How to Be a Supportive Female Colleague in the Workplace

Being treated like an outsider. Feeling like you have to prove yourself. Struggling to make your voice heard. Whether it’s overt discrimination or more subtle forms of bias, male-dominated industries like engineering can pose challenges for women. Research shows that even well-meaning mentors direct female engineers into less technical, less valued roles. It’s no wonder so many women end up leaving the industry.

We talk to a professor and two students at Olin College of Engineering about their experiences working among mostly men, what it means to “play nice,” and how male colleagues can help (listen!). Then we talk to an expert about how to evaluate a company’s gender culture before you accept a job and how to stay true to your career goals when other people think they know what’s best for you.

Our HBR reading list:

• “The Subtle Stressors Making Women Want to Leave Engineering,” by M. Teresa Cardador and Brianna Barker Caza
• “The Problem of Visibility for Women in Engineering, and How They Manage It,” by Dulini Fernando et al.
• “How the Imagined ‘Rationality’ of Engineering Is Hurting Diversity — and Engineering,” by Joan C. Williams and Marina Multhaup
• “Why Do So Many Women Who Study Engineering Leave the Field?” by Susan S. Silbey
• “What Managers Can Do to Keep Women in Engineering,” by Dulini Fernando et al.

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Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.