Do your professional networking followers viewing you as a thought leader? Are hordes of commenters praising your insights on growing your business? Are headhunters reaching out to discuss collaborations?
If not, the reason might be that you're not male.
The Experiment: Changing Profile Gender for Better Visibility
Dozens of women participated in a collective LinkedIn experiment this week following viral posts suggested that changing their gender to "male" enhanced their network presence.
Some participants modified their profiles to include what they termed "bro-coded" language - adding action-focused professional jargon like "propel", "transform" and "accelerate". Anecdotally, their exposure also improved.
Algorithmic Bias Concerns Raised
The improved metrics has led some to speculate whether an inherent gender bias in the platform's system favors male users who employ professional networking terminology.
Similar to many large social media platforms, LinkedIn utilizes an algorithm to decide which posts appear to which users - promoting some while suppressing others.
Company Statement
In a recent company announcement, LinkedIn acknowledged the phenomenon but stated it does not consider "demographic information" when deciding post visibility. Instead, the company explained that "hundreds of signals" affect how posts are received.
Changing gender in your settings does not affect how your content shows up in results or timelines.
Personal Experiences
A social media consultant, who changed her pronouns to "he/him" and her name to "a masculine version", reported extraordinary outcomes.
"The numbers I'm seeing show a sixteen-fold rise in visitor traffic and a 1,300% increase in content views," she commented.
Megan Cornish, a marketing expert, started testing after observing her audience decline significantly.
The Process
- First, she modified her gender to "male"
- Then, she used AI tools to rephrase her profile using "male-coded" wording
- Finally, she repurposed old posts with comparable "agentic" language
The outcome was instantaneous: a more than fourfold rise in reach within seven days.
The Negative Aspect
Although the positive results, Cornish expressed unhappiness with the method.
"Before, my content were more personal - concise and clever, but also warm and human," she explained. "Now, the bro-coded version was forceful and self-assured - like a white male swaggering around."
She discontinued the test after seven days, saying "Every day I continued, and results improved, I became angrier."
Mixed Results
Not all testers encountered favorable results. One writer who changed both her gender to "male" and her race to "white" described a reduction in reach and engagement.
"We know there's systemic preference, but it's very challenging to comprehend how it functions in specific cases or the reasons behind it," she remarked.
Broader Implications
These experiments occur alongside continuing conversations about LinkedIn's unique role as both a professional network and social space.
Platform modifications in recent months have reportedly caused women professionals experiencing markedly lower visibility, resulting in unofficial tests where identical content by men and women received vastly different reach.
System Details
Per LinkedIn, the network uses AI systems to classify and spread posts based on multiple factors, including post content and the member's career profile.
The company states it frequently assesses its systems, including "checks for inequalities based on gender."
A spokesperson suggested that current reductions in certain members' visibility might originate from increased competition due to additional posts on the platform.
Evolving Environment
As one participant observed, "bro-coding" appears to be growing on the platform.
"People often view LinkedIn as more professional and refined," she commented. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly aggressive and less controlled."
