There are over two decades of studies informing us about the role of biased performance reviews in holding women back from career growth. Despite the evidence, the bias is stubbornly persistent in the feedback women receive. -BY DONNA CHAN

Gender bias in performance reviews is an ongoing serious issue that needs to be addressed. Numerous studies have shown that women are often evaluated based on their personality and likeability, while men are evaluated on their accomplishments and potential. Women get personality advice, while men get actionable advice. This leads to unfair treatment and impedes women's career growth and advancement. It is important for companies to recognize this bias and take steps to eliminate it from their performance review process once and for all. This can be done by such means as training managers on evaluating employees objectively and giving actionable feedback, using standardized criteria for performance evaluations, and collecting data to monitor and address bias. By addressing gender bias in performance reviews, companies can create a more equitable workplace, where everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their skills and achievements.

Decade of Feedback Bias and Little Change

A 2022 Textio research project on workplace language biases found distinctive patterns of feedback bias for certain groups of people: women, Black people, Latino/a people, and older workers. 100% of women, non-binary, and gender fluid people reported receiving personality feedback. Instead of the performance review focusing on work substance, it focused on personality. Women were twice as likely to be described as “collaborative” and “nice,” seven times more likely to be identified as “opinionated,” and 11 times more likely to be labeled as “abrasive.” In comparison, men received feedback describing them in words like “confident” and “ambitious.”

This study adds another layer of evidence to numerous studies that reported similar results. The Wall Street Journal published an article as far back as September 2015 titled Gender Bias at Work Turns Up in Feedback. At that time, women were given feedback that called them helpful, supportive, team player, and collaborative. Men were described with words like innovative, driven, transforming, and tackler. The unconscious bias hidden in performance review language relegated women to support roles, and seldom to executive positions. Over the years, this has prevented women from advancing into leadership positions.

A series of studies asked 1,500 MBA students, full-time employees, and U.S. and UK managers to imagine giving employees developmental feedback. Half of the study participants were told the employee’s name was Sarah, and the other half were told it was Andrew. The results were the same as in previous studies. The group giving feedback to Sarah was more likely to prioritize being kind when giving candid feedback. The researchers got the same results in a second similar study. Women are stereotyped as being warmer than men, which drives the “kind” bias in performance reviews. Giving feedback differently to women compared to men has played out as women being more likely to receive inflated feedback - and less likely to receive actionable feedback. There is nothing wrong with being kind, as long saying so contributes to honest feedback, and the same feedback language is used for women and men and any other identities.

A meticulous study of a Fortune 500 technology company’s performance reviews used a “viewing and valuing social cognitive processing” model. The scholars identified what managers notice about employee behaviors and what they rate highly. A reviewer interprets employee actions, and bias may filter what is noticed and how the behavior is categorized. There is also bias in the value attached to the behaviors, influencing how rewards are determined. The study found that a poorly defined performance evaluation process creates an opportunity for gender bias, because the behaviors of men and women are perceived differently. “If men are given critical feedback, it’s developmental,” said study coauthor Shelley Correll, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “They’re told, ‘In order to get promoted you need to do X or get on Team Y.’ But for women, the feedback tends to be more vague, which turns out to be less helpful.”

Actionable Feedback is Constructive

It is apparent that the last decade has not led to gender equity in performance reviews, and it is a prime factor as to why women continue to experience the glass ceiling in career advancement, which directly impacts earnings. Current research on gender diversity in receiving feedback on performance and development suggests that women often receive less constructive feedback than men. They are assessed on personality traits that are polar opposites of men. For example, there is the “assertive man” and the peer who is an “abrasive woman.”

The bias in performance reviews can lead to both a lack of opportunities for growth and development, and a feeling undervalued and underutilized. To create a fairness culture, ensuring that all employees receive detailed, insightful, and actionable feedback is crucial. What is actionable feedback? First, the feedback is constructive, because it focuses on building an understanding of behaviors and solutions for the future that support work success and career progress, not maintaining a status quo. The caveat is that this does not mean telling a woman to behave like a man. When thinking about this simple advice, it readily becomes apparent that being called “nice” or “abrasive” is not constructive feedback either way. It is subjective feedback. Researchers have found that much feedback given to women is focused on team-based skills like collaboration and cooperation, while men are encouraged to develop their leadership skills, like leveraging power and developing a vision.

Focus on Changing Behaviors to Drive Career Success

Of course, the language in performance evaluations should be free of bias. Actionable feedback also includes using clear and specific language, avoiding generalizations or assumptions, and providing examples to illustrate points. The feedback is intended to set the person - regardless of gender - up for success by producing tangible results and learning. The feedback is not only positive or negative. It encourages new behaviors by focusing on the behavior that needs changing. For example, the manager does not want the woman to stop being nice or collaborative, but does want her to be more assertive in sharing new ideas. It is important to talk in terms of behaviors, such as improving coaching skills as a team leader; identifying where certain behaviors are important, like being assertive in meetings; and using examples of the different opportunities available for using new behaviors, like presenting innovative ideas to her manager.

It is also important to encourage open and honest communication, and to create a safe and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. The ideal constructive feedback process is two-way. Women need to feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues such as bias, even when they believe bias is driving the reviewer's feedback. Unless the organization’s culture is open and inclusive, and reviewers are willing to listen to new perspectives, bias will likely remain embedded in organizational processes.

Prioritizing Fairness and Equality

Organizations can create a more inclusive and productive workplace for everyone, by prioritizing fairness and equality in feedback and development opportunities. The topic of gender bias in receiving feedback is not new, but now organizational leaders are more aware of its existence. With awareness can come much-needed change.