Wobot.ai: Casual Sexism and Personal Brand Crisis

In September 2021, the chief human resources officer of the video intelligence firm Wobot.ai saw a negative review on the online platform Glassdoor, which accused her of being a figurehead who achieved her leadership position only because she was the founder’s wife. Despite her numerous professional achievements, including being recognized as one of the 2019 “Shepreneurs: Women to Watch” by Entrepreneur India magazine, the chief human resources officer was shaken by the demeaning sexist remark in the glaringly public review that threatened her personal brand and the company’s reputation. The review had already deterred one potential applicant from joining the organization. The chief human resources officer considered the review a personal attack and wanted to defend her personal brand identity. She was also eager to call out offensive stereotypical remarks that could create a hostile workplace environment. However, the Wobot.ai leadership team was wondering which response strategy would be the best approach for the organization.

This case is highly relevant to human resource executives. It can guide them on the best response by the organization’s members to casual sexism in the workplace, especially with rising diversity among workplaces that increasingly represent individuals with different gender identities. The case provides direction on identifying subtle manifestations of stereotypes in the workplace and can assist leadership coaches to help leaders curate a personal brand. It is also suitable for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses on diversity and inclusion, employer branding, and personal branding. The case highlights the issues of stereotypes and prejudice in the workplace and their consequential threat to both personal and organizational brands. It discusses workplace sexism and tokenism, social media branding strategies, and the need to create a personal brand. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to<ul><li>explore and understand the implications and impact of causal sexism in the workplace on both the organization and the individual;</li><li>determine the best overall approach to create and maintain a personal brand, especially for female entrepreneurs; and</li><li>assess the response strategies and regulatory protection available on professional networking sites for an organization to protect its brand.</li></ul>

• Leadership, Tokenism, Employer Brand