🔗 Share this article

Are your professional networking connections recognizing you as a thought leader? Do numerous commenters praising your insights on growing your venture? Do recruiters making contact to discuss collaborations?

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

The Test: Changing Profile Gender for Increased Reach

Dozens of women participated in an organized professional network test recently after viral posts suggested that switching their profile gender to "male" enhanced their platform visibility.

Some participants rewrote their profiles to incorporate what they termed "bro-coded" language - adding results-driven business buzzwords like "propel", "transform" and "accelerate". Based on reports, their visibility similarly increased.

Systemic Preference Concerns Brought Up

The engagement increase has led some to speculate whether an inherent sexism in the platform's system prioritizes male users who use professional networking terminology.

Like many large social media platforms, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which posts are shown to which users - promoting some while suppressing others.

Company Statement

Through a blog post, LinkedIn recognized the trend but stated it does not factor in "demographic information" when determining content distribution. Instead, the company explained that "numerous factors" influence how content are received.

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

Individual Results

Simone Bonnett, who changed her gender identifiers to "he/him" and her name to "a masculine version", reported extraordinary results.

"The numbers I'm seeing indicate a 1,600% increase in profile views and a 1,300% increase in content views," she commented.

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

The Process

• Initially, she changed her gender to "male"
• Subsequently, she used AI tools to rephrase her profile using "male-coded" wording
• Lastly, she recycled old posts with comparable "agentic" language

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

The Downside

Although the positive results, Cornish expressed dissatisfaction with the approach.

"Previously, my content were softer - brief and insightful, but also warm and relatable," she explained. "Now, the bro-coded version was assertive and self-assured - like a white male swaggering around."

She abandoned the test after one week, stating "Each day I persisted, and results got better, I became more frustrated."

Mixed Results

Some testers encountered positive outcomes. One writer who modified both her profile gender to "man" and her ethnicity to "white" described a decrease in visibility and engagement.

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

Broader Implications

These tests coincide with ongoing conversations about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a business platform and community site.

Recent changes in the past few months have apparently resulted in women professionals experiencing significantly reduced exposure, resulting in unofficial tests where identical posts by male and female users received vastly different reach.

Technical Explanation

Per LinkedIn, the platform uses artificial intelligence to classify and distribute content based on multiple factors, including what's shared and the user's professional identity.

The company claims it frequently assesses its algorithms, including "checks for inequalities based on gender."

Company representative suggested that recent declines in certain members' visibility might stem from higher volume due to more content on the platform.

Changing Landscape

According to a tester observed, "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 competitive and unpredictable."