Study Shows More Women Scout, Do Background Checks When Job Hunting, Than Men. Blame It On Gender Disparity!

Study Shows More Women Scout, Do Background Checks When Job Hunting, Than Men. Blame It On Gender Disparity!

The year 2020 was a lot of things, from sad to tragic to even epic and as some would say, transformational. Being faced with challenge after challenge, it is safe to say that most of us have come out different people at the end of this dynamic year than the ones we entered in it as. And if there is one art that all of us have collectively mastered, apart from staying six feet apart, is the art of applying for jobs.

Turning LinkedIn into their new Instagram, people were looking for jobs more than ever this year, owing to the massive lay-offs caused by a crashing economy. With companies going bankrupt, businesses shutting down left right and center and lay offs becoming an everyday norm, job hunting was a skill that everyone picked up. And even though this hunt was the same for men as it was for women, turns out, there is one major point of difference in the way women look for jobs in comparison to men!

A new study published by the journal Academy of Management Discoveries shares that women indulge in an added process of ‘scouting’ while looking for jobs, as opposed to their male counterparts. Researchers Elena Obukhova of McGill University and Adam M. Kleinbaum of Dartmouth College observed in their study that on an average basis, more women reach out to men and women students/alumni/employees during a background check for a job than their male counterparts.

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It shared that while both men and women engage in subtle and preliminary networking to get an idea and sense of the working environment of a company, “to explore career opportunities, including learning about industries, roles, and career strategies, to identify job leads, to obtain interview help, referrals and even advocacy,” only women were found to be going the extra mile to scout with fellow women, so they know the gender dynamics of the workplace.

Adam M. Kleinbaum, a researcher of the study said, “A pre-emptive information gathering in order to figure out which employers will offer those fair opportunities” to women is why women make the extra effort. The study also goes on to touch base on the whisper networks, that often work well in cautioning women of any sexual harassers at work.

He also said, “If women don’t scout, or don’t scout effectively, there’s a chance they might end up in jobs where employers either discriminate or don’t provide them the kind of opportunities they want and expect.” And even though this practice makes sense, it is kind of upsetting to know that women have to bear the brunt of their gender even in something as basic as looking for a job.

Also Read : New Study Done By The Health Ministry Says 70% Of COVID Deaths Are Amongst Men. So Are Women At A Lower Risk Of COVID?

Sadhika Sehgal

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