Good
news ladies, the day will come when you will earn as much as men. Of course,
depending on where you live, it may not happen within your lifetime.
Last
week, a new
report released from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research predicted
when women will achieve equal pay based on the state in which they live.
Residents of Florida top the list reaching this distinction by 2038 followed
closely by California and Maryland in 2042. But, women in Wyoming will have the
longest wait until 2106. I’m luckier than most – as a resident of Minnesota I
could see equal pay by 2054. Unfortunately, this will be after my professional
career ends assuming I retire in my 60s.
Recently,
the call for equal pay has gone beyond the walls of small businesses and corporate
America to the entertainment industry. In the week following Oscar night, the
speech that got the most attention was delivered by Patricia Arquette with her
plea for equal pay. Certainly, gender bias hits all industries but it can be a
little hard to relate to people earning millions of dollars. In 2013, the
average pay for American men and women was reported as approximately $36,700
versus $44,700 or an average of 82.5 cents for every dollar a man earns.
When
I look back on my career I do recognize bias. The ideas that weren’t considered
until pitched by male colleagues. The male coworkers who soared into leadership
roles based on potential versus my female colleagues and I who were asked to
prove we could do the job before getting promoted. Or simply the fact that I
worked in a department comprised of 75% women being led by a management team of
75% men.
But,
I also recognize that gender bias is only the beginning. We all experience bias
and use bias without even realizing it.
We
naturally gravitate toward people who are like ourselves. This is how we pick
friends and mates. So, it would only be natural that we use this instinct to
choose employees as well. But, friendships are based on subjective reasoning
and a workplace is supposed to be objective. Equal employment opportunity affirmative
action laws and regulations were created in an effort to abolish bias and protect
people’s rights in the workplace. This includes a multitude of differences
including gender, race, age, religion and sexual orientation among others.
Since equal pay is still being discussed one could argue its effectiveness in
the workplace. But, there are also a number of differences that aren’t
protected and may be the reason for not getting a job.
A
smart job applicant knows that they are judged within the first two minutes of
an interview. There are studies that say tall men get promoted faster and
petite women have more advantages in the workplace. But, I don’t foresee legal
protection for short men or large women. Just think of the number of factors
that could be judged in an interview – appearance, social class, background,
etc. The fact is that the list of unconscious bias is large and there is no way
to track it or prove it much less protect it by law. Yet, this bias can have a
great effect on someone’s career.
Recently,
I was asked to do a taped video screening for a job and it was an uncomfortable
experience. I didn’t fear the camera. After all, I started my career in
broadcasting. I didn’t fear my word choices. As a PR professional, I get paid
to write key messages. Instead, I recognized the opportunity for bias. A
recruiter could unconsciously make an assumption about me based on what they
saw and heard. Yes, the same could be said of a face-to-face interview; but,
the two-way conversation that happens during a live interview provides an
opportunity to create a connection and perhaps change a first impression. A
one-sided taped response doesn’t provide the same opportunity. As a result, I
was never more conscious of my appearance, expression and clothing choices.
What
if the person viewing the tape doesn’t like redheads?
I
realize that bias against redheads may be a little unrealistic. But unfortunately,
appearance also plays its part in gender bias. Last year, an Australian
news anchor wore the same suit on air for a year and no one noticed. He did
this in response to his female co-anchor’s experience of being scrutinized and
ridiculed for her clothing choices. “I’m judged on my interviews … on how I do
my job, basically,” he said. “Women are judged much more harshly and keenly for
what they do, what they say and what they wear.”
And
that brings us back to the Oscars. This year, the #askhermore campaign was a
part of the red carpet as much as the celebrities that walked it. This movement
grew from the realization that men are asked more relevant questions about
their acting roles and careers than women who are often only asked what they
are wearing. Call it bias or the power of the fashion industry but the next
week almost every news source was still talking about what the women were
wearing.
I
applaud Patricia Arquette’s eloquent speech and I support equal pay and
opportunities for women. But, as long as we have free choice I believe we will always experience some form of bias, both men and women alike.
