How can HR and leadership teams build a safe space for women in tech to grow and thrive? More often than not, companies have experienced women in tech leaving their roles and increased turnover rates throughout the pandemic.
Gender pay gap is also a very real issue across most organizations. How can we address these issues and support women to thrive in this industry?
VanHack recently hosted a webinar, Building Spaces for Women in Tech to Grow and Thrive, to look at innovative ways of addressing these issues. Read on for incredible insights from our panel of female industry experts in the startup and tech ecosystem.
- Daneal Charney – Expert in Residence, Momentum & MaRS Discovery
- Humaira Ahmed – CEO & Founder, Locelle
- Chandler Barstch – People Operations Specialist, Thinkific
- Meghan Watchorn – Head of Growth, VanHack (Moderator)
You can view the webinar here.
Read Part 2 of the blog here.
Understanding the Challenges and Needs Women Face
Sometimes, challenges that women face simply are not understood until it becomes personal. Locelle’s male partners and allies who have been supportive with empowering women in the workforce seem to have one thing in common – they all have daughters! Precisely because of this, the general well being and advancement of women become a much more personal issue for them – they want to see their own daughters thrive and grow into workplaces that welcome and support them.
What do women actually need from their employers? What kind of benefits are helpful?
Leadership teams need to ensure the benefits they’re offering meet people’s actual needs. Not everyone needs gym memberships – some people need a coach, or even time away. The key is to bring flexibility into what you’re offering, so that your benefits package actually benefits the women on your team.
Strive to understand your employees’ drivers, needs and preferences, with frequent opportunities to evaluate your current perks and benefits.
Strategies for perks and benefits to support women in the workplace
Be creative with your benefits and policies – think about your teams’ realistic needs, and don’t just copy what other organizations are doing. Engagement surveys can also be helpful in collecting various information and data.
A recent initiative by Thinkific was their Show Us Your Leave Campaign, which encouraged staff to take time away from their work. Other benefits that support women in particular include parental leave top-ups, open pay time-off programs, flexible hours, fertility coverage, short term health plans (covering sickness, bed rest and other pregnancy complications), additional holidays, and increased mental health coverages.
Some unique perks that other startups have offered include peer-to-peer parenting groups and employee concierge services.
Thoughts on the @PayGapApp Exposing Employers’ Lip Service on Pay Equity
The @PayGapApp on Twitter made headlines when it exposed the gender pay gaps of UK companies who tweeted about International Women’s Day. This bot unmasked the reality of thousands of companies’ gender disparity when it comes to pay equity, derailing their marketing teams’ efforts in building inclusive brand images.
In reality, most companies are not there yet when it comes to gender pay equity. So, what are some areas leadership teams need to focus on to close the gap?
Commit to important values such as pay equity, justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity. And, if you’re going to make a commitment, follow through with integrity – there’s a difference between talking the talk and walking the walk.
A resourceful tool that organizations can start with is Unbounce’s #PayUpForProgress. This is great for companies who are just starting out on their pay equity process and would like to close gender pay gaps. Identify areas where pay equity issues exist, and seek opportunities to review compensation.
Gender Pay Gap in Canada
Did you know that BC has the worst gender pay gap in Canada? The Pay Equity Act passed in Canada in 2021 will eventually enforce federally-regulated companies with 100 or more employees to publicly disclose their wage gap data for women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. Efforts are also being made by the BC Government to pursue pay transparency legislation in order to close the gender wage pay gaps. We’re not perfect, but we’re trying to get there.
When new immigrants seek job opportunities, their wages are unfortunately significantly less than Canadian residents. There are a few barriers contributing to this. New immigrants are often keen to just get a job for a number of reasons, whether it’s for securing their visa application, ensuring livelihood, etc. Others may think they “should” expect lower wages when they join startups, due to employers’ tighter budgets. All of these can contribute to a lower pay when they start their lives in Canada – which in turn determines the pay grade for the rest of their careers.
Closing the Gender Pay Gap
What are some steps employers can take to close the gender pay gap?
Instill a philosophy of fairness. Pay for value, even if your hiring team taps into countries where talent typically start at a lower salary range to create fairness and improve retention in the long term. Determine your pay range – and don’t go below your minimum, even if candidates ask for a lower salary.
What about offering more than what the candidate asked for?
Women often do not ask for higher pay, when compared with their male counterparts. Employers with budgets, we should be responsible for taking action if we see any disparities in pay. Offering what you believe the candidate is worth not only creates fairness and retention, it also sets an example for them to ask for what they deserve in the future.
Approach well-performing staff who haven’t asked for a raise – and bring up the conversation. A lot of women may not ask for a raise, and just move on when she finds another opportunity.
Apart from team leads being accountable for their team’s gender pay equity, HR and senior leadership across the organization should also be accountable.
To really walk the talk, set goals and review them regularly. If there are inconsistencies in pay equity, develop plans to address it. Take note to ensure that plans are performance-based, rather than just bumping up salaries (which could create inequity issues as well).
The next part of the webinar content will be covered in a subsequent blog, focusing on specific actionable programs employers can implement, and how mentorship programs play an important role in supporting women in the workplace.
Read Part 2 of the blog here.
VanHack’s Women in Tech Virtual Hiring Event – April 5-7, 2022
If your organization is looking for developers, hire female tech talent to join your team. Meet and speed interview 150+ amazing female candidates who are looking for opportunities. All candidates have 4+ years of experience, are vetted by our team and have verified English skills.
