‘Bowls’ Help Women Fight Workplace Microaggressions

63% of U.S. employees wish they had an online community where they could get career advice on dealing with challenges specific to their workplace. All too often, workplace issues between managers and employees end with one party resigning or being terminated. However, just because the issue ends, doesn’t mean it’s resolved. Long after the issue is brought to light, the company faces the consequences: toxic work environments, decreased performance levels, lack of communication, poor teamwork, skepticism, and a weak workplace culture.

In their latest Women in the Workplace report, McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org found that microaggressions- a workplace issue which takes the form of everyday discrimination often rooted in bias- negatively impact women’s careers at a significantly higher rate than men. Women who experience microaggressions are much less likely to feel psychologically safe, which makes it harder to take risks, propose new ideas, or raise concerns. The study also found 78% of women who face microaggressions self-shield at work, or adjust the way they look or act in an effort to protect themselves.

By leaving microaggressions unchecked, companies miss out on a diverse female perspective and risk losing talented employees. Recently Glassdoor, the worldwide leader on insights about jobs and companies, launched a potential resolution that would allow companies to address microaggressions and other challenges head on, reduce turnover, and drive real-time, candid workplace conversations.

‘Bowls,’ the Glassdoor app and desktop experience, can unlock even deeper insights for companies that help them express their employer brand and make more informed decisions for their employee experience. Private Company Bowls allow transparent communication and connection with colleagues; users share openly or anonymously with coworkers and leaders at their company on a wide range of topics that cover work and life. Below, Chief Product Officer Andy Chen discusses the community app and desktop experience post-launch:

Christine Michel Carter: The workplace isn’t the first industry where we’ve seen conversation shifts. Are Glassdoor private Company Bowls similar to Rate My Professors, since employees can gain helpful insights from colleagues and other professionals about their company?

Andy Chen: Not exactly. With varying levels of anonymity, users can post or comment with their full identity, as an employee at their company, or with just their job title. Already, we have over 30,000 Company Bowls that employees can interact with daily.

Carter: It’s been validated that middle managers play a pivotal role in organizational success. How do you see ‘bowls’ helping those working with a new manager, or managing others for the first time?

Chen: Glassdoor is a powerful resource for understanding the culture of an organization, the demands and expectations on employees, and for individuals to find community with other employees and job seekers. Navigating human dynamics at work can be tricky, but our community bowls help users navigate these dynamics. Through our proprietary research, we also work to amplify employee sentiment at all levels.

Carter: Does Glassdoor have a private Company Bowl?

Chen: We do. Speaking for Glassdoor specifically and our experience with our own Company Bowl, it has been a game changer in allowing us to tap into employee sentiment and how people feel in real time.

Carter: Is Glassdoor’s private Company Bowl creating a culture where it’s normal to surface microaggressions and other workplace challenges?

Chen: Yes. The nature of feedback is more immediate, direct, raw, and unfiltered. We gain feedback and insights that used to be reserved for private conversations between coworkers.

Carter: Can the community contribute to or build upon each other’s feedback?

Chen: The amazing thing is that the community debates and moderates itself. Both sides of an issue are typically represented. Great opinions are encouraged and celebrated by the community, and unreasonable ones are challenged and often disproved. At Glassdoor, we’ve seen our employees challenge decisions that leadership has made and caused us to change our minds. We’ve also seen employees give praise and recognition to other employees in public and even to leaders.

According to Glassdoor, 80% of job candidates look at company reviews and ratings when making a job decision, and they read at least seven reviews before forming an opinion. Glassdoor has over 180 million reviews across 2.5 million employer profiles. It is a subsidiary of global technology company Recruit Holdings.