Women in utilities say unconscious bias leaves them feeling undervalued

Women do not feel as respected or valued as their male colleagues in the utilities sector, according to a white paper, Unconscious bias in the utilities sector: what is the reality? 

The paper was based on research among 375 utility workers, 358 of whom were women. The Women’s Utilities Network and The Marketing Pod, who jointly published the white paper, argued unconscious bias could be the root cause of women leaving sector jobs.

Among the findings were: 

• 49% of women do not believe their opinion is as valued as those of their male counterparts.

• 46% of women often hesitate to offer an opinion or share an idea, even though they know it has value. 

• 41% of women say they don’t feel their voice is heard in meetings and that they are constantly interrupted when speaking.

• 84% say women are given more administrative and organisational tasks over leading and challenging tasks. 

• Women holding senior positions in the industry feel that they receive increased scrutiny, with 31% feeling they would be judged harshly if they failed or underperformed for any reason.
  

The white paper suggested five actions for leaders to take to reduce the impact of unconscious bias: 

• Change recruitment processes – Standardise hiring processes to remove the chance for bias to creep in. Begin by removing gendered language from job ads and personal details from applications and CVs. Rely instead on defined questions and skills tests. 

• Encourage mindful decision making – Make an explicit, organisation-wide commitment to question stereotypes, slow down decision making and be more vigilant of thought processes. Talk openly about the existence of, and approaches to, unconscious bias. 

• Make training mandatory, practical and targeted  – Unconscious bias training is most often attended by people already aware of the problem and interested in improving their behaviour. Ensure everybody takes part, then monitor outcomes and identify additional requirements. Reinforce training with team exercises. 

• Promote advocacy to actively support women – Encourage people to listen to each other's stories and become advocates for those experiencing negative bias. Advocates can speak up to make space for quieter voices in meeting and group situations or intervene privately to correct discrimination. 

• Hold others accountable – Encourage the calling out of stereotyped views and provide opportunities for increased interaction between affected groups, to build empathy and create a safe, inclusive space for everyone.