Women tend to believe that if they work diligently and do a good job, that will be enough to get them noticed and promoted.
Are you hoping your great work will speak loudly enough for you to progress?
Unfortunately, while men tend to spend time networking, and associating with their seniors, research shows that women prefer to associate with those more junior to them.
So when it comes to being tapped on the shoulder for a new role, the men are more top of mind – and they start the interview process as someone who is already known to the interviewers and has already expressed an interest in promotion and a talent for the job.
Even if there is no unconscious bias towards men in these situations, women put themselves at a disadvantage by facing inwards towards their teams at the expense of collaborating and influencing outwards.
As a result, the men are more ‘mentally available’ to the hirer:
- They are more top of mind
- More is already known about them
- They have already established a degree of empathy and trust
In order to be more influential and to get themselves acknowledged in an organisation, women need to face outwards, building senior relationships.
Women often feel uncomfortable about doing this but need to find a way to do it nonetheless.
Because nobody wants to be the best-kept secret!
