I actually hear this a lot. A lot a lot. It “s definitely a thing.
However, it “s not just from the men.
Women don “t like having “girly” women around for the same reasons. You know, the kind that want (or already have) children, and are emotional, and stuff like that.
It is definitely perceived as a negative.
In small teams, especially early founding teams, there “s just no time for any of that. It “s just “heads down, do work.”
You don “t get the luxury of having a life outside of your company. Your life is not your own. Your identity becomes the company.
So, by the very definition, if someone comes in and says “I “m a woman coder” or “I “m a female marketing exec” or just even looks different than the rest of the team, its going to cause a bit of friction – friction that a small team doesn “t have the bandwidth to deal with.
As someone who happens to be of the female gender who has worked on many small tech teams, how have I managed to get around it?
Simple.
I don “t identify as a woman. I mean, I obviously AM one. But its not *WHO I AM.*
I “m not a feminazi.
I “m not emotional.
I “m pretty analytical and direct, actually.
I “m someone who lets my work stand for itself,.
I “m honestly clueless when it comes to most things feminine. I actually have a male colleague I ask for clothing, makeup and hair advice when I actually *wear* makeup, do my hair or dress up, which is close to never.
So yeah, founders definitely reject the idea of hiring any person who they perceive will be a disruption to their team, and their conditional bias tells them that women will do that.
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/How-common-is-it-for-male-startup-founders-to-reject-hiring-women-completely
Originally Posted On: 2016-09-02