Women are less likely to apply for jobs they want, even if they match the criteria

Harvard researchers ran a dummy ad on the freelance job platform UpWork asking for ‘management expertise/experience in analytical thinking’. Just 6% of qualified women applied for the highest ‘expert’ role offered, compared with 22% of qualified men. But when the advert was more precise, and stated test scores required for the role. The share of women who applied went up to 29%.