Latest / Women at Work: Career, Leadership & Modern Work / How the Non-Linear Career Path Gets Penalized for Women
Transcript
- Lucas: There's this assumption baked into most corporate talent systems that a career should look like a ladder — you start at the bottom, you climb rung by rung, and if you ever step off that ladder, you've lost your place in line. Luna: Right — and that assumption hits women harder than men. We talked about the motherhood penalty before, but this is broader. It's the penalty for any kind of non-linear path. Lucas: Exactly. A 2025 study from Harvard Business School tracked about 2,000 managerial-track employees over eight years. They looked specifically at people who took a career break of twelve months or more — for parental leave, caregiving, illness, or just a deliberate pivot. Luna: And what did they find? Lucas: Women with that gap were 40 percent less likely to be promoted in the two years after returning, compared to women who didn't take a break. And that's controlling for performance — their reviews were identical. Men with the same gap? Only a 12 percent penalty. Luna: So it's not the gap itself that's the problem. It's the bias about who is expected to have a gap. Lucas: That's exactly the conclusion. The researchers called it a 'deviation penalty' — and it's worse for women because the stereotype is that women who step away are less committed, while men who step away are seen as having 'good reasons.' Luna: I've seen this play out in my own network. A friend took three years off to raise her kids, then tried to re-enter as a marketing director. Recruiters kept asking why she 'let her skills lapse' — as if raising a human isn't skill-building. Lucas: The study also looked at people who didn't take a break but switched industries — what they called a 'zigzag' path. Women who moved to a different sector were seen as less focused, less trustworthy. Men who did the same were seen as 'versatile' or 'adaptable.' Luna: That's the same bias wearing a different hat. So what's the fix? Because telling women 'don't have gaps' is not realistic. Lucas: Some companies are starting to redesign their talent systems to actually value breadth. Patagonia, for instance, has a policy where they actively recruit returning parents — they run a 'returnship' program that treats the gap as a plus, because they believe life experience makes better leaders. Luna: I love that. And Deloitte has something similar — they call it a 'career lattice' instead of a ladder. They explicitly evaluate people on cross-functional skills and adaptability. Lucas: But most companies aren't there yet. So what do you do as an individual? The researchers had a few tactical suggestions. One: when you return, proactively frame your narrative. Don't wait for them to interpret the gap — you tell the story. Luna: So instead of saying 'I took three years off,' you say 'I spent three years developing project management skills by coordinating a household move and volunteering on a board.' Lucas: Exactly. And second: find a sponsor in an adjacent function. If you're returning to marketing but you used to be in sales, find a senior leader in product who can vouch for your strategic thinking. That sponsorship signal matters more than a linear resume. Luna: Third: target companies that have explicit return to work programs. Amazon has one, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan — they're called 'returnships' and they're designed for people who've been out of the workforce for two years or more. Lucas: The Harvard study also found that the penalty shrinks if you maintain some professional connection during your break — even just one conference a year or a freelance project. It signals ongoing commitment. Luna: That's a lot of burden on the individual, though. The system should change. Lucas: It should. And some of it is changing — slowly. But in the meantime, women need to know the bias exists so they can navigate around it. Luna: One thing I've noticed: when I talk to women who successfully pivoted, they all say the same thing — they stopped trying to justify the gap and started treating it as an asset. Lucas: That's a powerful reframe. If we've helped you think about your own career path — whether it's linear or zigzag — we want you to know that we deliberately keep this show ad-free. Luna: Yeah, no sponsor breaks, no commercial interruptions. It's a choice we made so the conversation stays focused on what actually helps you. Lucas: If that model matters to you, and you'd like to support it, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure — just an option for people who find value in the show. Luna: And we're grateful for every listener who's been part of these conversations. Now, back to the research — because there's one more finding that really stuck with me. Lucas: What's that? Luna: The study also looked at how women and men describe their own gaps in interviews. Women tended to downplay them — 'I was just at home' — while men framed them as entrepreneurial or strategic. Lucas: That's a huge self-inflicted penalty. The researchers called it 'narrative downgrading.' And they found it was a learned behavior — women internalize the bias and then reinforce it. Luna: So part of the fix is just awareness. Once you see the pattern, you can choose a different script. Lucas: Right. And there's a structural piece too. Companies that anonymize initial resume screening — removing dates and gaps — see a smaller penalty for non-linear paths. It's one of those simple changes that reduces bias. Luna: Have you seen any data on how long it takes for the penalty to fade? Lucas: The Harvard study followed people for eight years. For women who took a break, the promotion penalty persisted for about four years after return. It did eventually disappear — but only if they stayed in the same company. If they switched employers, the clock reset. Luna: So changing jobs after a gap is actually riskier than staying put. Lucas: According to the data, yes. The bias is strongest at the hiring stage. Once you're inside, your performance can overcome the initial perception — but you have to prove yourself all over again at a new company. Luna: That's frustrating because sometimes a fresh start is exactly what you need. Lucas: I think the takeaway is: if you do switch, be strategic about it. Target companies with returnship programs, or ones that explicitly value diverse career paths. And lean heavily on your network for warm introductions — cold applications amplify the bias. Luna: So net-net: the non-linear penalty is real, it's gendered, but it's not invincible. With the right narrative, the right sponsor, and the right company, you can navigate it. Lucas: And hopefully, over time, more companies will stop treating the ladder as the only valid path.