🔗 Share this article LinkedIn Visibility Surge: Female Professionals Find Better Results When Presenting to be Male Users Do your professional networking connections recognizing you as a thought leader? Do numerous respondents applauding your insights on growing your business? Are headhunters reaching out to explore opportunities? Should that not be the case, the reason might be that you're not male. The Test: Modifying Profile Gender for Increased Reach Numerous female professionals joined an organized professional network test this week following viral posts indicated that switching their profile gender to "male" boosted their network presence. Other testers modified their professional summaries to include what they termed "bro-coded" language - inserting action-focused professional jargon like "drive", "transform" and "expedite". Based on reports, their visibility similarly increased. Algorithmic Bias Concerns Raised The engagement increase has led some to speculate whether a built-in gender bias in LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes male users who use online business jargon. Similar to many large social media platforms, LinkedIn utilizes a computerized system to determine which posts appear to which users - promoting some while reducing others. Platform Response In a recent company announcement, LinkedIn recognized the phenomenon but claimed it does not consider "personal characteristics" when determining post visibility. Instead, the company mentioned that "numerous factors" affect how content are received. Changing gender in your settings does not influence how your content shows up in search or feed. Individual Results Simone Bonnett, who changed her pronouns to "male pronouns" and her name to "Simon E", reported extraordinary results. "The statistics I'm observing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a thirteen-fold jump in impressions," she noted. Megan Cornish, a communications strategist, started testing after observing her reach decrease significantly. The Method First, she changed her gender to "man" Subsequently, she used artificial intelligence to rephrase her professional summary using "male-coded" language Finally, she recycled old posts with comparable "assertive" language The outcome was instantaneous: a 415% increase in reach within seven days. The Negative Aspect Although the positive results, Cornish expressed dissatisfaction with the approach. "Before, my posts were softer - brief and insightful, but also warm and human," she explained. "Currently, the bro-coded version was forceful and confident - similar to a white male swaggering around." She abandoned the experiment after one week, saying "Every day I persisted, and outcomes improved, I became angrier." Mixed Results Some participants encountered positive results. Cass Cooper who changed both her gender to "male" and her race to "white" reported a decrease in reach and interaction. "We understand there's algorithmic bias, but it's extremely difficult to understand how it operates in specific cases or why," she commented. Broader Implications These tests coincide with ongoing discussions about LinkedIn's unique position as both a professional network and social space. Recent changes in the past few months have reportedly caused women professionals experiencing markedly lower exposure, resulting in unofficial tests where the same content by male and female users received vastly different audience engagement. Technical Explanation Per LinkedIn, the network uses AI systems to categorize and spread content based on multiple factors, including post content 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 increased competition due to additional posts on the network. Changing Landscape According to a tester observed, "masculine-oriented language" appears to be growing on the network. "People often view LinkedIn as more businesslike and polished," she commented. "That's changing. It's becoming increasingly aggressive and less controlled."