Earlier in the week, a story surfaced regarding a ten-page manifesto written by a Google employee (now ex-employee), outlining his defense of a lack of female talent in the tech industry. The employee states that women are less likely to climb the ranks, with less drive for status and more focus on people, aesthetics and less likely to take a stressful job role. With only 20% of Google’s tech roles being filled by women, Google continues to find themselves under pressure regarding their failure in equality and diversity, with the US labor department finding discrimination and the rate of equal pay to be ‘quite extreme’ within the company.
Following the release of this document, Google’s CEO has expressed his intention to work on creating a more inclusive working culture and environment, stating that the points raised by the recently dismissed employee were contrary to the basic values of the company and did not represent the company’s stance in any way. With a number of female employees at Google coming forward to express their disgust at the manifesto, with some threatening to leave the company if no action was taken, it begs the question, why is gender bias still such a large issue and what can employers do to eradicate this issue? This is an issue that is not exclusive to the tech industry. With the recent BBC salary revelations, the gender inequality, equal pay, and discrimination have been very hot topics of recent.
Rethink the recruitment process – Even unintentionally, the language used in both adverts and the interview stage may lean towards one gender. Basing selection on suitability to the role, knowledge, and experience should be the key component in the selection process.
Remove the childcare stigma – To some taking time from work or adjusting your job role to tend to children can be seen as a career killer, stalling development and progression. Offering flexibility to allow both men and women to look after their family responsibilities without putting a stopper on their growth is key. Inflexibility or a disregard for work-life balance could see an employer missing out on top talent.
Nurture talent – Support staff in their goals and aspirations, clearly stating that gender is not a limitation. Discussing your employee’s goals with them and mapping out how they can achieve these goals will help your business see increased productivity and engagement.
If you would like any guidance on fighting gender bias in your company or making alterations to your recruitment process to be more inclusive, contact the HPC team:
T: 0844 800 5932
E: contact@highperformaneconsultancy.com
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