🔗 Share this article

Are your professional networking connections recognizing you as a industry expert? Do numerous commenters applauding your advice on expanding your business? Are headhunters reaching out to discuss opportunities?

If not, the reason might be that you're not male.

The Experiment: Changing Gender Identity for Better Visibility

Dozens of women joined an organized professional network test recently after viral posts indicated that changing their profile gender to "male" boosted their platform visibility.

Other testers rewrote their profiles to include what they called "masculine-oriented" terminology - inserting results-driven business buzzwords like "drive", "transform" and "expedite". Anecdotally, their exposure similarly increased.

Algorithmic Bias Concerns Brought Up

The improved metrics has caused some to wonder whether an inherent gender bias in the platform's system favors men who employ online business jargon.

Similar to most major networking sites, LinkedIn utilizes a computerized system to decide which content appear to which members - boosting some while suppressing others.

Platform Response

Through a blog post, LinkedIn acknowledged the trend but claimed it does not factor in "personal characteristics" when determining content distribution. Rather, the company mentioned that "hundreds of signals" affect how posts perform.

Modifying profile gender on your profile does not influence how your content appears in search or feed.

Personal Experiences

Simone Bonnett, who changed her gender identifiers to "he/him" and her name to "Simon E", reported extraordinary outcomes.

"The statistics I'm seeing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a thirteen-fold jump in impressions," she noted.

Another professional, a marketing expert, started testing after noticing her reach decline substantially.

The Process

• Initially, she changed her profile gender to "male"
• Subsequently, she used AI tools to rewrite her professional summary using "masculine-oriented" wording
• Finally, she repurposed previous content with comparable "agentic" language

The outcome was instantaneous: a 415% increase in visibility within one week.

The Downside

Although the success, Cornish voiced dissatisfaction with the method.

"Before, my content were softer - brief and clever, but also warm and relatable," she stated. "Now, the masculine version was assertive and self-assured - similar to a Caucasian man swaggering around."

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

Varying Outcomes

Some testers encountered positive outcomes. Cass Cooper who changed both her profile gender to "male" and her race to "white" described a decrease in reach and interaction.

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

Broader Implications

These experiments occur alongside ongoing conversations about LinkedIn's distinctive role as both a professional network and community site.

Recent changes in the past few months have apparently caused female creators experiencing markedly lower visibility, resulting in unofficial tests where identical content by male and female users received dramatically unequal audience engagement.

System Details

According to LinkedIn, the network uses artificial intelligence to classify and spread content based on multiple factors, including what's shared and the user's professional identity.

The company states it frequently assesses its systems, including "examinations of inequalities based on gender."

A spokesperson proposed that current reductions in some users' reach might originate from higher volume due to additional posts on the network.

Changing Landscape

According to a tester observed, "bro-coding" appears to be increasing on the network.

"Users typically consider LinkedIn as more professional and refined," she commented. "That's changing. It's becoming increasingly aggressive and unpredictable."