Studies show that subtle gender and racial biases often creep into performance evaluations. Learn how to design and fill out performance evaluations to avoid this.
Research shows that women’s reviews are more likely to contain negative feedback, and women tend to receive different types of criticism than men. Men typically receive constructive suggestions related to additional skills to develop and growth areas, whereas women are critiqued for personality: “You come off as abrasive;” “Pay attention to your tone.” Women are often described as “bossy,” “abrasive,” “strident,” and “aggressive” when they lead, or “emotional” and “irrational” when they disagree with others. The implicit message: women should conform to prescriptive stereotypes – they should be modest, self-effacing team players. One study found that, among men and women who received critical feedback, only 2% of men received negative personality criticism, but 76% of women did.
Joan Williams, Mary Blair-Loy & Jennifer Berdahl
