Do Women Ask? Gender Differences in Applying for Internal Job Openings

Abstract

Gender differences in application behavior can contribute to gender inequality in hiring outcomes. People are unlikely to be selected for jobs if they do not put themselves forward to be considered for positions. This paper focuses on understanding supply-side mechanisms that may stifle female advancement; in particular, responding to ideas about how women behave in the labor market that would lead us to suspect that they are “leaning out” of opportunities. We study the internal labor market within a single firm to examine the extent of gender differences in application to internal job openings. Importantly, in determining the rates of application, we have the advantage of being able to observe the risk set of potential applications in this setting. Our findings show few differences in application rates by gender, even when considering variation in hierarchical distance of the opportunity or the level from which the candidate is applying. Despite existing theories sf constraints that differentially affect workers by gender, in this setting, there is very little evidence that women are not leaning into advancement opportunities, or that they’re leaning in less than men.