Diversity: targeted communication

Alone in the hallway – as a woman this is still no rarity in the tech industry. Although the topic of diversity is on everyone's lips, the implementation seems to be a long way off. Not only companies, but also NGOs such as the entrepreneurial organization EO are fighting in Switzerland with a small percentage of women in management positions. How to change such circumstances was the main topic of a joint roundtable by EO and WE SHAPE TECH in Zurich at the end of April, which was led by Aileen Zumstein.

Whether in education, in everyday work, at events and conferences; one can often count the women present with one hand. Although the diversity topic is broached everywhere, and potential solutions are discussed, in (professional) everyday life it has still not arrived in 2018. But women know how to help themselves: networks founded by female entrepreneurs and members of the tech-industry such as WE SHAPE TECH set an example in the male-dominated industry. Women are networking and increasingly using their own and newly created networks to move forward together.

At the end of April, WE SHAPE TECH and the entrepreneurial organization EO met in Zurich for a joint roundtable and discussed how the small percentage of women - 9% at EO - can be explained and what can be done about it.

 For once a very unfamiliar picture - women clearly outnumbered their male colleagues at a roundtable in the tech industry. 

Women on Board

Women should not only be members of the management board or the board of directors, but also part of the board of an association or NGO. Women who are in management and leadership positions are high in demand. However, the largely male-dominated boards do not appeal to many women. Various studies have shown that when event programs list female speakers and panelists, it automatically attracts more female participants.

Women follow women

If you want to have more women in your organization, you should make the already committed women appear more prominently in public. An organization needs ambassadors who embody the spirit and represent the core values ​​of the company. In addition, communication plays a trivial role as well. Organizations can target women with targeted communication, which often begins with an appealing job description. Anyone who strategically uses targeted messages sets the foundation for reaching potential candidates.

Incentives for existing members

In addition to the targeted communication of the organization externally, the commitment of the existing members internally is also required. These are essential for recruiting female members. For example, an incentive system would encourage an active exchange with women in the entrepreneurial and private sectors. Members could personally invite interested women to get an idea of ​​the company or organization.