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Do your LinkedIn followers recognizing you as a industry expert? Do numerous commenters applauding your advice on growing your venture? Are headhunters making contact to explore collaborations?

Should that not be the case, the reason could be that you're not male.

The Test: Modifying Profile Gender for Better Visibility

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

Some participants modified their profiles to include what they termed "masculine-oriented" language - inserting results-driven professional jargon like "propel", "revolutionize" and "accelerate". Anecdotally, their exposure also improved.

Systemic Preference Questions Raised

The engagement increase has led some to speculate whether a built-in gender bias in LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes men who use professional networking terminology.

Similar to many large networking sites, LinkedIn utilizes an algorithm to decide which posts are shown to which users - boosting some while suppressing others.

Platform Response

In a recent company announcement, LinkedIn recognized the phenomenon but claimed it does not factor in "personal characteristics" when determining post visibility. Rather, the company mentioned that "numerous factors" influence how posts are received.

Modifying profile gender on your profile does not affect how your content shows up in results or timelines.

Personal Experiences

Simone Bonnett, who changed her gender identifiers to "male pronouns" and her profile name to "a masculine version", reported extraordinary outcomes.

"The numbers I'm observing indicate a 1,600% increase in profile views and a 1,300% increase in content views," she commented.

Megan Cornish, a communications strategist, began experimenting after noticing her reach decrease significantly.

The Method

• First, she modified her profile gender to "male"
• Then, she used artificial intelligence to rephrase her professional summary using "masculine-oriented" language
• Lastly, she repurposed old posts with similar "agentic" language

The result was immediate: a more than fourfold rise in reach within seven days.

The Negative Aspect

Although the positive results, Cornish voiced dissatisfaction with the approach.

"Before, my posts were softer - concise and insightful, but also friendly and human," she stated. "Now, the bro-coded version was assertive and self-assured - like a Caucasian man swaggering around."

She abandoned the experiment after seven days, saying "Each day I continued, and outcomes improved, I became angrier."

Varying Outcomes

Not all testers experienced favorable results. Cass Cooper who changed both her gender to "male" and her ethnicity to "white" described a decrease in reach and engagement.

"We know there's systemic preference, but it's extremely difficult to comprehend how it functions in particular situations or the reasons behind it," she commented.

Broader Implications

These experiments coincide with ongoing discussions about LinkedIn's distinctive position as both a professional network and community site.

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

System Details

Per LinkedIn, the network uses AI systems to classify and spread content based on various elements, including what's shared and the user's professional identity.

The company claims it frequently assesses its algorithms, including "examinations of gender-related disparities."

A spokesperson suggested that recent declines in certain members' visibility might stem from higher volume due to additional posts on the network.

Changing Landscape

According to a tester noted, "bro-coding" appears to be growing on the network.

"Users typically consider LinkedIn as more businesslike and refined," she remarked. "This is evolving. It's turning into increasingly competitive and less controlled."