Performance reviews influence pay decisions, promotions, development opportunities, and succession planning. While most organizations strive for fairness and objectivity, recent research suggests that gender-based differences in performance feedback remain common, particularly when managers evaluate subjective traits such as communication style, leadership, assertiveness, and emotional expression.

A 2025 Textio study analyzing performance reviews from more than 25,000 employees across 253 organizations found that 78% of women had been described as "emotional" in performance feedback, compared to just 11% of men. The study also found that 56% of women received feedback suggesting they were "unlikeable," compared to only 16% of men. Additionally, women received approximately 22% more personality-based feedback than men, regardless of performance level. These findings suggest that many organizations continue to evaluate women through a different lens than men, despite years of attention to reducing workplace bias.

The Textio research echoes findings from earlier academic studies showing that women are more likely to receive feedback focused on personality, communication style, and interpersonal behavior, while men are more likely to receive feedback tied to business results, technical expertise, and leadership potential.

One of the most widely cited studies on this topic comes from Stanford University's VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab. Researchers analyzed written performance reviews and ratings from a Fortune 500 technology company to examine how gender influenced both the language managers used and the value assigned to specific behaviors. The study found that men and women were equally likely to be described as technically capable, but differences emerged when managers evaluated personality and leadership behaviors. Women were more likely to be viewed as "too aggressive." Researchers also found that behaviors such as "taking charge" were associated with the highest performance ratings for men, but not for women.

According to Stanford researcher Shelley Correll, the largest gender differences appeared in evaluations of personality, future potential, and assessments of who was considered truly exceptional. Bias often emerged not in how work was performed, but in how workplace behaviors were interpreted and rewarded.

A 2021 study published in Human Resource Management analyzed hundreds of written performance evaluations and found evidence of "backlash" language directed toward women at all organizational levels. Researchers concluded that women were more likely to receive feedback reflecting gender-role expectations, even when evaluating comparable workplace performance.

A 2026 systematic literature review by Roberta Zonno, a researcher at the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy, synthesized 54 empirical studies published between 2009 and 2024 and found that performance evaluation systems, though formally gender-neutral, can reproduce inequalities through evaluation criteria, organizational practices, rating methodologies, and evaluator perceptions. The review also summarized evidence showing that women often receive different narrative feedback and leadership assessments than men, even when formal evaluation systems are designed to be objective.

For employers, these findings highlight the importance of regularly reviewing performance management practices to ensure feedback and evaluation criteria are applied consistently across the workforce. Consider the following strategies:

• Establish clear, job-related performance standards and behavioral expectations.
• Train managers to recognize common biases that can influence evaluations.
• Require feedback to be supported by specific examples and measurable outcomes.
• Review written evaluations for patterns in language and feedback themes.
• Use calibration meetings carefully and consistently to improve rating accuracy.
• Periodically analyze performance ratings, promotions, and development opportunities for potential disparities.

Performance management systems are most effective when employees understand how they are being evaluated and when managers focus on documented behaviors and business results. By examining both ratings and the language used in evaluations, organizations can help ensure that performance reviews support employee development while promoting consistency and fairness across the workforce.

Sources: journals.sagepub.com; Stanford.edu; hbr.org; sciencedirect.com; onlinelibrary.wiley.com