Survey Finds Engineering Organizations Stymied By Implicit Bias

Even as industry, education and government press for more diversity and women in science, technology, education and math (STEM) roles, age-old biases are holding these groups back, preventing a more balanced representation of engineering professionals in the workplace.

That’s according to a new study conducted by The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) specifically on the topic of gender and racial biases in the profession. “The Climate Control: Gender and Racial Bias in Engineering” study found that women and people of color were more likely than white men to feel like they had to prove themselves to gain equal levels of respect and recognition as their colleagues. In contrast, white men were far more likely to report they could behave assertively in the workplace without encountering any push back.

A deeper dive into the findings found:

• 61% of women vs. 35% of white men said they had to prove themselves repeatedly either by how they presented themselves or by demonstrating technical prowess to gain the same recognition and respect as their male engineering colleagues.

• Women engineers (51%) were far less likely than white men (67%) to feel comfortable behaving assertively.
• Less than half (49%) of women engineers felt comfortable showing anger without pushback, compared to 59% of men.

• Thirty-three percent of women were more likely than white men (16%) to say they were pressured to let others take the lead; 55% of women said they were more likely to be saddled with “office housework” like taking notes, formalizing meeting times or planning office parties compared to 26% of men: and a significant 65% of women said they were less likely to get the same access to desirable assignments compared to 85% of their male counterparts.

• Nearly 80% of men said having children didn’t change their status or colleagues’ perception of their work commitment and competence compared to only 55% of women.

Engineers of color (both men and women) faced similar implicit bias barriers: 68% said they had to constantly prove themselves; 49% felt they could behave assertively without repercussion; and 39% felt the need to let others take the lead. Over half of engineers of color also felt pressure to do office housework (52%) and felt less likely to gain access to plum assignments (55%).

There are serious ramifications to implicit bias in the engineering workplace, the study researchers said. For one thing, more females have been found to leave the engineering profession as they advance in their career. In fact, research by the American Psychological Association found that nearly 40% of women who earn engineering degrees quit the profession or opt never to enter the field. Those women moving on to other fields said they were motivated to move on mainly due to the organizational climate, including non-supportive co-workers.

“With women and other minorities feeling the effects of implicit bias the most, it’s no surprise that they are dropping off the leadership pipeline,” says Karen Horting, CEO and executive director of the SWE. “And if a female college student studying engineering can’t find any role models in engineering leadership positions, the likelihood of her having a long career in engineering decreases. You can’t be what you can’t see."

To combat the problem, the SWE encourages engineering organizations to talk about the problem and do the legwork to figure out what specific implicit biases are taking shape within their own companies. Talking to employees, conducting regular workplace climate surveys, and coming up with a deliberate strategy to address the problem is critical. “Organizations risk losing very capable and valuable employees because of implicit bias, in addition to the risk it puts on your reputation,” says Horting.

Watch this video to hear Joan Williams, one of the survey’s authors, explain the findings of the Climate Control study.