She Plans, They Party: Gender and Non-Core Job Tasks in High-Tech Firms

Abstract

Women employees spend more time performing tasks outside their core job description than their male colleagues, yet the nature of these non-core job tasks and their differing impact on perceived promotability is unclear. Through 32 in-depth interviews with women and gender minorities in the high-tech sector, I examine the heterogeneous nature of these tasks. I group non-core job tasks into four distinctive categories: secretarial work; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and mentoring; fun and culture building; and shadow management. I examine the mechanisms driving the disproportionate allocation of non-core job tasks to women, as well as the rewards that workers typically attribute to each type of task. I find that while DEI work can strategically enhance perceived promotability, other non-core job tasks fail to translate into career advancement opportunities. This research contributes to the literature on workplace gender inequality by identifying the categories of non-core job tasks that women perform and how they come to be responsible for these tasks. Finally, I offer potential workplace policy interventions to address inequitable task allocation practices.