How the Affinity Bias Costs Women Leadership Opportunities

In this episode of Women at Work with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how affinity bias—the tendency to favour people who remind us of ourselves—quietly shapes hiring and promotion decisions. They break down a 2023 Harvard Business Review study showing that women are 35% less likely to receive a call back when their resume signals a non-traditional background for the role. Lucas shares the story of Priya, a senior engineer passed over for a director role because the hiring manager connected more with a candidate from his own alma mater. Luna challenges the common advice to 'just network harder' and offers a structural fix: blind resume reviews and interview scorecards. The hosts discuss how this bias hits women of colour hardest, and what listeners can do to advocate for fairer processes in their own teams. No fluff, just a concrete case and actionable takeaways. #AffinityBias #WomenAtWork #CareerGrowth #Leadership #WomenInLeadership #HiringBias #PromotionBias #UnconsciousBias #DiversityAndInclusion #WomenOfColor #HarvardBusinessReview #ResumeBias #BlindRecruitment #CareerAdvice #WorkplaceEquity #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo