Recognising and Challenging Workplace Bias

The Hidden Reality of Workplace Bias

What does inclusion really look like when the barriers facing women do not disappear as their careers progress?

In this episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, host Nadia Edwards-Dashti is joined by Shannon Nutter, board member, financial services executive and co-author of Walking on Broken Glass, for a wide-ranging conversation about workplace bias, the experiences of women in financial services, career progression and the practical actions people can take to create more inclusive workplaces.

Shannon draws on a career spanning market research, data and analytics, marketing, product and technology development, and strategy. Throughout that journey, she has remained fascinated by the intersection between business and psychology: why people behave as they do, why they make particular decisions and how those decisions can be influenced for the better.

That interest has shaped both her approach to building client-centric businesses and her work as an author. Alongside two fiction books for children, Shannon co-authored Walking on Broken Glass with Julia Carrion, bringing together experiences and observations about the challenges women can encounter throughout their working lives.

The conversation with Nadia explores some of those challenges, but it does not stop at recognising them. A recurring message throughout the episode is that awareness must lead to action. Whether someone is a senior financial services leader, a colleague, mentor or simply someone witnessing bias in the workplace, Shannon argues that everyone has an opportunity to make a difference.

Women in financial services and the barriers that remain

One of the first topics Nadia and Shannon explore is the familiar idea of the glass ceiling. Shannon describes this as the idea that women can see senior positions but face significantly greater struggles than an equivalent man might face in reaching them.

However, achieving those senior positions does not necessarily mean that the challenges have disappeared.

Shannon introduces another concept: the “glass cliff”. This describes situations where an organisation facing a crisis places a woman in charge during a period of intense risk, scrutiny and complexity. She may then be given a limited amount of time to solve problems that are influenced by factors outside her control.

As Shannon explains, success and failure can subsequently be treated very differently. Success can be accepted as expected, while failure may be used to justify quickly replacing the woman who was given the opportunity.

This is an important distinction for conversations about women in financial services, FinTech leadership and workplace inclusion. Representation at senior levels matters, but simply seeing women reach leadership positions does not automatically mean that the systems surrounding those positions are equitable.

For Shannon, that is why the focus needs to move beyond changing individual women. She argues that the systems in which people live and work need to change.

She also recognises that systemic transformation will not happen overnight. In the meantime, there are immediate actions people can take, including supporting women’s voices and ideas, advocating for women when they are not in the room and recommending women for jobs and promotions.

One of her simplest messages is also one of the strongest: women do not have to like every other woman they meet, but they can recognise that other women may be navigating many of the same challenges and avoid placing additional hurdles in their path.

Recognising workplace bias and double standards

Shannon and her co-author Julia both worked in financial services, and Shannon explains that they witnessed the behaviours described in their book during their own careers.

They experienced interruptions while speaking. They saw their ideas and achievements credited to other people. They were described as “strong” and “outspoken”, but not always positively. Depending on the situation, they could be considered too much or too little of a particular quality, but rarely “just right”.

This leads Shannon to discuss what the book describes as the “Goldilocks syndrome”.

She gives the example of being strategic. Rather than a woman simply being recognised positively as a strong strategist, that characteristic can be reframed as being calculating or too competitive. At the other end of the spectrum, she might instead be characterised as tactical or not forward-thinking enough.

Shannon challenges listeners to consider the last time they heard a woman described purely in terms of her strengths, without the compliment immediately being followed by a “but” and a series of criticisms.

It is a small exercise, but one that highlights how workplace bias can manifest through everyday language.

For organisations competing for financial technology talent, these conversations matter. Attracting talented women into FinTech and financial services is only one part of the challenge. How people are recognised, supported, promoted and spoken about once they are inside an organisation can have a significant impact on their experience.

Why workplace inclusion is bigger than individual careers

The impact of inclusion extends beyond the career progression of an individual employee.

During the episode, Shannon argues that equity and inclusion are sometimes framed as things organisations should pursue simply because they are “nice” or morally right. Her argument is that diversity of thought should also be considered from a performance perspective.

She points to benefits around innovation, decision-making and financial performance when diversity of thought is added to teams, leadership and government.

For Shannon, that means inclusion should be viewed as a priority rather than an optional addition to an organisation’s strategy.

The discussion moves between individual behaviours and much larger organisational questions. Nadia highlights this distinction: Shannon can talk about government and board-level decisions while simultaneously identifying something any listener can change immediately.

One example is simply learning to stop after describing a woman positively.

Rather than saying someone is brilliant at something and immediately qualifying that praise with a criticism, people can recognise a strength for what it is.

That awareness is an important starting point. Shannon encourages listeners to recognise when they hear biased framing, consider how they might counter it and examine whether they themselves contribute to it.

Workplace takedowns and what they can look like

A major part of the conversation focuses on what Shannon and Julia describe as workplace “takedowns”.

While writing Walking on Broken Glass, the pair realised that between them they knew ten women experiencing what they considered a takedown. Shannon describes this as a situation where someone is purposefully pushed out of an organisation despite having a history of strong achievement and outcomes. She also makes clear that this experience is not exclusive to women.

Initially, the subject was only going to occupy a few paragraphs in another chapter.

That changed after Shannon wrote about the issue on LinkedIn.

She wanted to understand whether these experiences were happening beyond the financial services professionals already within her network. The post went viral globally and generated a huge response from women, as well as some men, who wanted to share their experiences.

Over approximately two months, Shannon interviewed more than 100 people around the world and analysed what she heard.

The volume of responses transformed the topic into an entire chapter of the book. It examines what takedowns look like, how they feel, what someone can do if they believe they are being targeted and how they can begin to heal afterwards.

That final point becomes particularly important in Nadia and Shannon’s discussion because workplace mistreatment does not necessarily end when someone leaves an organisation.

Isolation and the importance of workplace allies

Shannon explains that a takedown can be designed to feel deeply personal. When people take mistreatment personally, they can begin internalising responsibility for circumstances that may not be theirs to carry.

They might wonder whether they should have communicated differently, worked harder or delivered better outcomes. That internalisation can create shame and cause someone to withdraw further.

Then, if they are pushed out of an organisation, another form of isolation can begin.

The everyday conversations disappear. People who were considered work friends, mentors or long-standing colleagues can suddenly vanish from their lives. Shannon says they heard stories of former colleagues being reluctant even to comment on someone's LinkedIn posts because they feared being noticed by others within the organisation.

At the same time, the person who has left may be searching for another role and dealing with the financial pressures that accompany unemployment.

For Shannon, this is where allies can make an immediate difference.

She asks people not to forget talented colleagues simply because they have left their organisation. Former colleagues can make introductions, connect people with headhunters or recruitment professionals, suggest companies and opportunities, share CVs, check on someone personally or simply arrange to meet them for lunch.

Within financial services recruitment and FinTech recruitment, networks can play an important role in connecting talented professionals with their next opportunity. Shannon’s wider point is that those networks also have a human role. When someone leaves a workplace in difficult circumstances, maintaining professional relationships can help counter the isolation they may be experiencing.

Protecting your career in financial services and FinTech

The conversation then turns towards what individuals can do to protect themselves throughout their careers.

Shannon identifies three broad areas.

The first is documenting achievements.

If a colleague or partner praises your work, Shannon suggests asking them to put those comments in an email and copy in your manager. She recommends keeping evidence of achievements and tracking measurable outcomes, whether that relates to money earned, budget saved, productivity improved or another tangible result.

Having this information available can be useful during annual reviews, bonus negotiations, salary discussions or when putting yourself forward for another opportunity.

Nadia relates strongly to the advice, acknowledging how difficult it can be to immediately recall examples of great work even when delivering that work is part of your everyday role.

The second area is trusting your instincts.

Shannon says that people experiencing difficult workplace situations often report feeling that something was wrong before the situation escalated. Because people are busy, those small signs can easily be dismissed.

However, those individual moments can accumulate.

She recommends keeping notes when something feels wrong, including broken promises or changes to responsibilities. If meetings begin disappearing from a diary, objectives unexpectedly change or responsibilities are removed, keeping a record can help someone understand a pattern developing over time.

Shannon emphasises that workplace takedowns can unfold across months or even more than a year. There may not be one dramatic moment when everything changes.

The third area is controlling what you can.

That means keeping your CV updated and continually building a network beyond your current employer. If you suspect your role may be at risk, Shannon recommends assessing your options early, whether that means exploring another job or speaking to someone who understands your rights and can offer appropriate guidance.

Preparing before reaching a crisis can make it easier to think clearly and understand the options available.

Remembering your strengths throughout your career

Career protection is not solely about preparing for difficult circumstances. Shannon also discusses the importance of remembering what you are good at.

She and Nadia acknowledge how easily people can become consumed by day-to-day work and lose sight of their own achievements.

Rather than waiting for a mid-year or annual performance review to remember what has been accomplished, Shannon recommends developing an ongoing habit of documenting outcomes.

That information can also become valuable when a new leadership role or project appears. Instead of relying on a general assertion that you are capable, you can point directly towards the projects you have led and the results you achieved.

Shannon also discusses an exercise from Walking on Broken Glass called “signature brilliance”, developed with career coach Rayleigh Bock.

The exercise asks people to write ten stories about moments when they felt particularly proud of something they had done, personally or professionally. These could be moments when they demonstrated courage, boldness, learning or another important strength.

The book then provides code that can be used with an AI agent to analyse those stories and identify recurring strengths.

For Shannon, the purpose is ultimately to remind people of qualities they have already demonstrated. Difficult workplace experiences can damage confidence and cause people to underplay their abilities. This exercise is designed to help people reconnect with those strengths.

Turning workplace inclusion into meaningful action

The episode closes with the question Nadia asks every guest on FinTech’s DEI Discussions: what more can we all do to drive inclusion in our workplaces?

Shannon’s answer begins with an optimistic point. Everyone can do something.

The first step is learning to recognise bias and double standards as they happen. The second is conducting an honest self-assessment and considering whether we participate in those behaviours ourselves.

Then comes action.

Shannon gives examples ranging from acknowledging a woman’s contribution in a meeting to putting her name forward for an opportunity, project or role. Someone might choose not to participate when another woman is being disparaged. They might describe her strengths without adding a negative qualification. They could collaborate with another woman, mentor someone, hire someone or support a woman-owned company.

For people with greater organisational authority, action could include identifying and addressing a pay gap within their team.

Shannon acknowledges that people sometimes believe meaningful change can only come from the C-suite. Her response is that every individual has an area of influence.

That is perhaps the clearest message to take from this episode.

Building more inclusive financial services and FinTech workplaces requires systemic change, but that does not mean individuals need to wait for somebody else to begin it. Leaders, colleagues, mentors and peers can all examine the decisions they make, the language they use, the talent they advocate for and the support they provide.