How not to recruit Women in Tech (or The secret of recruiting Women in Tech)

Writing this as its “International Women’s Day”.  A day to celebrate women all over the world and as a woman working in the Tech Industry my feed is swamped with conversations about women in Tech, how to interest us, get us onboard and give us a “seat at the table”.

At the autumn introduction, at our company, 11 of our 17 new starters were women. We have a fantastic CEO, who happens to be a woman and an equal management team. On this day I stop to reflect what we do differently to attract this “holy grail” that we women seem to be.  So – in the spirit of sharing, adding value and all of the above – here’s me sharing our top 3 insights.

1. Do not marginalize!

Personally, I’d never apply for a job that is advertised for women specifically. I do my share of “women networking events” but more often than not, I end up disappointed and sad realizing that women still get downgraded to “baby makers” and mothers (which by the way is one of the most awesome jobs in the world) instead of asked relevant questions related to their career or added value for me in the audience.

I am an individual, a person who does not like to be marginalized – due to my race, heritage, gender or what the reason might be.

2. Culture

Start from within. Focus on building a culture that is open to diversity. And put your back in to it. When in management, you set the agenda and you will have to lead by example – What sort of language do we accept? How do we promote from within? Are women equally represented on the management team, as managers and on the board?

Work with identifying your core values and most importantly what they mean to you as a business, as well as for the individuals within the company.

3. Put diversity on the agenda

Instead of singling the issue of equality out; focus on diversity and again, mean it if you say it!

In conclusion, Yes – Equality is a very important question. Things need to change, but not by throwing on a Band-Aid, but by starting from within.