Do you know the reference man? How this invisible force upholds white supremacy and sexism in our workplaces

The Equity Gap

Apr 13 2023 • 28 mins

Do you know the reference man? He's been the biggest and most invisible force in your life and workplaces and you likely have no idea who he is. Let me tell you more about him in this episode and walk through how our workplaces are designed to cater to the Reference Man and ultimately uphold white supremacy and sexism through commonly unquestioned ideals like professionalism and culture fit.

References from the episode:

Korn Ferry, the Reference Man
Caroline Criado-Pérez -
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards - Tema Okun and Keith Jones
Professionalism as a racial construct - Leah Goodridge
McKinsey Women in the Workplace - 2022

If you haven’t taken a moment, I would love for you to be a part of the conversation with me for the long term. Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast player and tune in every month for new episodes and conversations. If you’re so inclined, I would love for you to leave a review or for you to connect with me to tell me how I can be of further service to you (follow me on Instagram @theequitygap or connect with me through e-mail at shahzianoorally@gmail.com or through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzianoorally/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-equity-gap-podcast/).



Licensed intro music from NoMo