Is using gender blindness in the workplace effective?
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Explore the benefits and drawbacks of gender blindness in the workplace, and alternatives to gender blindness that can promote a positive work environment.
If you’ve recently gone through the job interview process, or if you work for a more progressive company, you may be familiar with the increase toward fairness and equality in the workplace — and it’s about time.
One approach to promote inclusion and discourage discrimination that some businesses take is gender blindness. Gender blindness is the act of ignoring a person’s gender in an effort to treat everyone the same. In the hiring process, a hiring manager may request names of applicants be removed from resumes to encourage a “gender blind” invitation for an interview.
On the surface, gender blindness sounds like a good way to eliminate bias and discrimination. After all, if we don’t consider gender, we can focus on things like skills, performance, and potential, right?
But, the reality might be more complicated. While well intended, research suggests that gender blindness can actually lead to problems, because it overlooks the different challenges and experiences that come with being a certain gender.
What is gender blindness?
The goal of a gender-blind approach is to avoid giving anyone positive or negative treatment because of their gender. It’s a well-meaning attempt to focus on fairness and equality by judging people based on their skills, performance, and qualifications alone.
But, gender blindness can minimize the social, cultural, health, and historical factors that have created different challenges for people. Ignoring the gender pay gap, workplace harassment, and caregiving responsibilities—issues that tend to affect women more—can make it harder to create an inclusive work environment.
Instead of leveling the playing field, gender blindness might unintentionally preserve inequalities by treating unequal situations as if they were the same.
Gender blindness vs gender neutrality
Gender blindness and gender neutrality may seem similar, but they have important differences worth noting and paying attention to.
Gender neutrality is where companies create policies and practices that don’t favor any gender. A gender-neutral workplace recognizes that people of all genders should be treated fairly, but acknowledges that gender does shape people’s experiences, challenges, and opportunities available to them. It also takes a more balanced approach by recognizing the need for policies that ensure equality for all genders.
On the other hand, gender blindness ignores gender altogether, assuming that this will eliminate discrimination. It might seem like a step toward fairness, but it can prevent companies from addressing inequalities like the gender pay gap or unequal opportunities for advancement.
A gender-neutral workplace might be more beneficial when it includes initiatives like equal parental leave for all genders, or mentorship programs designed to support underrepresented groups. A gender-blind approach might fail to recognize the need for such initiatives altogether.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of gender blindness at work?
While gender blindness might have limitations that keep it from being the ideal workplace policy, there are positives, too. Here are a few of the pros and cons of this kind of workplace policy.
Benefits of gender blindness
Fairer treatment: This creates a level playing field where employees are judged based on their skills and contributions, which can prevent favoritism or discrimination based on gender.
Focus on merit: A benefit of gender blindness is that top-performing employees are rewarded based on merit and regardless of their gender.
Simplifies decision-making: Removing gender as a factor in workplace decisions can streamline hiring, promotions, and evaluations by keeping the focus on more important criteria than gender.
Drawbacks of gender blindness
Ignores existing inequalities: A drawback of gender blindness is that it may overlook the inherent challenges people already face, like workplace harassment or unequal pay (particularly in women and women of color).
Slows down diversity efforts: Gender blindness may make it harder to implement and support diversity programs for women and other underrepresented groups, as it doesn’t recognize the need for targeted support.
Misses unique perspectives: It may overlook the diverse ideas, perspectives, and problem-solving skills that people of different genders can bring by focusing on a collective unit, rather than a unit made up of many different people from different backgrounds.
5 examples of gender blindness in the workplace
Ignoring the different experiences and challenges that people face based on their gender can make it difficult to create a truly fair and inclusive workplace. But when everyone has the support and opportunities they need to grow, it can make employees—and the whole company—more successful.
1. Hiring processes
Designed to prevent bias by removing all identifying information (including gender) from job applications, the theory is that this allows hiring managers to focus solely on qualifications, skills, and experience. This is thought to help reduce unconscious gender bias in recruitment.
This doesn’t address the fact that men and women may have had different opportunities leading up to applying for the job, though. Women may have faced more obstacles in getting leadership experience or accessing mentorship, which can put them at a disadvantage even when their gender isn’t visible in the hiring process. Simply ignoring gender doesn’t fix the broader structural inequalities that led to those differences in experience in the first place.
💙 If you’re in a position of leadership, explore our Mindful Leadership Wisdom Series.
2. Promotion criteria
Using strictly quantitative criteria like sales numbers or revenue generation to decide promotions might seem fair on the surface. After all, numbers are objective, right? But this overlooks the fact that women and people from other underrepresented genders often contribute in ways that aren’t measured by these kinds of metrics.
Many women take on additional responsibilities like mentoring junior staff, organizing team-building activities, resolving conflicts, or providing emotional support to colleagues compared to men. These contributions are often undervalued or not tracked but can make a huge difference to the overall health and success of a team and company culture. This means a gender-blind approach to promotions might ignore these contributions, leaving people who provide these unmeasured benefits at a disadvantage.
3. Workplace policies
Offering the same benefits to all employees, regardless of gender, might seem like a fair way to ensure everyone has equal access to resources like parental leave or health benefits.
But gender-blind policies often fail to account for the fact that different genders may have different needs. Women, on average, take on more caregiving responsibilities and emotional labor than men, meaning that flexible working hours, access to childcare, or family and personal leave policies might be more important for women than men.
Explore these eight pillars of workplace wellbeing (and why they matter.)
Similarly, policies around parental leave that give equal time off to both parents can be a positive step, but if they don’t consider societal expectations around caregiving, they may still place an unfair burden on women. This may contribute to an increase in mental health issues, like anxiety, which is more common in women than men.
4. Workplace feedback
In a gender-blind workplace, feedback might be given without considering how people of different genders are perceived and judged. Research shows that women are more likely to receive feedback related to their communication style or “tone,” while men are more often evaluated based on their leadership potential or results.
Ignoring these patterns by using the same evaluation criteria for everyone can put women, non-binary people, or men who don’t fit traditional gender expectations at a disadvantage. This can perpetuate biases that already exist in the workplace.
💙 Explore our collection of Mindfulness at Work guided sessions to reduce stress, improve communication, and boost productivity.
5. Workplace culture
A company might not see the need to have women’s networks or gender-diversity initiatives because they believe everyone should be treated the same. This can ignore the fact that women, especially in male-dominated industries, may face unique challenges like being overlooked for promotions or dealing with subtle forms of bias.
By not recognizing these gendered experiences, a gender-blind approach can make it harder for people from underrepresented genders to find support or feel fully included in the workplace culture.
💙 Invite more mindful awareness into your life and work culture with support from our Mindful Leadership Meditations led by Professor Megan Reitz.
The alternatives to being gender blind: 6 tips for creating an equitable workplace
If gender blindness isn't the best approach to an effective workplace, what can companies do instead? Here are six practical alternatives to gender blindness that can help companies create a more fair, inclusive workplace.
1. Acknowledge gender differences
Companies and businesses can take the time to understand how different genders might face unique challenges or bring different perspectives. Women may face more obstacles in leadership roles, while non-binary employees may encounter issues related to inclusivity or misgendering.
Being aware of how diverse experiences can affect employees’ success and wellbeing can help companies create more thoughtful policies and practices that ensure everyone has what they need to thrive.
2. Implement gender-responsive policies
Leaders can create policies that respond to the specific needs of different genders. Gender-responsive policies address the reality that men, women, and non-binary people might need different types of support.
You could offer flexible working hours to help those who are primary caregivers balance their family responsibilities with their job. Expand parental leave to include equal time for all parents, which can encourage shared caregiving responsibilities and challenge traditional gender roles.
3. Promote mentorship programs
Businesses can start mentorship programs specifically aimed at supporting underrepresented groups, such as women, non-binary people, or men in female-dominated industries.
Provide employees with guidance, networking opportunities, and access to leadership advice that they might not otherwise get can make a big difference in advancing workplace equality.
Women in male-dominated fields like tech or engineering can benefit from mentorship programs that connect them with successful female leaders who have navigated similar challenges. Programs like this can support career growth for everyone, no matter their gender.
4. Conduct pay audits
In many industries, women tend to earn less than men for performing the same work and sometimes even having higher qualifications, like more time spent in the industry or higher education.
Conduct regular pay audits to look at compensation across the company to check for gender-based disparities. Adjust salaries or make sure opportunities for raises and promotions are fairly distributed. Paying employees fairly also builds trust and transparency within the organization.
5. Encourage open discussions about gender
Companies can create a culture where employees feel safe and comfortable talking about gender-related challenges. These challenges could be their experiences of gender discrimination, bias, or inequality. Encourage a culture where employees can share their feelings without fear of retaliation or dismissal.
Use workshops, focus groups, or diversity and inclusion meetings, and invite employees to speak openly about what’s working and what isn’t. These conversations can help employers understand the real, lived experiences of their staff and ensure policies and initiatives are working for their employees and not against them.
6. Provide training on gender bias
Those in leadership positions can help employees at all levels become more aware of these biases and learn how to prevent them. Train employees to reflect on their own assumptions and how they might unconsciously favor one gender over another in certain situations.
Research shows that women are twice as likely to be interrupted in meetings or have their ideas overlooked. Gender bias training can raise awareness about this and offer strategies to make sure everyone’s voice is heard equally.
Gender blindness FAQs
How does gender blindness affect decision-making in leadership roles?
Gender blindness can lead to decisions that unintentionally overlook the unique challenges or contributions of people from different genders. By ignoring gender, leaders might miss out on addressing issues like gender bias in team dynamics or pay equity. This may result in decisions that don't fully take into consideration the diverse needs of their workforce.
Can gender neutrality be effectively implemented without leading to gender blindness?
Gender neutrality focuses on creating fair policies without ignoring gender-specific challenges. It aims to ensure equality while still recognizing that gender can affect how people experience the workplace.
This means a more nuanced approach than gender blindness, aiming for equity rather than treating everyone identically.
What are the long-term impacts of gender blindness on workplace culture?
In the long term, gender blindness can reinforce existing inequalities by failing to recognize and address gender-based challenges. This can create a culture where certain groups feel unsupported or overlooked, ultimately harming diversity and inclusion efforts.
How can organizations balance gender equality with the need to recognize individual differences?
Organizations can balance gender equality by creating gender-responsive policies. These recognize and address the unique challenges faced by people of different genders while promoting fairness by designing policies that support everyone equitably.
What are the best practices for creating gender-sensitive workplace policies?
Best practices for creating gender-sensitive workplace policies include conducting regular pay audits to ensure equal compensation, offering mentorship programs for underrepresented groups, and providing training on unconscious bias.
Flexible work policies and open discussions about gender challenges can also help create a more inclusive workplace.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
Images: Getty
