Women in Tech: How HR Can Foster Gender Equality in Tech Workplaces

When we look to the future as HR professionals, we see one indisputable fact: how we treat our staff matters. Human Resources is an integral part of a company’s success. A well-run HR department lays the groundwork for helping our organizations thrive.

VP of People Operations, Paola Martinez, says: “The great thing about HR is that it focuses on talent; it focuses on the person. And people are what run companies, people are the backbones of companies, the foundations of companies.” 

Developing a robust company culture and the unique talents of your employees set your team apart from the competition.  These key elements help your company stand out from the crowd—and attract top talent.

A people-first approach paves the way for increased retention, performance, and role fulfillment from start to finish. It’s not enough to act as “human resources managers.” To not only grow but flourish, we must truly be resources for our humans.

So what can we do to help our companies succeed, not only today but in the long term? 

Diversity and inclusion are key. Having a more diverse, inclusive workplace refreshes our perspectives and revolutionizes our ability to problem solve. When it comes to tech organizations, gender inequity is a great place to start.

According to a report by Trust Radius, a stunning 72% of women in tech find themselves outnumbered two-to-one in meetings. A quarter found that the ratio was closer to five-to-one. It’s not a “gut feeling” and it’s not a “women’s issue:'' it's a pervasive gap in the industry.

We need to improve gender inclusion in tech if we want to reap the rewards of boosted revenue, innovation, and retention. This means cultivating workplaces where women aren’t just present, but where they’re heard, valued, and empowered. 

When it comes to creating healthy workplaces for women, we need to consider several key points: bias, beliefs, and behaviors.

First, let’s identify what gender bias and sexism look like. It’s important to recognize that they present as more than outright harassment. The problem is a subtler one. Deeply rooted discrimination, prejudice, and microaggressions are often unconscious, and thus hard to change.

Examples include the ways we perceive workplace behavior. A recent article by Cornell University makes a vital point: the difference between “bossy” and “assertive.” For the same action, women are perceived as “aggressive, controlling” while men are seen as “bold leaders.”

This unintentional bias is a result of our innate beliefs about gender. Paola doesn’t think that these beliefs are something you leave at the door, to pick back up when you return to the office. “That is something that comes from within, and what your values are as a person.”

We carry our values with us everywhere we go. When we adjust our perspectives on gender in the workplace, our perspectives outside of work also shift for the better.

The tricky thing about tackling gender bias at work is that it permeates so many parts of an organization. Our beliefs affect our behavior, and this behavior can lead to the hostile work environment we’re all trying to avoid. For our DEI strategies to work, HR needs to tackle each area: harmful beliefs, harmful behaviors, and the harmful policies that support them. 

We know that gender bias exists, and we see how it affects our organizations at every level. How can a Human Resources department make meaningful change to such a pervasive problem?

Paola believes that this webinar for HR managers is a great tool for jumpstarting progress:

“We have to be conscious of building that awareness, to bring it to the table, to talk about it, to not make it a taboo. . . to specifically start targeting sections of the company or specific behaviors that can be going on in different areas that can help you improve gender equality in the workplace.”

But starting the conversation isn’t enough.

For HR initiatives on gender equity to stick, Paola notes that it’s essential to have your company executives fully on board. To accomplish this, HR needs to be equipped with the right information. What’s the business case for gender equity? How does gender bias hurt the bottom line?

Paola recalls past employers being disinterested in gender equity because they thought that it didn’t impact revenue or performance:

“The response I got was ‘We are here to make such-and-such product. Everything else is extra and is going to take time out of the manufacturing process, so convince me why we need it.’ So sometimes what we have to do is bring to the table why and what do we get out of all of this?”

HR needs to make it clear that gender bias is everyone’s concern. When women are stifled, they’re unable to contribute to the company’s success. They’re unable to grow in their roles and in the organization. When women miss out, we all miss out--not only on valuable input, but on our employees’ ultimate potential. 

Ready to cultivate an equitable workplace for women in tech? Our webinar for HR managers can help you get started. And if you’re looking for team members who are in it for the long haul, Jobsity’s got you covered there, too. 

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