At ThoughtStorm, we believe that diversity is critical in technology, just like any other industry to create better and safer products and services for the benefit of society. Today we see positive evidence suggesting diverse companies perform better, have more engaged employees, enjoy better employee retention and attract stronger talent than those who do not include focus on diversity and inclusion.
ThoughtStorm has been working on implementing strategies to foster & support women in tech and encourage more women to join too! We believe that our growth in future is built upon establishing and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
Five Cultural Practices to build True Inclusivity
Many people understand there isn’t as much diversity in tech as there should be, but change won’t happen unless we make it happen. We suggest that five cultural practices can help attract and retain more women in tech.
- Let both parents’ parent- Having strong maternity and paternity policies in place is important for inclusion, but such policies are most effective if they are implemented in full and adopted by more families.
- Set a metric– Having female role models at the top of company leadership allows women to see a long-term future for themselves at an organization. Companies should set specific, measurable targets or goals for diversity in the leadership team.
- Send reinforcements- Women-specific support programs are also an important part of inclusivity. Ability to collaborate/share and support each other in this journey is a must.
- Encode creativity– Many women enter the tech sector with ambitions of making a difference in the world, not simply coding all day in front of a screen. Building workplace cultures that champion creativity and reward employees for innovative contributions — new markets, experiences, products, services, content, or processes — could retain more women in tech.
- Meet on their terms– Deliberately scheduling more inclusive events at more convenient times, possibly during work hours, would allow busy employees juggling other commitments to attend, ultimately boosting women’s aspirations and sense of belonging.
In today’s uncertain times, technology companies need to attract and nurture the best and brightest employees. Critical to meeting this demand is an inclusive environment in which women can learn about and work and grow in tech. An inclusive environment is essential to help people grow and succeed — and gives the team a winning strategy to strengthen the workplace environment and culture and our global economy overall.
