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Chief
This one is tough - because I’m sure there are some women that suck and also men that suck. But I will say we did some analysis of talent women in final rounds let through and how they performed over the course of 5 years vs men, and women tended to be much more calibrated on who had better performance and could cut it at the job. I’m also not saying performance reviews themselves are fair even after you do get the job but the stats were interesting. It’s possible that to get to a position where you are making a final round interview call - women likely had to jump through more hoops and work harder to get to say a partner level and understand what it may take and hence hone in on specific skills or your potential ability to be commercial etc etc. also perhaps that’s not fair and women should give more people the benefit of doubt even if they had a hard time getting to say a partner level, but all this is hard to get to the root cause. I share this not to invalidate your post, but to also give some perspective. I’m someone who also looks quite young and have been described as “pretty” to use your terms. I have appreciated the senior women who have worked with me and never were extra nice to me for these things, vs the tons and tons of men who were extra nice or gave me a ton of opportunities because I was pretty even if they never did anything technically harassment wise.
It’s hard - is being pretty a tax or a leg up? Most people would say over the course of your life it’s a leg up, so maybe consider that a female interviewer for you who is no nonsense, isn’t taxing you for being pretty but simply treating based on your merits and skills. I think jumping to jealousy of older women for your attractiveness is a dangerous precedent. Let’s also be honest, most people treat people who are attractive more nicely and in a more friendly manner - perhaps you’re being treated simply normally for once? While it sucks you didn’t get the job, maybe take a look at the comments or the areas they specifically focused on - are those growth areas for you you can work on? Are they valid skill sets in the field you want to go into? If so, there’s a lot to be learned here from these so called “harsh” women.
Rising Star
Very well put
Pro
Yes. A few years ago, I interviewed at Accenture and had a great recruiter who was male and really supportive. I ended up interviewing with two female partners in the final round. He was trying to help me get hired. Both Partners were extremely bitchy. One hated PwC (I came from PwC). The other one was really hung up on a single skill set. I didn’t get the offer and the recruiter was really shocked.
Women are terrible.
Get out of this bowl babe
Are these interviews where you are visible (i.e. in person or on camera)? Are you objectively good looking? I ask because something I've observed is I'll get an "easier" interview from people who are sexually attracted to me (I am 100% not doing anything to encourage this) but people who aren't attracted to me, give me a more objective (aka "tougher") interview. I've found if all my interviews are by phone call only, it has a balancing effect and male interviewers will not act as warm. I don't see this as an indication that women are being unfairly hard on me as much as I see it as men being unfairly easy on me.
So I have had phone interviews with men that have been fairly warm too but never got a female phone interview before so I don’t know about that.
But I guess yeah I am pretty young looking (sometimes people mistake me for a high schooler) , these interviews are on zoom and friends say I’m pretty and sometimes some older men at my previous firm have tried to hit on me (but high key weird bc they are a lot older)
I have had a nice female interviewer here or there but usually she was around my age. The female interviewers who are harsher are usually 5-10 years older or more.
Maybe it could be these people find me attractive and are easier on me but l also don’t get why the older women have to be tougher when women around my age are pretty fair to me??
Rising Star
I personally feel like I have more of a poker face during interviews, because I don't want to inadvertently make any of my natural preferences for a candidate influence the interview.
Also, I found women focus more on actual relevant skills and behaviors than if they like you, based on debriefs from interview days.
I wouldn't take the interviewers attitude on the call with you as a good indication of whether they like you or not. Some people will be friendly, but not take you seriously. Others will be serious with you, but really like what they see.
I've had male SMs openly admit they've let pretty faces in. Or that they just want people with EQ and that folks can learn the rest (no, I'm not interested in teaching people finance concepts they should have learnt in four years of undergrad).
I'm always paying attention to how people fare on their responses, both behavioral and technical. It's really easy to just trust in people and believe it all works out without any critical thinking.