To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, IT/IQ wanted to hear from the women of our team, celebrate their successes, and learn how we can continuously improve.
We decided to host an International Women’s Day forum for all the women across our offices. The forum served as a place to discuss what International Women’s Day means to the women on our team, what barriers they have faced in the recruitment industry, what barriers they see facing women in the world of IT, and how organizations can support women better.
It was a very insightful discussion. The team provided ways organizations can support women, celebrate their perspectives, and ensure they are treated equally and equitably. We’ve included three main points below.
1. Don’t Reinforce Stereotypes
Although this point may seem obvious, the evidence is there to support its reiteration. Don’t presume how a woman is going to act or react to something based on assumptions and stereotypes. In the recruitment industry, an example of this is presuming a female candidate doesn’t want to be shown more technical job opportunities because the tech industry has been traditionally male-dominated. It is these kinds of presumptions that will preserve inequality and serve as a detriment to the industry. Get to know the women you are working with and don’t omit topics because of stereotypes.
2. Embrace Women’s Strengths and Perspectives
Women have unique perspectives and strengths that are worth embracing. Whether this is a perspective on business strategy, or an aptitude for managing sales relationships, organizations can always improve by learning from the women on their teams and providing the infrastructure for them to utilize their strengths. For example, when IT/IQ’s Vancouver sales team has a challenge or an issue that they’re working through, they’ll consult Felicia, IT/IQ’s Senior Account Executive and 2019 and 2020 top salesperson, for her unique perspective and strengths.
3. Provide Organizational Support for Family Planning
Support for family planning is key to closing the wage gap between men and women. Competitive paid maternity leave helps women stay on track financially and professionally. IT/IQ’s Human Resources and Talent Acquisition Manager, Carmen, recently came back from maternity leave and is grateful for the support she received. Not only can organizations provide this type of support, but they can also embrace the women on their team who are starting families. This ensures that they feel secure in their role at the organization and are confident in their career development and earning potential despite taking the necessary time off.
Thank You
Thank you to the women of IT/IQ for letting us listen, learn, and celebrate your successes. We are grateful for the impact you have on our organization every day. These insights serve as a way for us to support you, and as a way for organizations, in general, to support and celebrate the women on their teams every day.