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Do your professional networking followers viewing you as a thought leader? Do numerous respondents praising your advice on expanding your business? Do recruiters making contact to explore opportunities?

If not, the explanation could be that you're not male.

The Experiment: Changing Profile Gender to achieve Increased Reach

Dozens of female professionals joined an organized LinkedIn experiment this week after viral posts suggested that changing their profile gender to "man" enhanced their network presence.

Some participants modified their profiles to include what they called "bro-coded" language - adding results-driven business buzzwords like "drive", "transform" and "expedite". Based on reports, their exposure also improved.

Algorithmic Bias Concerns Raised

The improved metrics has led some to speculate whether an inherent sexism in LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes men who employ online business jargon.

Similar to most major networking sites, LinkedIn employs a computerized system to determine which posts are shown to which users - promoting some while reducing others.

Platform Response

In a recent blog post, LinkedIn recognized the trend but claimed it does not consider "demographic information" when determining post visibility. Instead, the company explained that "hundreds of signals" influence how content perform.

Modifying profile gender in your settings does not influence how your posts appears in results or timelines.

Individual Results

Simone Bonnett, who changed her pronouns to "he/him" and her profile name to "a masculine version", described extraordinary outcomes.

"The numbers I'm observing show a 1,600% increase in visitor traffic and a 1,300% increase in impressions," she commented.

Megan Cornish, a communications strategist, started testing after observing her audience decrease substantially.

The Process

• Initially, she modified her gender to "man"
• Then, she used AI tools to rephrase her professional summary using "male-coded" language
• Lastly, she repurposed old posts with similar "agentic" language

The outcome was instantaneous: a more than fourfold rise in visibility within seven days.

The Negative Aspect

Despite the success, Cornish expressed unhappiness with the approach.

"Previously, my posts were more personal - concise and clever, but also friendly and human," she stated. "Currently, the bro-coded version was forceful and confident - similar to a Caucasian man swaggering around."

She abandoned the test after one week, stating "Every day I persisted, and results got better, I became angrier."

Varying Outcomes

Not all participants encountered favorable outcomes. One writer who modified both her gender to "male" and her race to "white" described a reduction in visibility and interaction.

"We understand there's algorithmic bias, but it's very challenging to comprehend how it functions in particular situations or the reasons behind it," she commented.

Broader Implications

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

Platform modifications in recent months have apparently resulted in women professionals experiencing significantly reduced visibility, leading to unofficial tests where the same posts by male and female users received vastly different audience engagement.

Technical Explanation

Per LinkedIn, the platform uses artificial intelligence to classify and spread posts based on multiple factors, including what's shared and the user's professional identity.

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

Company representative suggested that recent declines in certain members' visibility might originate from higher volume due to additional posts on the network.

Evolving Environment

According to a tester noted, "masculine-oriented language" appears to be increasing on the platform.

"People often view LinkedIn as more professional and refined," she remarked. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly aggressive and unpredictable."