🔗 Share this article

Are your professional networking followers recognizing you as a thought leader? Do numerous commenters praising your advice on growing your venture? Do recruiters reaching out to explore opportunities?

If not, the explanation might be your gender.

The Test: Changing Profile Gender for Increased Reach

Dozens of female professionals joined a collective LinkedIn experiment this week after popular discussions indicated that switching their gender to "man" enhanced their network presence.

Other testers modified their profiles to incorporate what they called "bro-coded" language - inserting results-driven business buzzwords like "propel", "revolutionize" and "expedite". Based on reports, their exposure similarly increased.

Algorithmic Bias Concerns Raised

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

Similar to many large networking sites, LinkedIn utilizes an algorithm to determine which content appear to which users - promoting some while reducing others.

Platform Response

Through a company announcement, LinkedIn recognized the phenomenon but stated it does not consider "demographic information" when deciding content distribution. Instead, the company mentioned that "numerous factors" influence how posts are received.

Modifying profile gender on your profile does not influence how your posts appears in results or timelines.

Personal Experiences

Simone Bonnett, who changed her pronouns to "male pronouns" and her name to "Simon E", reported remarkable outcomes.

"The statistics I'm observing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a 1,300% increase in impressions," she commented.

Another professional, a communications strategist, began experimenting after observing her reach decline significantly.

The Method

• Initially, she changed her profile gender to "man"
• Then, she used artificial intelligence to rephrase her professional summary using "male-coded" language
• Finally, she repurposed previous content with comparable "agentic" language

The result was instantaneous: a more than fourfold rise in reach within one week.

The Negative Aspect

Despite the success, Cornish voiced unhappiness with the approach.

"Previously, my posts were softer - brief and clever, but also warm and relatable," she explained. "Currently, the bro-coded version was assertive and self-assured - similar to a white male being overly confident."

She abandoned the test after one week, stating "Every day I continued, and results improved, I became more frustrated."

Mixed Results

Some testers encountered favorable outcomes. Cass Cooper who modified both her gender to "man" and her race to "Caucasian" described a decrease in reach and interaction.

"We understand there's algorithmic bias, but it's very challenging to understand how it functions in particular situations or why," she commented.

Broader Implications

These experiments coincide with continuing conversations about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a professional network and community site.

Platform modifications in recent months have reportedly resulted in female creators experiencing markedly lower visibility, leading to informal experiments where the same posts by men and women received vastly different audience engagement.

Technical Explanation

Per LinkedIn, the platform uses artificial intelligence to categorize and distribute posts based on multiple factors, including post content and the user's professional identity.

The company claims it regularly evaluates its algorithms, including "checks for gender-related disparities."

Company representative proposed that recent declines in certain members' visibility might originate from higher volume due to more content on the network.

Evolving Environment

As one participant noted, "bro-coding" appears to be growing on the network.

"People often view LinkedIn as more businesslike and refined," she remarked. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly aggressive and unpredictable."