Letters of recommendation (or ‘references’) for job candidates can differ depending on whether the candidate is a man or a woman. For candidates of equal merit, letters of recommendation written for women are likely to be, for example, shorter, to emphasise supportive attributes rather than leadership qualities, and to contain few superlatives. These differences may reflect an unconscious bias among writers of such letters, who are usually senior men. By bearing in mind the possibility that men and women candidates could be described differently, members of selection panels may be able to moderate these differences and so minimise the effect of the bias.

To improve employment prospects for women, you could:

• Recognise that references are difficult to write
• Be alert to stereotypes
• Recognise the scope of the reference
• Interpret ‘faint praise’
• Allow for the potential for leadership
• Understand candidates’ own unconscious bias

Recognise that references are difficult to write

When a job applicant is seeking a letter of recommendation, they look for colleagues of high status to write them. While it remains the case that most senior colleagues in technical professions are men, it will also be the case that most letters of recommendation will be written by an older man. Sometimes, these letters reflect traditional values that place less value on women’s contributions.

It is also far easier to write a reference for someone similar to oneself, so a senior colleague more used to a male-dominated environment may find that writing a letter of recommendation for a junior woman presents some unfamiliar challenges.

Be alert to stereotypes

Writers of references often take up space in the letter setting out their own credentials as a referee, and, being inevitably more senior, their careers can diminish the applicant’s achievements in comparison. Letters for female applicants tend to be shorter than those for men, and include less specific information about the candidate. A short reference can be taken to mean that the writer was unenthusiastic about the candidate, but it could simply be that they did not know much about them, which makes their letter less reliable. Reference letters for the candidate who gets the job are usually the longest.

Some of the differences between references for men and women reinforce stereotypes. While a woman may be described as ‘this lady’ or even ‘this young lady’, a man will be described as ‘this colleague’ or ‘this engineer’. Men are sometimes credited with a sense of humour; women rarely are. Comments about appearance appear primarily in references for women; similarly, information about personal circumstances rarely appears in references for men (and is appropriate for neither). Compare reference letters across a group of applicants to identify differences of style and content before you use them to make judgements about the candidates.

Women are also described in terms of personal qualities such as ‘polite’, ‘cooperative’, and ‘thoughtful’, rather than their professional attributes. Men’s achievements are more likely to be described specifically and in technical terms, whereas women’s achievements are set out generally and in everyday language. So when reading a letter of recommendation, a selection panel should be alert to what may have been left out of descriptions of women.
If you are concerned about what is not being said, you could contact the referee to enquire about omissions.

Interpreting ‘faint praise’

Women are often recognised for their hard work, meticulousness, dedication and other such traits that show determined application and effort. This implies that what they achieve it is due to labour, rather than ability or talent. Women are also complimented on their pastoral work and on their ability to follow instructions.

References for male candidates often repeat positive words and use superlatives: an excellent candidate will be excellent in many regards, as well as superb and first-rate. References for women candidates are less likely to repeat positive words, although they may use them once.

A reference for a woman that is moderately positive may indicate a candidate who is just as good as a man whose reference is extremely positive. Women risk being damned by faint praise: their successes may be qualified. A woman may ‘hide her shyness well’; or achieve ‘despite personal issues’; or have succeeded ‘with the support of her manager’. It seems that the traditional feminine virtue of modesty is still being attributed even to successful professional women.

According to the University of Arizona’s Commission on the Status of Women, references about women use adjectives such as caring, compassionate, hard-working, conscientious, dependable, diligent, dedicated, tactful, interpersonal, warm and helpful. References about men use adjectives such as successful, excellent, accomplished, outstanding, skilled, knowledgeable, insightful, resourceful, confident, ambitious, independent and intellectual.

Allow for the potential for leadership

Status is often inferred from ownership. In the rhetoric of references, men have possession of their relevant assets: ‘his research’, or ‘his business connections’. Women are more likely to look involved rather than proprietorial: ‘the research from that group is … ‘, or ‘she interacts well with our business connections’. Women tend to be given possession of more personal qualities such as ‘her dedication’ and ‘her patience’. One tactic to make biases in the writing stand out is to gender swap reference letters. Does a phrase or sentence ‘sound wrong’ when it’s referring to a man rather than a woman? If so, that’s bias at work.

Men are described as agents: they make things happen. Women are described as concerned with the welfare of the group, supporting others and keeping things going. These are usually considered secondary roles in most organisations. In a business, making things happen is usually a role for management or leadership; supporting others is a more junior role. If a women is described more in terms of her supportive capacities than her male competitors for a job, then she is likely to look less well suited to a more senior or managerial post.

Understanding candidates’ own unconscious bias

Although most letters of recommendation are written by men, the letters written by women often show similar biases. Not only that, but women applicants themselves often make unduly modest claims about their own achievements in their covering letter or personal statement. It is therefore worth comparing the letters of recommendation and personal statements to the candidates’ CVs. As a factual list, the CV may allow for deeper insight into the more descriptive claims. For example, a woman who has ‘presented some papers at conferences’ may have given 14 papers and a keynote speech; ‘a few decent publications’ may have been in the highest quality journals; and good financial management skills may refer to an R&D budget in the millions. Identify modest claims and compare them to the facts provided in the CV. Is the candidate being unduly self-effacing?

While studies about the differences in letters of recommendation for men and women candidates come to some clear conclusions, less well understood is the extent to which these differences affect who is appointed. If the candidate is interviewed, their direct personal impact may render the written accounts less powerful. It is therefore important to interpret all the evidence you have about each candidate as a whole, and to understand how differing accounts can arise.

Flexible and fractional (part-time) working are two key tools for employers who want to recruit and retain women, and support women wanting to return to the workforce after a career break. People are attracted to fractional and flexible working arrangements for many reasons, not least of which is balancing work with caring responsibilities, which still rest predominantly on women’s shoulders.

Companies that offer and support a variety of working patterns can benefit from a pool of highly qualified but under-utilised women. Fractional and flexible working can also promote a positive working culture and increase productivity, and support staff who want to enhance their qualifications. Considered implementation can also help to reduce the gender pay gap.

• Understand employees’ rights and needs
• Encourage positive attitudes to flexible and fractional working
• Keep flexible and fractional colleagues involved
• Establish a positive culture of flexible and fractional working

A ‘fractional’ job is a part-time role where the employee works for a specified fraction of a full-time equivalent (FTE) role, for example a 0.5FTE role would be for half of a standard 35-40 hour working week.

Flexible roles allow employees to choose when they work, often including hours outside the standard work day. They may also include the option to work from home. A flexible approach can accommodate not only fluctuating demands at work, but also events such as a sick dependent, a school concert, or having to get your car serviced.

Both fractional and full-time roles can be worked flexibly.

Understand employees’ rights and needs

In the UK, anyone who has been employed for six months may request flexible working. Because fractional and flexible working is very attractive to women, especially those for whom a full-time might be challenging, it is good practice to offer it as standard, either with a personal plan or using common options such as:

• Term-time only
• Annualised hours, eg working the equivalent of 10 months per year
• Compressed hours, eg such as working a full week over four days

If an employee asks to go part-time, it may be that they actually need the flexibility rather than reduced hours (and salary). A request for fractional or flexible work is a great opportunity to think creatively about the possibilities for changing broader working patterns, and to ask staff what hours they currently work, and what hours would they like to work. Use case studies of fractional and flexible working to help staff understand their rights. Using both women and men as role models can help to normalise these ways of working.

About three-quarters of requests for flexible working are approved, which suggests that most applicants think responsibly about what they can ask for. If a request is refused, it should be on the basis of reasoned arguments and evidence that it would not support the business need.

When a company commits to improving diversity and inclusion, offering fractional and flexible working is a good way to widen the pool of applicants to your job ads.

Attitudes to flexible and fractional working

Fractional employees are more likely to be women, so supporting their career development can make an important contribution to reducing the gender pay gap. Promotion processes and bonus structures should reflect the contribution that fractional employees make to a business, and should not negatively affect their chances of being promoted or receiving a bonus or pay increase. Indeed, it is against the law to judge an employee simply on the basis that their appointment is fractional or flexible. Focus on the quality of their contribution when thinking about promotion or benefits.

Unfortunately, although fractional appointments are common, they can attract negative attitudes such as ‘presenteeism’, where employees are judged on how long they are physically present at work. Such attitudes not only discriminate against fractional and flexible employees, they also perpetuate a culture of long working hours, which pressures people to work longer hours than necessary and to work when sick. Do not assume that employees who work flexibly or fractionally are not ambitious. Make sure that all staff are treated equitably, and are given the same career development opportunities.

Employers can counter presenteeism by recognising the contributions that fractional employees make to the business. Fractional staff should not be described as ‘part-time’ on staff lists or business cards — their working pattern is not relevant to the quality of their work. Indeed, working part-time or flexibly may even enhance an employee’s contributions — those who have a positive work-life balance are often the most positive about their job, and are more productive as a consequence.

Keep flexible and fractional colleagues involved

A company that supports flexible working will need to ensure that all colleagues are able to participate fully in the workplace. For example, project meetings at 8.30am or 4.00pm may exclude anyone who has to do the school run. Senior management meetings at these times may deter parents from seeking promotion. It therefore makes sense to ensure that there is a set time each week when all members of the team are in the office to attend team meetings.

Another good way to keep colleagues in the loop is to use alternatives to email, such as real-time discussion tools like Slack, video conferencing services, and project wikis. Provide access to and training on remote working technologies to all staff to improve inclusion and encourage collaboration. However, it is important to remember that flexible workers work flexibly for a reason, and their other commitments must be respected.

Social events are important to develop team relationships, but when they are scheduled after work or at weekends they may exclude parents and carers — lunchtimes can provide a more inclusive alternative.

Establishing a culture of flexible working

Managers play a key role within any organisation, in terms of how fractional and flexible working is enacted on the ground. They help build employee relationships, and support career progression as their staff grow and develop in their roles.

Managers should not only be aware of the benefits of fractional and flexible working, they should be discussing options with staff during reviews and appraisals, as well as considering how these employment structures might benefit specific projects or teams. Ensure that the organisation’s commitment to flexible working is highlighted to managers during key processes, such as recruitment and appraisals.

Recruitment and HR teams especially should be aware of staff’s rights with respect to fractional and flexible working. They should review recruitment and internal communications materials to ensure that they properly reflect both employee rights and the company’s broader policies.

Many employees may not have thought about fractional or flexible working, so showcasing positive stories, particularly by inviting flexible and fractional workers to share and discuss their experience, will help them understand their options.

When staff transition to flexible or fractional working, they may benefit from formal or informal mentoring from an experienced colleague, especially if they are new to the idea.