “glass ceiling“(a metaphor used to represent the barrier preventing women from ascending to senior-level leadership) is often referred to as the major hurdle for women in the workplace, but it might not be the whole story.

In a new report, consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and Lean In, a nonprofit founded by former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, have debunked what they say are four “myths” about the state of work for women in 2023, emphasizing that the “broken rung” (a lack of women being promoted early in their careers) is a greater obstacle than the “glass ceiling” for career advancement.

The report found that gender disparity begins early with fewer women given entry-level promotions, and it continues throughout leadership shifts in an organization, resulting in fewer women being promoted to senior positions.

From microaggressions to a perceived need for flexible work schedules, the report found several ways in which women are held back in the workforce. To start, in 2023, for every 100 men promoted to entry-level managerial positions, only 87 women made the cut. The number rises to 91 for white women, and 89 for Asian women, but falls significantly to 76 and 54 for Latina and Black women, respectively.

Related: 6 Ways to Cultivate a Diverse and Equal Workplace

Here are four debunked “myths” about the state of women in the workplace, according to McKinsey & Co. and Lean In.

1. The biggest barrier to women’s advancement is the ‘glass ceiling.’

Reality: The “broken rung,” or the lack of promotion early on in one’s career, is what hinders women’s career growth.

The “glass ceiling” is often seen as the primary hurdle for women in career advancement. But in reality, the study found, it’s actually the “broken rung” — a barrier that occurs early in one’s career, suggesting that climbing the metaphorical career ladder (for example, going from manager to director), is a far more significant hurdle.

2. Myth: Women are less ambitious.

Reality: Women are just as ambitious as men, and more ambitious than ever.

Women exhibit a similar level of commitment to their professional growth and a comparable desire for career advancement as men, with 81% of both men and women reporting “interest in getting promoted to the next level,” according to the report.

Furthermore, eight out of ten women express a desire to be promoted to the next level within the year — an increase from seven out of ten in 2019.

3. Myth: Microaggressions have a ‘micro’ impact.

Reality: Microaggressions have a wide and lingering impact on women.

Microaggressions can manifest as subtle verbal or non-verbal behavior or comments, usually based on a person’s race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion, that communicate derogatory or negative messages.

According to the report, these instances can have a negative and lasting impact on women more than men, making women 4.2 times more likely to “almost always feel burned out,” 3.8 times more likely to “feel they don’t have an equal opportunity to advance,” and 3.3 times more likely to “consider leaving their company.”

Related: What Do You Do When Your Colleague Is Biased? Try These 5 Phrases to Professionally Call It Out.

“By leaving microaggressions unchecked, companies miss out on everything women have to offer and risk losing talented employees,” the researchers wrote in the report.

4. Myth: It’s mostly women who want— and benefit from — flexible work.

Reality: Both men and women view flexibility as a top employee benefit.

The majority of employees consider the opportunity to work remotely and have control over their schedules as top-tier company benefits, ranking second only to healthcare, the report found.

Among those who work remotely, 29% of women and 25% of men highlight that one of the primary advantages is experiencing “fewer unpleasant interactions” with colleagues. However, a larger proportion of women (53%) mention a reduced sense of pressure when it comes to managing their personal style or appearance as compared to men (36%).

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Madeline Garfinkle

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October 6, 2023
The Biggest Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Face | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The challenges faced by women-owned businesses are myriad, well-known and documented. Things
like access to capital, lack of resources and a lack of mentors — just to name a few. But what no one talks about is the resistance women-owned businesses face when we simply ask to get paid for our products and services.

As a women-owned business, an ecommerce accelerator program and an online sales channel developed to support other women-owned businesses, the first question I am asked in 95% of conversations with potential investors, customers and partners is: “Are you a non-profit?”

When I answer with a definitive “NO,” the responses are predictable: First, “That’s a shame because we are always looking for non-profit organizations that support women with investing, technical support, etc.” The second most common response is: “Great! But we don’t have any budget. We love your work and would like to support you in other ways.”

The final type of response may be the worst of all. It goes something like this: “Wonderful! We are excited about your service or product and would love to use it. But we will need you to provide the first order at no cost.”

Related: 4 Strategies to Empower Women in the Workplace

It is a mystery to me that savvy businesspeople continue to believe, or assume, that women-owned businesses are either charities or that we don’t incur costs in developing or delivering our products or services.

There are basic costs built into any business, but there seems to be a lack of recognition that, like any other business, women-owned businesses must charge for their services and products to cover their costs, grow their businesses and even (gasp) make a profit.

I have been an entrepreneur for several years and have had the opportunity to work with both men-owned and women-owned businesses. In my experience, the conversations I just described are a rare
occurrence for those businesses owned and run by men.

Related: What Do We Tell Young Women Considering Entrepreneurship? Here are 6 Key Messages to Share

They are virtually never asked if their businesses are not for profit; they are most often paid for trial programs or products, and there is little expectation that they would lose business if they don’t add on products or services for free. This is not a new issue, and I’m sure this is often self-inflicted by women business owners.

When challenged on price, it is not uncommon for us to apologize or change the terms of the offer. We are often plagued with self-doubt and assume our products or services must not be worth it. I also want to recognize that women doing business with one another can be the largest source of this inequity.

Many times, women don’t want to pay other women and devalue their businesses. I attribute this to the sense of scarcity that women in business have come to expect and the competitive environment that mindset fosters. When you are fighting over a tiny slice of the pie, it’s hard to value the feast.

Women-owned businesses need to be paid equally for the products and services they provide. Economic development happens when businesses sell products, invest in buying additional materials, hire employees and spend in their communities. Not paying these businesses the full value of their products or services is just as impactful as a lack of access to capital.

Related: 3 Ways Women Founders Can Leverage Their Value on Women’s Equality Day — and Beyond

How much growth could we unleash in our economy if women-owned businesses, who, despite these headwinds, still manage to outperform most of the market, weren’t met with this price resistance? How many women-owned businesses have closed down in response to pressures to underprice and over-deliver? How many employees were not hired? How many new businesses were never able to get off the ground?

The next time you are negotiating with a woman-owned business, please be aware of your own potential bias and assumptions. The data has shown for years that women-owned businesses positively impact the overall economy and often outperform the market. Women, like men, are in business for many reasons, but they won’t remain in business if their products or services are undervalued. Pay her for her products and services. You will be contributing to positive economic growth, gender equity, and simply playing fair.

It’s vital to recognize and address the subtle biases and assumptions that perpetuate the challenges faced by women-owned businesses. The resistance to paying women-owned businesses fairly for their products and services is a significant hurdle contributing to economic disparities.

By acknowledging the value women entrepreneurs bring to the market and compensating them appropriately, we can foster economic growth, empower women in business and work towards achieving a more equitable business landscape. It’s time to challenge the status quo, break free from ingrained biases and build a business environment where women-owned businesses can thrive without being undervalued or underestimated.

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Kate Isler

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September 19, 2023
How Women Can Beat the Odds in the Tech Industry | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Women are underrepresented in the tech industry, holding less than a third of computer and mathematical occupations. It’s only getting worse with the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, as a new McKinsey report found women are 1.5 times more likely to be impacted by generative AI in their work. As a woman working with clients in tech, it can often feel isolating.

However, most days, I view it as an advantage because women have a different natural skill set than men. Our empathy helps in listening to clients and understanding the design process. We are less transactional and more inclined toward human connection, which is a great trait to help build a strong team. We also have different perspectives of the world, and various perspectives are essential for long-term success.

Related: 4 Strategies to Empower Women in the Workplace

This gender gap in technology is long-standing and caused by a variety of societal issues, ranging from stereotypes, bias and hostile work cultures to lack of early exposure and STEM educational pathways.

Companies like Amazon developed AI hiring bots to screen applicants, and, despite being proven to favor male applicants, they are still in use. Not only that, but women were also disproportionately impacted by recent big tech layoffs. Axios and Layoffs.fyi found that 45% of 3,404 workers confirmed laid off from tech employers between October 2022 and June 2023 were women, despite companies like Meta having 63% male workers in their workforce. These layoffs also focused largely on departments like Human Resources, which is nearly 73% female.

Web3 does get better. Some organizations like Boy’s Club, SheFi and Surge do an amazing job combatting this by onboarding, retaining and curating female-oriented events to onboard more women into the ecosystem. This sector still inherits the same Web2 bias, though.

Boss Babes surveyed Gen Z about Web3 and found young women were 36% more likely to lack any formal education about the sector. Boston Consulting Group partnered with People of Crypto Lab to find only 13% of Web3 startups include a female founder, and only 3% of those were all-female founding teams.

All-male founding teams in Web3 raised an average of nearly $30 million each, compared to only $8 million for the all-female teams.

Related: Gen Z Is Seriously Misunderstood — Here are 3 Secrets Young CEOs Employ to Disrupt Industries

This gender gap exists in venture capital firms (where only 15% of VCs are women, and only 3% of funds go to all-female teams) and extends to tech sales teams, where women make up only 25% of salespeople and 12% of sales leadership. In school, 80% of AI professors are men, and after graduation, only 10 to 15% of AI research staff at companies like Facebook and Google are women.

Even just by existing as a woman, tech can threaten me, regardless of whether I work. Research shows that 96% of deepfakes online in 2019 were women, and generative AI is known to accentuate biases while disproportionately affecting women.

There’s no reason for any of these problems to exist, either. A McKinsey report on diversity found companies with at least 30% female executives are up to 48% more likely to outperform their least gender-diverse counterparts. In fact, both gender and racial diversity from the entry-level to the C-suite can increase a company’s bottom line.

Building this foundation as an entrepreneur is especially important as you scale beyond your garage into a multinational company. There are ways to succeed as a female entrepreneur in the tech space.

Getting ahead as a female entrepreneur

I can’t understate the importance of continuous learning. It’s easy as we get older to remain stuck in our ways, but the more knowledge you have, the more confident you’ll be in every aspect of your life. That’s why it’s important to learn something new every day, whether directly related to the business or not.

Sometimes, we can learn something in a completely unrelated field that can be applied to our own, so always stay open to new experiences.

Related: 4 Research-Backed Reasons Why Women Belong in Tech

Don’t be afraid to be unabashedly who you are. Speak your mind, take the lead, and be willing to win or lose as yourself. We all battle imposter syndrome, and I realize it’s difficult to “be yourself” when you aren’t entirely sure who you are. Still, you should stand confident and follow your dreams, regardless of how difficult the road can sometimes be.

As a woman, also be prepared to go the extra mile. My business partner and I regularly attend business conferences like Consensus and NFT.NYC, and speaker panels are often filled with men. We’re lucky to account for 10 to 20% of the speaker slots, which means we must compete harder and bring our A-game.

It’s also vital to lean into your strengths–while you may have a steeper hill to climb, you can remain competitive by focusing on your core skillsets. Everything else can be outsourced as you build a team of specialists in areas you struggle in. It doesn’t mean you can’t still struggle through and learn new things, but your bread and butter should focus on what you’re best at.

More than anything, understand that change is slow. We’re living in the 2020s, and my challenges are not much different than those my mother and grandmother faced at my age. You’ll still face adversity no matter how hard you work or climb.

Gender diversity isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a business imperative. Innovation thrives on diverse perspectives, and women are essential to this ecosystem.

Being a woman entrepreneur has unique challenges, but it’s not impossible. In fact, overcoming these hurdles helps us refine our skills and come out stronger on the other end. Tech bros may run the world, but that doesn’t mean we can’t claim our space, disrupt the status quo, and lead with passion and resilience.

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Lena Grundhoefer

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August 30, 2023
5 Cognitive Biases That Are Holding You Back | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I like to think of myself as a constant learner. I don’t believe you can make it very far as a leader without humility, and throughout my three-decade career, I have sought out information on how to improve my leadership skills through practically every medium. Books have obviously been a massive component of that, as well as seminars, and more recently, podcasts have become a valuable resource.

These long-form types of content allow leaders to gain large amounts of knowledge. But I’ll admit that it can be difficult to take in all of the information and find the time to do so. We live in an increasingly fast-paced world, and often our efforts are so focused on being an entrepreneur running a company that we don’t feel we have the time to commit to external growth outside of it.

This is a mistake. As leaders, we must constantly seek ways to improve our craft — after all, leadership is a skill that must be intentionally honed. Learning by doing is a valid way to become a good leader, but if you want to be truly great, you must take it upon yourself to consistently make conscious improvements.

That being said, it is important to recognize that short-form articles – like the one I am writing right now – can be just as valuable. They present information in a concise and easily digestible way that can be further researched at a later date if interest is sparked. And with that, I introduce you to cognitive biases.

Related: How Cognitive Biases Can Impact Your Trading and Investment Decisions

What are cognitive biases?

A concept first introduced by researchers in the 1970s, cognitive biases are defined as systematic errors in thinking that occur when people are processing and interpreting information in the world around them and ultimately affect their decisions and judgments. They are our brains’ attempts at simplifying information processing, creating rules that help us in making the thousands of decisions we do each day.

However, although powerful, the human brain is not flawless. Our attention is limited, and our memories are imperfect, and because of this, subtle biases can creep in and influence the way we see and interact with the world around us.

Great leaders are those that can consistently take in and evaluate all of the information available to them to make objective, logical decisions. Mistakes are inevitable, but pervasive ones are more often than not the result of biases throwing you off, leading to poor decisions and bad judgments.

Below I have outlined five cognitive biases I believe most commonly prevent entrepreneurs and their organizations from reaching their full potential.

Related: Cognitive Biases About Leadership and How to Survive Them

1. Confirmation bias

It comes with the territory of entrepreneurship that you will inevitably encounter naysayers who tell you your idea will never work. Whether it be friends, family, co-workers or even people you hoped to do business with, it is the hallmark of a successful entrepreneur to remain driven even when others cannot see your vision.

However, this can also lead to one of the most common cognitive biases. Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and interpret information to confirm existing beliefs or assumptions and disregard contradictory evidence. This lack of objectivity can cause entrepreneurs to be plagued with problems, preventing them from considering alternative perspectives or adapting their strategies based on new information.

2. Overconfidence bias

Entrepreneurs who exhibit overconfidence bias tend to have an inflated sense of their own abilities, knowledge, and the likelihood of success. It is important to emphasize that overconfidence bias is not just something that happens to people with massive egos – everybody at one point or another has incorrectly assessed their competencies.

For example, when asked to rank their driving skill, 93% of Americans said they were better than average. However, 90% of accidents are caused by human error. The perception does not hold up to the facts and statistics.

When it comes to entrepreneurs, this bias can lead to excessive risk-taking, failure to assess market conditions adequately, and a tendency to overlook potential obstacles or challenges. In short, humility should aspire to more than hubris.

Related: Are You Dangerously Overconfident?

3. Anchoring bias

As an entrepreneur, you may already be familiar with the concept of price anchoring. Price anchoring involves introducing a prospective customer to a higher price at the beginning of a potential sale, whether it’s an undiscounted price or a different product or service with a higher price tag.

Those who use price anchoring are taking advantage of the anchoring bias. Our first exposure to information significantly influences us, causing us to incorrectly evaluate all subsequent information based on that initial knowledge, even if it doesn’t provide a complete picture.

When entrepreneurs begin down a path based on limited initial research without considering other options, we can fall victim to anchoring bias. We may fixate on a specific reference point or starting value and fail to adjust our judgments or strategies based on additional information. This can limit creative problem-solving and hinder adaptive decision-making.

4. Availability bias

This bias refers to the tendency of entrepreneurs to rely heavily on readily available or memorable information when making judgments or decisions. A fascinating example of this lies in the fact that shark attacks save lives statistically. An analysis of deaths in the ocean near San Diego found that every time a shark attack killed a swimmer, the number of drownings would decrease for a few years. This is because reports of death by shark attack are remembered more vividly than reports of drownings.

For entrepreneurs, availability bias can lead to an overemphasis on recent experiences or anecdotal evidence, potentially causing them to overlook valuable insights or neglect to comprehensively analyze the situation at hand. As leaders, we must work to dig deeper and not simply accept information because it is easily accessible.

5. Sunk cost fallacy

In 1996, two expeditions attempted to summit Mount Everest. Although conditions on the mountain continued to deteriorate, those climbing had spent years training and thousands of dollars in preparation for that day, so they decided to continue onwards and upwards. Both expeditions never made it to the top or off the mountain.

On a much less dire level, we have all fallen into the sunk cost fallacy trap at some point, such as when we don’t like what we cooked for dinner but eat it anyway because we spent money on the ingredients and put the time into making it.

Entrepreneurs affected by this bias have stakes somewhere between the two. We persist with a failing project because we have invested significant time, effort or resources into it, continuing to allocate resources even when evidence suggests it isn’t a viable or profitable endeavor.

One of the hardest pills for any entrepreneur to swallow is realizing that we are getting in our way. Cognitive biases are tricky to overcome precisely because they are designed to put up our blinders and prevent us from seeing things objectively. The first step in doing so is to recognize the patterns they make in our lives simply. The next is to do something about it.

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Hanif Lalani

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August 4, 2023
Goldman Sachs Settles Gender Bias Lawsuit For $215 Million | Entrepreneur

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In September 2010, three former Goldman Sachs employees filed a lawsuit against the bank, citing gender discrimination against female associates through salary, performance reviews, and promotions. Eight years later, it was granted class-action status, and a trial date was set for June 7, 2023 — nearly 13 years after filing the original complaint.

Now, the plaintiffs’ longstanding fight is over.

On Monday, a joint statement between the plaintiffs and the bank announced that Goldman Sachs settled the lawsuit for $215 million. In addition to the settlement, Goldman Sachs agreed to change some of its promotion practices and hire independent experts to conduct pay-equity studies and analysis on how the bank carries out performance reviews.

“As one of the original plaintiffs, I have been proud to support this case without hesitation over the last nearly thirteen years and believe this settlement will help the women I had in mind when I filed the case,” said Shanna Orlich, in a statement.

Since the original filing, the lawsuit grew to approximately 2,800 qualifying class members, and the settlement payout will be divided by a third-party administrator who will use an objective formula.

Related: The Path to Progress: Achieving Gender Parity in the Workplace Starts With Our Mindset

Qualifying class members are any women who held a position in a revenue-producing role in the bank’s investment banking, investment management, or securities divisions anytime between July 7, 2002, and March 28, 2023, or elsewhere in the U.S. at any time from September 10, 2004, through March 28, 2023.

“Goldman Sachs is proud of its long record of promoting and advancing women and remains committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace for all our people,” said Goldman Sachs’ global head of human capital management, Jacqueline Arthur, in a statement. “After more than a decade of vigorous litigation, both parties have agreed to resolve this matter.”

A hearing date for preliminary settlement approval has yet to be announced.

Related: Google Pays $118 Million to Settle Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

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Madeline Garfinkle

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May 9, 2023