INVISIBLE FILTERS: HOW DIGITAL AND HUMAN BIAS SHAPE WOMEN’S JOB SEARCH IN HIGH-TECH. EXPLORING ORGANIZATIONAL GATEKEEPING, AI TOOLS, AND THE GENDERED HIRING EXPERIENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE
INVISIBLE FILTERS: HOW DIGITAL AND HUMAN BIAS SHAPE WOMEN’S JOB SEARCH IN HIGH-TECH. EXPLORING ORGANIZATIONAL GATEKEEPING, AI TOOLS, AND THE GENDERED HIRING EXPERIENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Author(s): Pinto Zeala
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences
Published by: Editura Universităţii »Alexandru Ioan Cuza« din Iaşi
Keywords: digital age; gender bias; high-tech industry; AI recruitment tools; digital discrimination; women in leadership;
Summary/Abstract: Despite the growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion, women continue to face disproportionate challenges in securing leadership and technical roles within the high-tech sector. This study explores the job-seeking phase through an organizational lens, revealing how both human and algorithmic biases perpetuate gender disparities. Drawing on qualitative interviews with women professionals in high-tech—including VPs, HR leaders, and mid-career candidates—this research surfaces patterns of exclusion masked by seemingly neutral recruitment practices. Participants reported being asked inappropriate questions about motherhood and travel commitments, while others described feeling "out of the loop" despite holding senior roles in global firms. The study also examines the unintended consequences of digital hiring platforms and AI-driven applicant tracking systems, which may reinforce rather than reduce bias. By combining empirical insights with contemporary literature on digital governance, algorithmic decision-making, and gender inequality in hiring, the paper calls for more transparent and inclusive recruitment systems. It proposes actionable organizational strategies to ensure equitable access to high-tech careers in the digital age.

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