🔗 Share this article

Do your LinkedIn followers recognizing you as a thought leader? Do numerous commenters praising your insights on growing your venture? Do recruiters making contact to discuss collaborations?

If not, the explanation could be that you're not male.

The Test: Changing Profile Gender to achieve Increased Reach

Numerous female professionals participated in an organized professional network test recently after popular discussions indicated that changing their profile gender to "male" enhanced their platform visibility.

Some participants modified their professional summaries to incorporate what they called "masculine-oriented" language - adding results-driven business buzzwords like "propel", "revolutionize" and "expedite". Based on reports, their exposure also improved.

Algorithmic Bias Concerns Brought Up

The engagement increase has caused some to wonder whether an inherent sexism in the platform's system prioritizes men who employ professional networking terminology.

Like most major social media platforms, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which content are shown to which users - promoting some while suppressing others.

Company Statement

Through a company announcement, LinkedIn acknowledged the phenomenon but claimed it does not consider "personal characteristics" when deciding post visibility. Instead, the company explained that "hundreds of signals" influence how content perform.

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

Individual Results

A social media consultant, who changed her pronouns to "he/him" and her name to "Simon E", reported remarkable results.

"The statistics I'm observing indicate a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a 1,300% increase in content views," she noted.

Megan Cornish, a marketing expert, began experimenting after noticing her reach decrease substantially.

The Process

• First, she changed her gender to "male"
• Subsequently, she used artificial intelligence to rewrite her professional summary using "male-coded" language
• Finally, she recycled old posts with similar "agentic" language

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

The Negative Aspect

Although the success, Cornish voiced dissatisfaction with the method.

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

She abandoned the test after one week, saying "Every day I persisted, and outcomes improved, I became more frustrated."

Mixed Results

Some participants experienced positive results. Cass Cooper who changed both her gender to "male" and her ethnicity to "Caucasian" reported a decrease in visibility and interaction.

"We know there's systemic preference, but it's extremely difficult to comprehend how it functions in particular situations or the reasons behind it," she commented.

Wider Consequences

These tests coincide with ongoing conversations about LinkedIn's unique role as both a business platform and social space.

Recent changes in the past few months have reportedly resulted in women professionals experiencing significantly reduced exposure, leading to informal experiments where the same content by men and women received dramatically unequal reach.

System Details

According to LinkedIn, the platform uses artificial intelligence to categorize and spread posts based on multiple factors, including what's shared and the member's career profile.

The company states it frequently assesses its systems, including "examinations of gender-related disparities."

Company representative proposed that current reductions in some users' reach might stem from higher volume due to additional posts on the network.

Changing Landscape

According to a tester noted, "masculine-oriented language" appears to be growing on the platform.

"People often view LinkedIn as more professional and polished," she commented. "That's changing. It's becoming increasingly competitive and less controlled."