We’ve come a long way when it comes to gender equality, but there’s no denying that we still have a long to go. A recent study found that there is still a pay gap of, on average, 32% between men and women. Though there has been a lot of initiatives put forward that are designed to help bridge this gap, it’s likely that there is a pretty big problem that makes progress all the more difficult: our unconscious biases. We’re all filled with them, because of various factors, including how society was when we were growing up, and how we see ourselves.
For example, women apply for 20% fewer jobs than men, and believe that they must meet all the requirements for any job that they apply for. Men think that they only need to meet 60% of the requirements. Additionally, employers typically open applications from men more than they open the applications of women.
So if we’re all filled with unconscious biases that are making it difficult to push things forward, then what can we do? The quick answer is to get rid of our biases, but how can we do that? One way is to put the decision-making in the hands of data and analytics, which can help recruiters to find the right person for the job, without looking at the gender.
To learn more about how data is helping to make the hiring process even, look at the infographic regarding the benefits of big data: how business analytics can increase inclusion from the University of Maryland below.
