Demi Donovan at Skillfinder

Let's speed up getting to gender equality in tech

IT is still one of the industries that is faltering when it comes to gender equality - we need to pick up the pace on fixing it now. While things are slowly getting better, gender diversity will be a prerequisite for a company to thrive in the future, so it's down to everyone in the sector to stop dragging their feet on this issue.Diversity in the workforce means better financial performance and a stronger reputation, which in turn increases the quality of potential new employees.It also means diversity in skills; companies are looking for ways to distinguish themselves by adding value to their brand, product and staff.Is IT still a difficult industry for women?· Women in the IT industry find balancing work and personal life is difficult, even more so for women who have or wish to have a family.· Many women reported that adjusting to the company environment was difficult, eventually leading them to losing interest in their job.· There are only five women CEOs among 41 tech companies included in the Fortune 500 list.Why are we still focused on women in IT?The first and most obvious answer is that women and men are equal. However, it seems this alone is not enough to change the hiring process, therefore here are a few points to help incentivise hiring managers:Strengthening team dynamics: Women have a proclivity in uniting people and draw together opinions and proposals; favouring the creation of teams, participation optimisation of the decision-making process.Improved work environment: A diverse workforce better reflects a company’s client base thus providing better knowledge on consumer preference; according to Forbes, women worldwide influence up to 80% of purchase decisions.Increases revenue: According to Mckinsey&Company, if women get a chance to work at their full potential, they will add $28 trillion to the global GDP by 2025.Individually, businesses benefit from diversity and inclusion programs; A 2014 MIT study on workplace diversity noted that companies with a lower gender polarisation increased their revenue by as much as 41%.How do we attract more women?- Your job ads should reflect the image of an inclusive and welcoming culture so that women consider sending their application.- Mention specific skills that women associate with such as collaborative working style, interpersonal skills, time management, flex working hours etc…and have a clear recruitment strategy to deliver that message.- Companies should promote and implement leadership and skill development programs for women as well as be transparent about their maternity policies. - Include more women in the actual hiring process which can immediately reflect on the company’s reputation.

Active VS Passive - How to get noticed

Often discussed in human resources and recruitment, the ability to identify active and passive candidates is key to your success. How do you distinguish them?Let’s begin with the reality that the difference is not always so cut and dry. For example, passive candidates might not always be passive; they might be looking to do market research out of curiosity. The two groups often extend to unemployed, employed but looking, employed but not looking, or employed and not open to a new opportunity. All the various types of candidates noted have different motivations, interests, and a recruitment strategy has to appeal to each to find, and hire, the best candidates for a role.Whilst an active candidate is actively looking for work, this does not necessarily mean they are unemployed. The employed candidate could be looking for a whole host of reasons: concern about their current job stability, the desire for more responsibility, their employer went out of business, a dislike of their company culture or their job was outsourced. Roughly 25% of the fully-employed workplace fall into this category and most job opportunities are filled from this group as they are proactively seeking their next position.Another group of candidates open to opportunities have been nicknamed ‘tiptoers’; while not actively applying for jobs, they are preparing to move on and inquiring within their networks about opportunities. An Employee Referral Program and online profile will help your company connect with these candidates on the cusp, a group that makes up about 15% of the workforce at any given time.Passive candidates are those who are employed and not actively looking, but would consider new opportunities, including the 15% of professionals who are ‘tiptoers’, this group accounts for 75% of the workforce. The benefit of seeking a passive candidate is that they won’t be interviewing with anyone else. Be warned, however, they may be part of the 15% (the super-passive) that are NOT open to new opportunities.To successfully approach all the aforementioned groups, you need to develop an effective strategy that appeals to each of them and addresses the key points below:Development of your ‘Talent Brand’ is essential; 75% of job seekers would not accept a role with a company that has a bad reputation, even if they are unemployed.Job postings, while traditionally used for attracting active candidates, should be written with ‘tiptoers’ in mind.Social media channels are an ideal way to share your employment brand and job postings, and also proactively sourcing active and passive candidates.Employee Referral Programs should act as the primary method of recruiting semi-active candidates as they reach out to their network first and these candidates may be swayed by a friend’s advice.Going through the application and interview process to ensure it’s a positive experience. Doing so will help find and recruit the best possible candidates. Consider tailoring applications for semi-active and passive candidates with the inclusion of an online profile and scheduling interviews around employed candidates working hours.If you are having difficulty finding the right person for your organisation and have looked in all the job boards and social media channels, we can help you tap into the passive market and find the best talent!T: +44(0)203 763 9500E: info@skillfindergroup.com