International Women’s Day provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect: on the enormous strides towards equality and equity our gender has made in recent decades; and on how much further we need to go before the scales are truly balanced.
Speaking personally, I’ve seen some fantastic progress in the 15 years since I joined the sector as a recruitment consultant for an agency supplying specialist staff to ICT vendors, service providers and projects.
Back in the bad old days, circa 2009, diversity and inclusion really wasn’t a thing, when it came to hiring high tech personnel. Women were obviously welcome to apply for any and all roles going but programs and initiatives that actively targeted them? Yeah, nah, as you Aussies say!
Obviously, times have changed in the interim. Fast forward a decade or so and there’s no shortage of research to prove what many of us always suspected: that businesses benefit on all fronts when workforces become more diverse.
Making Diversity and Inclusion My Mission
Since switching from agency to client side 11 years ago, I’ve been on a mission to increase female participation in the workforce at BeyondTrust, the global leader in identity and access management solutions for enterprise clients.
As a senior talent acquisition manager, I’m uniquely placed to see what works and what doesn’t, when it comes to attracting and retaining, capable, high performing women at all career stages. Here are five of the actions and initiatives I’ve seen work, and work well, within our organisation and in the ICT sector at large.
Diverse Hiring Panels
Female candidates can find the prospect of joining a heavily male dominated organisation daunting, if not off-putting. Put them in front of an all-male interview panel and you reinforce the impression that they’ll find themselves in a minority, should they accept the role on offer. Conversely, being interviewed by a panel that includes other women and individuals from diverse backgrounds sends the message that yours is a company where everyone’s contribution is valued.
Attractive Conditions
In the post-pandemic world, remote working has morphed from nice-to-have perk into essential working condition for many individuals. The ICT industry is particularly conducive to flexible and remote working and those things are particularly important to women, given the fact that, for better or worse, they still shoulder the bulk of caring responsibilities in the average household. Respect the fact your female recruits have a life outside work and help them strike a balance, and you won’t find securing their commitment and loyalty an issue.
Employee Resource Groups
In my experience, women in ICT are generally delighted to support one another to navigate the challenges and celebrate the successes. But they need to be able to find one another first. That’s where employee resource groups have an invaluable role to play. Readymade forums in which individuals can connect with others from the same cohort, they’re a great place for new hires to find role models and likeminded peers. Establish and promote one for the women within your organisation and watch the sisterhood soar.
Company Support for DE&I Initiatives
In 2024, it’s a rare organisation that doesn’t profess to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion. But talking the talk and walking the walk are two very different things. Running a steady program of events – think diversity summits, speaker series and support for annual awareness raising days such as International Women’s Day – lets employees know that the leadership team is prepared to pay more than lip service to the concept of creating a caring, respectful culture that welcomes all comers.
Sponsorship for STEM Initiatives
Motivating more girls and women to pursue STEM based careers has long been identified as a whole-of-industry challenge. These days, there are plenty of initiatives designed to pique their interest in the primary and high school years, including Robogals and Girl Geek Academy. Providing sponsorship to your program of choice and encouraging female employees to get involved, as event organisers and mentors, means you’re doing your bit to build a pipeline of female talent. It’s good for women, the ICT sector and your reputation as a business that values female inclusion.
