Gender Diversity
'Best Practices' to improve gender diversity in the technology sector.
Many companies claim to be working on gender diversity, but is that really the case? At Clusity, we like to stick to the facts, so we take a closer look: what does gender diversity really mean, why is it important and how can technology companies make a positive impact.
Gender diversity means that men and women (and everything in between) are equally represented in the workplace, from entry-level positions to leadership roles. And that's important because research shows that gender diversity brings different perspectives, experiences and (social) skills, leading to better problem solving and more innovation.
Women are still underrepresented within technology companies, and by encouraging and supporting women in the industry, these companies can quickly benefit themselves. One way to do this is by offering coding courses, organizing networking events and ensuring that recruitment is fair and unbiased. Gender diversity is an important first step toward diversity that is crucial to a balanced workplace.
So gender diversity is also important for men
From Clusity, it's hard for us to give an "objective" answer here. Therefore, we like to quote from a study by Hays, the global leader in recruitment and staffing solutions: "The existence of gender-diverse policies has a positive impact on both men and women. Findings from the report show that respondents who work for a company with a diversity policy are more likely to believe that equal pay exists between men and women."
They also share "Five reasons why organizations should have gender-diverse policies" in their research:
(Ressource Hays.com)
After all, what do we see in data about the PERCEPTION of women in the workplace?
Research by Cultureamp, an employee experience platform, among 1,500 customers worldwide, shows:
Women are not satisfied with how decisions are made in the company. Only 4 in 10 women are satisfied, compared to 7 in 10 men.
Women are less likely to speak out and feel less comfortable sharing a different perspective: Only 2 in 3 women (66%) who participated in the survey feel they can express dissent without fear of negative consequences, while 8 in 10 men (80%) feel they can express dissent.
"If you want to work on gender diversity, it takes action."
An action plan in three steps
Encouraging gender diversity in the workplace requires a plan and patience. The key is: get started.
But how?
With this quick start guide, you'll immediately take the right steps in the right direction:
Assess the current status quo in your business. Understanding what you need to address is critical. Collect data through D&I surveys and pay gap analyses to gain valuable insights. Don't rely solely on conversations and anecdotes.
Once you have analyzed the data, prioritize areas for action and watch for "blind spots." Consider reviewing hiring processes or promoting diversity in promotions. Also provide internal training on unconscious bias ("unconscious bias"), alert your team and scan your internal and external communications and marketing: who do you let speak at events, what employee stories do you share, who do you quote in case studies, who is featured at team buildings, etc.?
Long-term change requires commitment and engagement from your leadership team. Gender diversity is not just an HR initiative; all team leads and managing partners in the firm must support a focus on diversity. Think of it as an ongoing process to future-proof your company.
Read our guide for tech companies: How to Future-proof Your Company through Diversity & Inclusion.
Gender diversity efforts: Solutions galore
Want to see how other companies are committed to gender diversity and that it can be done? Look no further, as there are plenty of good examples!
Women have a choice (as do men) when it comes to choosing the right employer. Thanks to platforms like Glassdoor and Comparably, they can easily get all the information they need about a company's culture. These platforms collect data so that women can make very informed decisions more than ever before. But they will also inform themselves through word of mouth within their network to make a better decision.
"Why should a woman settle for a company where she will always face headwinds because she is a woman when she can choose a company where her manager encourages and advances her?"
Some examples
Eager to inspire companies to act like forward-thinking tech companies.
Belgium
Flexso - End-to-end partner for SAP solutions.
At Flexso, they are rightly proud that already 25% of their team is made up of smart, powerful women. In 2022, they wanted to give this female talent more visibility. Throughout the year, in collaboration with Clusity, they brought different stories of women: in leadership positions, SAP experts and young professionals. Coincidence or not, during this communication campaign they saw a big increase in female candidates applying through their website. In just one year, the number of female applicants increased from 27% to a whopping 41%. Further proof that when you highlight and celebrate the talented women on your team, amazing things can happen.
Check out their inspiring stories here!
Arxus - Azure Cloud Solutions & Services from 4% to 12%.
An inclusive corporate culture is close to Arxus's heart. To give their commitment a clear framework both internally and externally, they decided to partner with Clusity to focus on female talent as a starting point. Indeed, by early 2022, 4% of their employees were women, which to them was not in line with their culture and values.
They began by analyzing their corporate culture and identifying areas for improvement. Then they launched their first steps, including sharing stories of female employees to inspire others with their passion for tech. In parallel, in collaboration with Clusity, they organized an online and a live event featuring women within the Azure Cloud environment.
Now, a year later, their focus on the issue has paid off; by early 2023, 12% of their employees are women, and as many as 40% of these women hold technical positions. We like to take this as an example of how a shift in mindset and focus (and time & energy of course), can really make a change.
"It's about accepting people as they are and taking an active role in that as a company. The main message that has stuck with me in working on our diversity and inclusion program: being aware that people have many differences, that you yourself are not the norm, and that we - as a company - want to respond to that as best we can so that everyone feels welcome."
Bo Van De Poel - HR Team Lead
International
eBay - Focus on leadership
At eBay, 42% of the workforce is female. To support and retain female talent, eBay launched the Women's Initiative Network back in 2011. This program aims to propel women into leadership positions and includes an annual event that brings together women leaders and top executives for networking and career opportunities. The initiative has been successful, as evidenced by the recent increase in the number of women in leadership positions, rising from 14% in 2011 to 34% by 2021.
https://www.ebayinc.com/company/diversity-equity-inclusion/our-numbers/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/315060/ebay-employee-gender-department-global/
Etsy - Commitment as a strong signal
Etsy values gender diversity on its team to increase the success of its products, as 80% of their customers are women. To support this, the company trained female junior developers and, along with their partners Yammer and 37 Signals, funded scholarships for women to attend summer coding programs (now called"The Recurse Center"). The three-month program was held at Etsy's offices and an equal number of men and women participated.
Etsy's CTO, Kellan Elliot-McCrea, explained that the grants demonstrated to others the company's commitment to gender diversity. Before the program, they had no means of proving their commitment to diversity to outside parties. In 2014, two years after the first grants, Etsy published data showing that 51% of employees were women, 31% in technical roles and 37% in leadership positions.
https://www.etsy.com/news/etsys-2022-social-impact-goals/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/587505/etsy-employee-gender-department-global/