Alongside technical ability, one of the most important things to consider during a job search is whether the company culture within an organisation is right for you. Whilst the role might be perfect, if the values of the business are not aligned with yours this can lead to job dissatisfaction and a decrease in productivity.

We’ve listed below some essential things to consider that will help you to determine this.

Do Your Research

When considering a company’s culture, it is essential to do your research. Do the company’s values match your own?

One way to ascertain whether the company is a right fit for you is to examine staff turnover rates; are they high? If so, why are they so high? Use sites such as Glassdoor and WorkAdvisor to read reviews about the company from previous employees. Whilst these may need to be taken with a pinch of salt, they are a good indicator of how a company treats their employees.

Another way to conduct research into a company’s culture is to look at their online presence. Does their company culture shine through? What content are they posting? Do they post about their employees? These are all questions to contemplate when scrolling through their feed.

Consider the Environment

A main aspect to company culture is how the organisation is structured.

What type of environment do you work best in? Would you prefer a more independent remote working situation, or would you rather be surrounded by other members of your team and feel constantly supported?

This also correlates with what motivates you and your career ambitions. If you are looking to climb the tech leadership ladder does the company offer opportunities for development? Are there schemes in place to help you progress in your career, for example, mentoring?

During the Interview

Not only is the interview stage about proving you have the skills and experience required for the role, it is also a chance for both prospective employer and employee to gage whether they would fit into the organisation.

As part of the interview process prospective employers should mention their company culture. If their company culture is heavily ingrained into the daily running of the organisation, then it should be effortlessly mentioned throughout the interview. If a prospective employer is proud of their company culture, they should make a point of noting it to you during the interview, if otherwise not mentioned, this is where you would ask specific questions. 

During the interview is your opportunity to fact check what you have found in your research. Go deeper than a general ‘What is the company culture like?’ and dive into the nitty gritty of how employees are treated, what strategies the business has in place to promote diversity and inclusion within its practices.

If you are a talented tech professional looking for your next role, contact us today!

The post Is The Company Culture Right For You? appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Ben discusses how we can all help to create a space for women in tech to succeed and offers top tips for people who are looking to become a mentor/mentee.

W.I.T. Republic (WR): To kick-off could you tell us a bit about what inspired you to pursue a career tech?

Bendangrenla Aier (BA): I stumbled into a career in tech, to be honest! I wanted to be an Engineer like my dad (he was a civil engineer). I choose Electronics and in my final year was offered a job as a software engineer at Infosys. I decided to give it a year before I pursue my “real career” and 15 years on, I am still here! I was motived by the ingenuity, possibility and sense of achievement that I experienced. It felt quite extraordinary to be building solutions, that make a difference to Multi-national Banks. For someone like me, who grew up in a small rural town, I felt the world of opportunities open up before me. And that sense of awe and possibilities, to this day, inspires me.

WR: Since your career began, have you noticed any changes in the industry with regard to women in tech and diverse talent?

BA: I would say that there is more awareness and proactive programs to bring in more diverse talents into technology, compared to when I started. But the status quo is still no where good enough. You see a healthy talent diversity at entry level roles, and as you progress through the levels then all of a sudden, it starts to become less diverse. This tell me that there are systematic and cultural issues, whether by design or not, in organisations and within the industry, that should be addressed to bring about real change.

On a positive note, I love that there is a true desire from most people within the industry to be diverse and inclusive. Inaction and shrugging of shoulders are no longer acceptable and I see more people holding their leaders to account and participating in social activism. There is a recognition that this is not a minority or a “them” issue but this is a collective “our” issue to resolve.

WR: You recently featured as a panellist at our recent event around actions in D&I, could you talk a bit about how we can all create a space for women in tech to succeed?

BA: It is a topic very close to my heart, not least of all because I have been very fortunate to have people, who supported me as peers, managers and mentors, throughout my career. Some simple actions that everyone, especially leaders, should do to create a space for women (everyone!) to succeed are:

1. Make sure that even the quietest person in the team is given an opportunity to speak and is heard. Many women feel that they are not heard by their team and manager, especially when it comes to technical discussions or decisions. 
2. Don’t delegate admin tasks such as note-taking, printing, scheduling meetings, organising lunch etc to women! Make sure that it is shared.
3. Find a mentor for or encourage women to find mentors to support their careers, extend their network, navigate the organisation etc.
4. Don’t assume that women would not want to lead or take on challenging projects that might require them to learn new skills, put in more time, travel, relocate etc. Make sure that equal opportunities are given to everyone.
5. Create an environment where mistakes can be made and don’t attribute the reason for mistakes to gender. Blame culture is toxic for talent to flourish.
6. Give credit and acknowledge their successes. Many people struggle with imposter syndrome and lack of confidence, and your acknowledgement of their success, can give them a boost.

Everyone has to dig into their personal resilience, when faced with challenges; but having an environment that nurtures, are essential for people to fulfil their potential.

WR: What do you think are the main benefits for both individuals and businesses of getting involved with communities like W.I.T. Republic?

BA: Communities like W.I.T. Republic creates dialogue and positive momentum for change. It is a great network of women and allies and I have been so impressed by the number of passionate people that I have met. Many women in technology, especially in start-ups and smaller companies, don’t have the support network and allies within their company. Very often they are the only women and hence can feel isolated and don’t feel that they have a safe space to voice their concerns. Communities like this, are so critical to help connect and for women to share experiences, learnings and build network. Businesses, can do well to listen and learn from the voices in these communities.

WR: You are also passionate about ‘paying it forward’ why do you think this is important to increasing the number of women in tech and how can others do the same?

BA: As a woman in Technology, I feel that I can play an important role in encouraging, motivating and championing other women in technology. I never considered myself as a role model, but it was eye opening when women come up to me and say how they have been encouraged to pursue a tech role seeing me and other women being successful in it. I realised that perhaps by championing it more deliberately, I can make a bigger impact. It is not to say, that every women face the same challenges because everyone’s career journey is unique. But there definitely are common experiences and challenges and being able to support, listen and share, does clear the path for others to navigate.

WR: As a mentor, do you have any tips for people who are looking to become a mentor/mentee?

BA: My advice to mentors is to authentic, truthful and empathetic. You don’t have to have all the answers but you can listen, empathise and be honest . Open up your network to your mentee and be an advocate for them. 

The first part is true for mentees as well. You don’t have to agree with whatever your mentor say and if the relationship is not working then don’t feel oblige to keep it going. You have the choice to seek out the best person you can have a meaningful relationship with. It takes a bit of courage to reach out to someone, especially if it’s not someone you already know, but you will be surprised by how positively people react when you ask them for mentorship. 

WR: Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received throughout your career?

BA: The best advice I have received is invest in building meaningful and authentic relationships. We spend a huge part of our lives at work and so it’s important to bring your true self to work and engage with each other at a human level. The connections you make can not only enrich your experiences in your current workplace but can also lead on to unexpected opportunities in the future.

If you would like to join Ben as part of our Q&A series, get in touch today!

The post Bendangrenla Aier, FinTech Expert appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Anna discusses the biggest opportunities for businesses and individuals when it comes to diversity & inclusion in tech and how businesses can better attract and retain female tech talent. Anna also highlights why you should get involved with community groups.

W.I.T. Republic (WR): To start, could you tell us a bit about your journey and how you got into a career within diversity and inclusion?

Anna Mäkinen (AM): It all started when I was really young; I didn’t know it was called D&I but since I was a little girl, I was always challenging gender norms and what one is supposed to do and act like. The topic was always close to my heart naturally, but when I moved to a new country, and started working as a woman in tech recruitment, my role started shaping due to those unwritten rules and expectations of society and workplaces and I didn’t really know what to do as I didn’t fit into these labels that were given to me.

During my career in People Operations and Recruitment I got to know that I wasn’t the only one feeling isolated and perhaps because of my lived experiences having been bullied, discriminated, talked over, and harassed, I’ve always felt this sense of responsibility to do something about injustice.

Seeing the cold hard facts and statistics of the lack of diversity within tech, I knew that a change was needed, and I wanted to be part of the change, so I wanted to understand how I can make a difference. Not only because of my gender but any other characteristics I have. This passion has led me to my dream job within Diversity and Inclusion.

WR: What is your perception about diversity in tech pre and post pandemic? What lessons should be learned from the challenges we’ve faced over the past year and a half? What could be the effect on underrepresented groups like women or ethnic minorities?

AM: It’s a well-known fact that underrepresented groups have had the biggest negative impact due to covid-19.

In recent years, Diversity and Inclusion as a function has significantly progressed. In times of crisis, D&I can often be seen as a bolt-on or a ‘nice to have’ when in fact, inclusion becomes even more relevant and important than in less turbulent times.

There is now an opportunity for employees in some companies to truly be their authentic selves. Like never before, employees are getting to know colleagues in different ways; whether it is learning about their family, home life, preferred ways of working, hobbies or interests but also sharing the struggles of mental health. Because home and work life have become so intertwined, most people have realised you never know what someone is going through. Organisations who have acted in the interest of their employees, customers, and communities, will enhance their employer brand and sense of belonging significantly which is a step to the right direction especially for us in underrepresented groups.

WR: Looking more broadly, what are the biggest opportunities for businesses and individuals when it comes to diversity & inclusion in tech?

AM: Innovation, reshaping the “norms”, culture transformation, future of work, growth, and well-being. When we take D&I seriously it creates clear business and individual benefits that reflects the society that we live in.

WR: What advice do you have for businesses of all sizes, who are looking to develop and implement a D&I strategy?

AM: Firstly, none of this is easy as D&I is not a tick box exercise – it’s all about continuous development and it’s a journey we’re all in for the rest of our lives.

If I have to say one thing to get started with; it all starts with ourselves. We need to be self-aware and interested in changing our own behaviours and attitudes.

D&I strategies are about cultural, mind set and mentality change. All of us can be role models, not only business leaders but anyone reading this, you have someone looking up to you, whether it’s your family member, friend, mentee, client, applicant: your attitude towards D&I matters.

Building D&I programs/initiatives must be integrated throughout organisations, they can’t stay just within Recruitment or HR. Senior leadership buy in and appetite for change is needed.

D&I strategies often start with gender without realising the importance on intersectionality (race & ethnicity, disability, age, neurodiversity etc); make sure you are not assuming or labelling people for the sake of it, but always offer support and be curious to learn, and unlearn. Do this by actively listening, particularly to underrepresented groups.

WR: How can businesses ensure they are not only attracting female tech talent, but also retaining them?

AM: Recognize that retention starts with recruitment and onboarding starts within recruitment; inclusion doesn’t stop once you’ve hired someone. As is the case with any steps of talent management processes, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Creating the right environment for an individual to work in will improve their performance and is linked closely to their happiness.

Inclusion is a fundamental part of a high performing culture and to staying ahead of your competitors.

It is useful to understand the reasons why people leave your organisation. The reasons might simply be more attractive opportunities elsewhere including the ability to reshape lifestyles, but many people leave their jobs because they are dissatisfied with their current situation. It’s insightful to review salary and benefits, work life balance and opportunity to work flexibly, as well as access to training and development opportunities. Quite often the reasons people leave are also the fact that leaders and managers invalidate promoting diversity and inclusion through their behaviours.

Retention strategies are all about creating an organisational structure and framework that encourages inclusivity so make sure you involve your employees when taking decisions that affect them and make sure that your employees can perform at their best.

WR: What changes would you like to see in the tech space in the coming years? What changes would you like to see in the way recruitment is done to empower underrepresented groups?

AM: I would like to see D&I becoming business as usual in all sectors, but especially in the tech space since tech is everywhere. I’d like to see authentic change that encourages and is inspired by all the diversity we human beings have. I want to see more diversity in board rooms, more investment to female founders, more girls studying and graduating within STEM and a more welcoming culture for all of us.

My goals are about D&I awareness and actions again, so not only does the tech sector have to have the right policies and processes in place and use the right language and tone so it can first of all be successful with inclusive sourcing and shortlisting, but also there should be a great focus on training, collaboration, allyship, and network support groups.

For years now we have seen that tech firms need to go where the talent is, not only the other way around and make jobs accessible to all.

We’ll be on the right track when we see more representation and active empowerment of underrepresented groups.

WR: As the D&I Director for Women in Tech, what do you think are the main benefits of getting involved in community groups for both women and men when it comes to improving D&I in tech?

AM: Our community is accessible for all, and it is a safe place where anyone interested in creating better equality for us women in tech globally can network, search for jobs, find mentors and coaches and share best practise, lessons learned and thought leadership content.

It has been the one place where I found my sense of belonging and realized that I am not alone with my imposter syndrome, and I am respected as I am.

A community driven platform creates opportunities and networks I would have never thought were possible to me.

WR: Finally, what do you know now that you wish you had known when you became D&I Director at Women in Tech?

AM: I was in my bubble thinking everyone is interested in changing mind sets and creating more equality in the workplace, not only for women in tech but with an intersectional lens. I was also naïve in thinking how quickly change would happen. We still have much more to do in order to hold organisations and their leaders accountable.

We have an amazing community and it’s great to collaborate with such organisation that takes this agenda so seriously.

Lip service just won’t do it and sometimes conversations around D&I when you are trying to change peoples’ mind sets can be overwhelming and tiring.

People are starting to take D&I very seriously, however it’s not on every organisation’s agenda and we all react to change differently. This is where all of us need to do more as we must hold people accountable.

We all carry our inclusive leadership shadow everywhere we go.

If you’d like to join Anna and participate in our Q&A series, get in touch today!

Global Inclusion Standard: https://theclearcompany.co.uk/clear-assured/

The post Anna Mäkinen, Director of D&I at Women In Tech appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Many of the fantastic women who have participated in our W.I.T. Republic Q&A series discuss what they think businesses can do to encourage more women into a career in the industry.

We’ve taken on board their advice and listed some key things to look out for and consider when searching for your next role, that will help you to determine which companies truly care about your experience as a woman in tech within their business.

Inclusive Work Culture

During the hiring process one of the best ways to identify whether a company values the experience of their female engineers is to look at their leadership team. Do they advocate for women in the company and promote women to senior leadership positions? Research conducted by IDC suggests that companies are more likely to offer equal pay and have a higher job satisfaction rate where 50% or their senior leadership positions are held by women.

Representation in leadership roles is key as it highlights the career progression opportunities within the company.

Ask what initiatives they have within the organisation to empower women. Is there a mentorship program available? To learn more about the benefits of mentorship, take a listen to our podcast episode with Irina Ioana Brudaru, Executive Coach/Advisor at Codette.

Flexible Working Opportunities

Does the company you are interviewing for offer flexible working opportunities?

Whilst the pandemic has highlighted the potential for working remotely, research suggests that even prior to the events of the previous year, being able to work flexibly was a high priority for women in tech. One study found that 76% of women in the industry believed that offering flexible working opportunities would make them stay with their organisation longer.

Diversity Focus

One way to ascertain whether a company is committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive environment for women in tech is to look not only at their internal processes and procedures but also their external activities. They can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?

Do they attend diversity events in the industry? Are they working solely with recruitment companies who are committed to increasing the number of female software engineers in the industry?

Thinking about these three aspects when interviewing for a new role will help you to choose the right company for you.

If you are a talented tech professional looking to find your next role, speak to our specialist consultants today!

The post How to Choose a Company that Values Your Experience as a Woman In Tech appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Further findings from this study show that 56% of women do believe their company is attempting to close the gender gap, at the moment this is still mostly half-hearted, which they think needs to change.

Not only should companies be acting on employing more women, they also need to invest time in nurturing their female talent. Diversity and equality are much more than just a number.

One of the most problematic findings from this study, was that women feel it’s harder for them to re-enter the technology industry after a break, and that this is actually detrimental to their career progression. They mentioned feeling that they lack support when re-entering the industry.

Gillian Tans, CEO of Booking.com, commented on this study – “Women bring tremendous value that can positively impact both tech companies and the industry globally and should be part of proactive initiatives focused on inclusivity, retention and skills development.”

Overall, considering more than half of women in the industry are more than happy to get involved and help accelerate their company’s diversity drives, this should be considered more of a priority than it currently is.

What are your thoughts?

If you’re looking for your dream role in tech, get in touch with our specialist teams for a confidential chat today!

Source: https://www.itpro.co.uk/business-strategy/33301/diversity-not-a-company-priority-claim-nearly-half-of-women-in-tech

The post Is Equality a Priority for Tech Firms? appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Jo highlights that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach that businesses can implement in order to increase diversity in tech.

To listen to the full interview, watch the video below!

Third Republic (TR): Could you tell us about how you got into a career in tech and where it all started?

Jo Stansfield (JS): When I went to university, I studied physics and tried to weave in as much computer science as possible, there was one project that completely nailed my interest in tech; from that moment on I knew what I wanted to do. We had to build a simulation of two galaxies colliding, which combined my physics interest with my desire to learn more about computers and solve real-world problems. It made me realise that computer software is such a powerful tool; you can explore things that you could never actually do in real life and find answers to big, challenging questions.

My first job was in an engineering firm. I was working in a defense company doing simulated battlefields, it was fascinating; to understand the factors in that environment which mean something is either effective or not effective. It was an amazing first job which really set the scene for the rest of my career because I had such broad responsibilities. As well as writing the software, I was analyzing output and project managing, so it really gave me a broad coverage of skills.

TR: What do you think businesses can do to encourage more women to get involved in tech?

JS: That’s an interesting one because I think there are two sides to that question. There are lots of things that businesses can do to look more attractive but it’s important that businesses take responsibility to actually be a better place for women to work as well.

In terms of highlighting what’s attractive about the business, I think role models are really important; showing women who people can relate to doing a whole range of jobs really helps to inspire and open up imagination to possibilities. That can be through career events, or it could be outreach in schools. Even in the way that they present themselves online through their websites.

But the company culture internally also has to be a good place for women to work, otherwise, it’s unethical. It’s really important to be focusing on what the business can do to build a place where women have got equal progression opportunities, equal fulfilment in their careers. The goal is that you enter into that virtuous cycle where women in the company become advocates for the company.

TR: What have you found to be your biggest challenge when starting out in your career in software engineering?

JS: I had a tough time finding what my next role would be after the aerospace firm. I was looking what felt like ages for a role that would work with me. I was making lots of applications but getting lots of rejections saying; ‘we love what your CV says, but you’ve not got enough experience’. I’m sure this is a familiar feeling, to lots of people early in their careers, but how do you get that foot on the rung to actually get enough experience that they’ll take you seriously even for a junior role? I ended up taking a job that I did have some doubts about, but it did tick the box of experience. Whilst it wasn’t what I was looking for, it did give me that experience I could talk about in my interviews. It was a learning experience and helped me to focus with future jobs for what I found important.

TR: What was it that made you transition from software engineering into diversity, and becoming a global lead in the space?

JS: It’s quite a long path between being a software engineer and being what I am now. Many, many years in the interim; I developed my career as a software engineer and then became a product manager. Over time, I was getting much more interested in the interplay between people and products; having that higher level view of how this product is satisfying the needs of customers.

But the thing that was really the trigger moment, was when I went on maternity leave. I’d been quite used to working in an industry where there were not many women and sometimes, I felt like being the only woman in the team helped me to stand out a bit. But when I was on maternity leave it changed my attitude completely. I’d been busy thinking, ‘other women just aren’t like me, this isn’t the kind of thing that they like’. Then on maternity leave, I met a whole bunch of women who were doing tech jobs and it just dawned on me; women are amazing. It struck me as completely absurd that I was sitting in baby groups, and it was then that I met women who have similar interests to me rather than in my professional life.

There’s clearly women out there who are interested in tech and extraordinarily capable. So why do we not see any of them in work? Roll forwards a couple of years, I was beginning to take more leadership responsibility at work. It occurred to me that I’d really love to learn a lot more deeply about the things that were becoming important to me. I signed up to take a master’s degree online, in organizational and business psychology, so that I could have a really rigorous basis to my understanding about why this is happening.

Businesses are getting much more aware now, actually, of the importance of having diversity and inclusion, and really casting the net a lot wider to find talented people. It needs to start at the top and ripple down, really, and from what I see, there’s loads of good intention there. But lots and lots of implementation still to happen.

TR: What do you think the benefits are of being a mentor for women in tech?

JS: I’ve been a mentor for a couple of women over the past few years. It’s immensely personally fulfilling, and I was surprised just how helpful my experience could be to somebody else. I was involved in a programme called TechUp for women, which is run by a few universities in the north of England led by Professor Sue Black.

It was a phenomenal experience, seeing somebody come to understand new technologies, learn new skills, and to be able to give them advice on how their previous experience might relate to their current role. I’d massively recommend it to anybody. I’d say that the mentors that are most helpful are often the people that who are only a step above their mentee, as they are somebody you can aspire to be.

TR: What do you think, are the most effective diversity initiatives that businesses could implement to help encourage a more diverse workplace?

JS: The advice I’d give an organisation is to start off by understanding where they’re at, take a step back, and really use the data that they’ve got about their employees – if you haven’t got that data, run some focus groups, some interviews – to understand what it’s like for diverse people within the organisation. Then to understand as an organisation, how does improving diversity and inclusion align to the business goals? From there, build a strategy that’s going to take you in the direction towards what you want to achieve. That strategy and understanding of where we are and where we want to be, is where the most effective initiatives come from.

TR: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that has stayed with you, throughout your career?

JS: When I become a Head of Product, I had a coach who was extremely helpful. At the time I was having quite a lot of conflict at work, and he really helped me to frame the situation differently. To look at the way I was feeling, not as something about the situation, but about something that I can control. The situation happens, that’s how it is, but my reaction is down to me. To be bit more introspective to say, ‘What is it that I need that I’m not getting? I don’t need to control the whole situation; I can just identify what do I need to change so that I’m having this particular need met. It’s also the same when working with others; what are they needing that’s not happening for them in this situation, and then helping them.

If you would like to join Jo in our #WomenInTechQA series, get in touch today!

The post Jo Stansfield, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Seat belts provide a classic example. Once the age of the car was established enough for women to be driving, they almost immediately refused to transport their children—and themselves —at hitherto unknown speeds without better safety measures (e.g., seatbelts). Women’s perspective and priorities made cars safer for everyone.

A more recent and key example comes from Apple, one of the world’s biggest brands. When Apple first released its Health App with the intent of making almost every aspect of your body’s daily functions quantifiable, there was no sign of a menstrual or reproductive cycle tracker—something that women have been doing “analog” (which in this instance means counting on a calendar) since time immemorial.

Once this was pointed out, the company almost immediately rectified the situation, adding these features into the design. Still, it couldn’t hide the fact that it had effectively forgotten about women.

This scenario demonstrates that it makes no difference how much money or resources you have to throw at a problem: Without a varied and diverse team, you can make glaring mistakes and miss huge opportunities. The level to which the STEM industry is male-dominated is the precise size of opportunity for female-designed products.

Diversity increases creativity, and (most importantly to STEM) innovation. Combining this demand for untapped talent in a hugely lucrative sector with the thousands of brilliant girls and women ready to break the poverty cycle in developing nations, creating the potential for a match made in heaven.

It is essential that relevant corporations and organizations are proactive in creating opportunities for the STEM women of the future. And research shows the best way to do this is to start early. A huge 70% of girls are interested in STEM subjects, but 70% of those then self-select away by age 11 as the result of a lack of confidence in math. By supporting young girls’ interest in STEM, educators and parents can provide them with the confidence to explore that huge range of possibilities.

NRG Energy sponsors a competition called FIRST. Students fund, design, brand, build, and program industrial-size robots, which they then compete against each other. The contest makes funds available to children who can’t afford college, providing approximately $50 million of scholarships each year. From this, 33% of female participants have gone on to study engineering, and more than 75% of FIRST alumni are either studying or currently employed within a STEM profession.

Aside from competitions, there are solutions that are applicable at an even earlier age. Some STEM toys already target children at an earlier stage. Although toys that teach coding are nothing new, the majority has been designed by men and therefore tend to appeal to boys. What we need is tech by both women and men.

For example, SmartGurlz offers educational toys targeted at young girls. The dolls highlight the simplicity of play-learning adaptation by combining a tablet app with robotic “dolls” on self-balancing scooters. Young women can be coding within 60 sec. The app features games and requires basic coding to control the robot. It mixes the inspiring and attractive doll-type characters with math, logic and programming skills, all the while keeping a child engaged.

If you take nursing as an example of an industry where the workforce is primarily female, endless possibilities are created when more of that workforce comes from a technological background. Streamlined processes, technological developments, and machine optimization were all inspired by the people doing the work, with technological knowledge and patient care at its heart.

Prior to founding the dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe co-founded Tinder. It was her experiences after leaving Tinder and the online bullying she was subjected to while going through a high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit, that planted the seed for Bumble—to stop what happened to her happening to others.

“The reason I started Bumble was because I wanted a solution to the experience I went through and it was something that I could see many women face. So, I built a dating app where only women could make the first move, and we built a brand that was built on the foundations of female first, empowerment, and respect.”

If we return to our earlier examples, it’s clear that encouraging young girls into STEM industries and subjects will benefit not just all women, but everyone. The call out is for companies to act now and benefit later—or risk falling behind and stagnating—while more diverse, vibrant (and feminine) workforces flourish.

To read the full article, click the link below.

source: https://www.machinedesign.com/automation-iiot/article/21837035/why-women-will-be-driving-the-future-of-techand-how

The post Women To Drive the Future of Tech appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Just 23% of the people working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) roles across the UK are female – and only 5% of leadership positions in the technology industry are held by women.

In fact, women only account for around 16.8% of total workers in the UK’s tech sector. And the proportion of women working in specialist roles falls as seniority rises.

Female IT business analysts, architects and system designers falls to 14.1% and further still to just 12.5% of programmers and software developers, according to data from the Office of National Statistics.

Furthermore, 78% of students in a recent PWC study couldn’t name a single famous female working in technology and only 3% of females claim a career in tech would be their first choice. 

Despite the fact that women accounted for over half (57%) of students enrolled in higher education in 2018, women were a considerable minority in Engineering and Technology (17.6%) and Computer Science (17.7%).

Around one million women would have to be recruited to work within the UK technology sector in order to reach true gender parity.

How can this gender gap be closed? There are many ways girls can be encouraged to give IT a go. Parents of daughters can play a part by introducing stories about strong female role models, especially those in tech such as Katherine Johnson who helped NASA fly people to the moon. And Further Education establishments should find ways to entice girls into IT.

But what can businesses do to attract more females into these traditionally male dominated roles and sectors?

     •   Get your recruitment right
     •   Avoid ticklist job ads
     •   Female-friendly interview
     •   Diversity-first website

Last year there were around 600,000 unfilled tech job vacancies in the UK, alongside a shortfall of women leaving university with appropriate qualifications. The UK’s tech industry is therefore facing the dual challenge of hiring employees with much-needed skills and narrowing the gender gap in an overwhelmingly male sector.

Workplace parity will only be achieved when ability, experience, attitude and passion is the deciding factor in determining who is the best person for the job – not who will fit in with the IT stereotype of ‘boys and geeks.’

Are you interested in a career in tech or looking for your next role? Get in touch with our specialist teams for a chat about our services today! You can also sign up to our Women in Tech meetup group here.

Read the full article at: https://www.itproportal.com/features/how-to-close-the-it-gender-gap

The post Closing the Gender Gap in IT appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

And whilst the digital skills gap is an undeniable problem for the worlds of business and technological innovation alike, it is not the only gap within organisations today. An increasingly burgeoning problem is – simply put – the number of women in tech. Or, more specifically, the lack thereof.

A report by PwC on the role of women in tech in the UK revealed that, in STEM fields, women only accounted for 15 percent of employees. Perhaps more distressing is the fact that only 15.8 percent of undergraduates in STEM fields are women, and a quarter of students say they’ve actively been put off a career in technology because it’s too male dominated.

With this in mind it doesn’t seem surprising that after peaking in 1991 at 36 percent, the rate of women in computing roles has been in steady decline.

There are more than enough facts and figures on the topic, and we could spend the majority of this post reeling them off, but they all say the same: there simply aren’t enough women in tech today, nor has there ever been.

Whether you’re looking at start-up founders, investors or people in computing and technical roles, women often find themselves in rooms full of men. Is it any wonder, then, that it’s called a “boy’s club” and the word “programmer” has become synonymous with “brogrammer”?

It’s at this point you might be thinking that the title of this article is tastelessly blasé: evidently, based on what’s already been said, the gender gap in tech is a monumental problem and not one that should be jokingly pushed aside for the sake of a witty title.

But bear with me, because I am in no way trying to discredit the very real problem that the tech industry faces. What I am trying to do is show that, by focusing efforts on closing the gender gap, we might also be able to solve the issue of the digital skills shortage.

In a world where there is already a severe lack of digital skills, which is halting critical digital transformation initiatives and having negative ramifications on business revenue, are the two related?

Could increasing the number of women in tech alleviate the burden that is being created by the shortage of tech workers in general?

There are probably thousands of women who could – and should – enter the world of tech, and there are definitely thousands of technology jobs that businesses are desperately trying to fill in order to transform their organisations.

From a purely mathematical standpoint, therefore, it’s not a massive jump to say that increasing the number of women in tech would reduce the number of unfilled technology related vacancies, because there would be more talent in this skills short industry. Clearly, we can’t afford to be isolating an entire gender when businesses are already struggling to source the talent they desperately need.

Now there have been numerous commentaries on how the gender gap can be rectified; from keeping early years experiences as gender neutral as possible to harnessing the rise of blockchain, everyone has an opinion on what can be done to address the imbalance.

Clearly, there is no one sure fire way of how to increase the number of women working in tech – if there were, you’d want to hope that something had been done about it already. So, we’re not here to say we’ve worked out how to fix the gender issue, or the digital skills shortage by that matter, but more of an emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that addressing one could have a positive impact on the other. 

So, whilst there may not be an easy solution or a simple reason as to why there are so few women in the world of tech one thing is for sure: an inability to recognise the growing gender disparity in the industry will only continue to propagate the dire digital skills shortage that is wreaking havoc on almost every business today. 

To learn more about the tech roles that we have, get in touch with our specialist consultants. 

The post The Gender Gap in Tech: Problem or Solution? appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Millennials, who will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025, are over two times more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than previous generations. In addition, 12% of millennials identify as transgender or nonbinary. However, there is still significant work to be done to ensure a feeling of support and inclusion in the workplace.

While we acknowledge there is more work to be done, let’s take a closer look at a few ways we can all support our transgender and nonbinary colleagues at work right now: 

1. Use inclusive language

Word choice matters. We acknowledge language is fluid and the list of terms here does not encompass the full range of identities of the global transgender community. Here are some key terms to understand: 

• Gender: Gender refers to the traditional or stereotypical roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes a given society considers appropriate for men and women. 
• Sex: Refers to the designation of a person at birth as either “male” or “female” based on their anatomy (e.g. reproductive organs) and/or their biology (e.g. hormones).
• Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth. For example, you are assigned male at birth but identify as a woman.
• Cisgender: A person whose self-identity conforms with the gender assignment of their biological sex. For example, you are born male and identify as a man.
• Gender identity: A person’s innate, deeply-felt psychological identification as a man, woman, or any other gender. 
• Sexual orientation: A term used to refer to who you’re attracted to and/or want to have romantic relationships with. Can be with the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender identity. 
• Gender expression: Gender expression refers to the external manifestation of a person’s gender identity, which may or may not conform to socially-defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.
• Gender diverse: A general term for individuals who do not identify with the traditional “male” and “female” categories; these individuals may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.
• Transitioning: The process some transgender people go through to begin living as the gender with which they identify, rather than the sex assigned to them at birth. This may or may not include hormone therapy, sex affirmation surgery, and other medial procedures. The exact steps involved in transitioning varies from person to person. 
• Nonbinary: Recognizes a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine and can exist outside of the (accepted cultural) gender binary. 
• Gender Nonconforming (GNC): Denoting or relating to a person whose behavior or appearance does not conform to prevailing cultural and social expectations about what is appropriate to their gender. 

2. Be mindful of pronouns

Be mindful of pronouns when referring to individuals. As a best practice, be sure to share your pronouns and ask others for their pronouns upon introduction, as opposed to assuming. In addition, when telling stories about someone in the past, be sure to use and respect their present self-identified name and pronouns.

As an anonymous member of Transgender and Gender Nonbinary subgroup of Outforce, our employee resource group (ERG) of allies in diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity, shares: “People often take mental shortcuts when deciding what pronouns to use. However, not everyone identifies the way that they look. Having my pronouns front and center in all of our systems reduces the burden of constantly having the pronoun conversation, and calling attention to my identity.” 

3. Lead with respect and courtesy

“The best way to be an ally to a transgender or nonbinary colleague is to make yourself aware of their pronouns, identity, educate yourself through numerous resources, and respect it. As a trans individual, it can be very scary to call folks out for using the incorrect pronoun. A true ally is proactive, holds team leaders and colleagues accountable when they misgender someone and help to educate the team by insisting on diversity training,” said MK Underwood, Global Marketing Specialist, Quip and Outforce Womxn leader at Salesforce.

4. Offer gender-inclusive policies and benefits

Salesforce strives to build the most comprehensive and inclusive policies, benefits, and procedures. While they recognize there is much more to be done to support the community, some of the inclusive best practices they offer include:

• Gender identity and expression is a protected characteristic in our anti-discrimintaion and anti-harassment policies 
• Inclusive healthcare coverage for transgender and gender-nonconforming employees, including fertility, surrogacy, adoption, parental leave, gender affirmation surgery options and more. 
• Education on gender identity and expression, the issues affecting the transgender community, and how to demonstrate respect toward the community
• Comprehensive benefits coverage for transitioning employees for U.S. employees
• Use of appropriate name and pronouns
• Pronouns included in email signatures 
• An option to add your pronouns on your business cards
• To regularly examine and update all existing documents, policies, and procedures to remove all gender-specific language 
• Access to gender-neutral and/or single-stall restrooms
• Transgender and Gender Nonconforming and Queer Womxn employee resource group (ERG) subgroups

5. Continue to educate yourself

It is our privilege and responsibility as humans to continue to educate ourselves about the communities outside of our own. We are all on a learning journey and it is this exploration that strengthens our collective culture inside and outside of our company. 

An important note: before going to a member of the community to ask them questions about their particular affinity group, do the work as an ally to educate yourself first.

Here are some resources to get you started: check out Trans Lifeline, National Center for Transgender Equality, GLAAD, Out & Equal, and the Human Rights Campaign (to name a few), read books written by LGBTQ+ authors, and watch movies by LGBTQ+ directors.

Read the full article using the link below.

source: https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2020/06/5-ways-support-transgender-people-work.html

The post 5 Ways to Support the Transgender Community at Work appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.