Since President Donald Trump took office, nearly one in four hiring managers (24%) say they’ve noticed women being treated with less respect at work. This new data from Resume Builder shows how women are still facing bigger biases than men, especially when it comes to their family and marriage status during the hiring process.
Key Takeaways:
- 24% of managers believe respect for women in the workplace has decreased since Trump took office.
- 20% of companies have dialed back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which has meant less focus on hiring and promoting women.
- Women are more likely than men to be penalized for their marital or parental status when being considered for jobs.
DEI Efforts Are Scaling Back and It’s Hurting Women
While respect for women in the workplace is declining, some companies are also stepping back on their diversity initiatives. Around 20% of hiring managers say their companies have reduced DEI efforts since Trump took office.
This has led to less attention on hiring women — 22% of these managers report this — and fewer women being promoted into leadership roles, with 26% saying the focus on women in leadership has decreased.
Stacie Haller, Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor, notes that the rollback of DEI programs, particularly under the Trump administration, led to the removal of high-profile women from key positions, often under the claim they were hired for diversity rather than merit.
This shift undermines their qualifications and strengthens outdated biases, making it even harder for women to break into top leadership roles.
Women Get the Short End of the Stick When It Comes to Family
While men and women both face some scrutiny over their personal lives, women are definitely hit harder — especially when it comes to family matters. For example:
- Marriage: Just 1% of hiring managers say they’re less likely to hire a man who recently married, but 3% are less likely to hire a woman who’s recently married.
- Parenthood: There’s equal skepticism toward both men and women with children (4%), but things change when it comes to expectant parents. Just 7% of hiring managers would hesitate to hire an expecting father, but a whopping 20% would do the same for an expecting mother.
This shows a clear bias when it comes to women starting families. Even though pregnancy discrimination is illegal, hiring managers still view expectant mothers as a potential disruption to the workplace.
Hall commented that maternity leave is still seen as a setback in many male-dominated industries. Even with legal protections, pregnancy bias is alive and well among hiring managers. Haller argues that businesses need to change their mindset — supporting working moms isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.
