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Are your professional networking connections viewing you as a thought leader? Are hordes of commenters praising your insights on growing your business? Are headhunters reaching out to discuss opportunities?

Should that not be the case, the reason could be that you're not male.

The Test: Modifying Profile Gender to achieve Increased Reach

Numerous women joined an organized professional network test this week following popular discussions indicated that switching their gender to "man" boosted their network presence.

Other testers modified their professional summaries to incorporate what they called "masculine-oriented" terminology - inserting results-driven business buzzwords like "propel", "revolutionize" and "expedite". Based on reports, their visibility also improved.

Systemic Preference Questions Brought Up

The improved metrics has caused some to wonder whether a built-in sexism in LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes male users who employ professional networking terminology.

Like most major social media platforms, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which content appear to which users - boosting some while reducing others.

Platform Response

In a recent blog post, LinkedIn recognized the phenomenon but claimed it does not consider "personal characteristics" when determining post visibility. Rather, the company explained that "hundreds of signals" influence how posts perform.

Changing gender in your settings does not influence how your content appears in results or timelines.

Personal Experiences

Simone Bonnett, who modified her gender identifiers to "he/him" and her name to "Simon E", reported remarkable results.

"The numbers I'm observing show a sixteen-fold rise in visitor traffic and a 1,300% increase in impressions," she commented.

Megan Cornish, a communications strategist, began experimenting after observing her reach decline significantly.

The Method

• First, she modified her profile gender to "man"
• Subsequently, she used AI tools to rephrase her professional summary using "male-coded" wording
• Lastly, she recycled previous content with comparable "agentic" language

The result was instantaneous: a 415% increase in visibility within seven days.

The Negative Aspect

Despite the positive results, Cornish voiced dissatisfaction with the method.

"Previously, my content were softer - brief and insightful, but also warm and human," she stated. "Currently, the bro-coded version was forceful and self-assured - like a white male swaggering around."

She discontinued the experiment after one week, saying "Each day I continued, and outcomes got better, I became more frustrated."

Varying Outcomes

Not all participants experienced positive results. Cass Cooper who modified both her profile gender to "male" and her ethnicity to "white" reported a decrease in visibility and engagement.

"We know there's algorithmic bias, but it's very challenging to understand how it functions in specific cases or the reasons behind it," she remarked.

Broader Implications

These tests coincide with ongoing discussions about LinkedIn's distinctive role as both a business platform and social space.

Recent changes in the past few months have apparently caused female creators experiencing markedly lower visibility, resulting in unofficial tests where identical content by men and women received dramatically unequal audience engagement.

Technical Explanation

Per LinkedIn, the network uses artificial intelligence to categorize and spread posts based on various elements, including what's shared and the member's career profile.

The company states it regularly evaluates its systems, including "examinations of inequalities based on gender."

A spokesperson proposed that recent declines in some users' reach might stem from higher volume due to additional posts on the platform.

Evolving Environment

As one participant noted, "masculine-oriented language" appears to be growing on the platform.

"Users typically consider LinkedIn as more businesslike and polished," she remarked. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly competitive and unpredictable."