Good morning.
Ensuring equitable promotion for both men and women within large companies presents challenges. Adam Grant, an author and chief worklife expert at the job review platform Glassdoor, suggests that employers should adopt an “opt-out” model.
This approach implies that HR leaders should assume that all employees aspire for promotions unless they explicitly state their desire to “opt out” of such opportunities. Grant expressed this perspective during a recent interview with Fortune’s Sara Braun. The opt-out system is designed to ensure that everyone is considered for promotional opportunities, not just those who are more vocal or assertive in their pursuit of advancement.
Grant noted that within organizations, employers hold significant power, and many individuals, regardless of gender, fear that advocating for themselves might be perceived as inappropriate, potentially jeopardizing their reputation and employment.
His recommendation follows concerning data from Glassdoor indicating that women are more apprehensive than men about requesting higher salaries. The data reveals that only 36% of women feel comfortable asking for a raise compared to 44% of men. Additionally, a separate McKinsey study highlighted that for every 100 men receiving a first-time promotion, only 81 women advance within their organizations.
Research supports the efficacy of an “opt-out” system in reducing bias within promotion processes, a bias that often favors individuals who are overly confident or competitive. This disparity has contributed to gender imbalances in leadership positions, as outlined in a 2021 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study suggested that automatically enrolling all employees in promotional opportunities can help reduce the gender gap in competition and support women’s advancement to leadership roles.
Even if organizations do not completely overhaul their promotion systems, Grant emphasizes the importance of leaders regularly informing employees about available leadership positions. He draws an analogy to cell phone providers notifying customers about eligibility for upgrades, suggesting that managers should proactively reach out to employees, particularly women, to inform them of potential raises.
This article, authored by Brit Morse, was originally featured on Fortune.com.
