I've been involved in a lot of discussions with IT women that address
this question, but usually from the periphery. That is, someone will
post a message about behavior (in, say, a job interview) that's a
turn-off, making the woman decide that this company is probably not a
good choice for woman who wants to get ahead, or to just enjoy her job.
But I've been thinking about this, particularly as I continue in the
series of articles I've been writing about Women in IT. (Which I hope
you _like_, and don't make me seem like a pest. I don't want to be a
pest.) I'm planning to write another article, this time with more
input from IT women (not just CIOs, though I expect I'll get some
input from them), looking for the attributes/behaviors that a smart
company can adopt to make itself more attractive to women.
I want to make this largely about POSITIVE things that companies can
do -- not just the painful anecdotes. Certainly, there will be value
in mentioning the turn-offs. But it'd be ideal if I could enumerate
"7 ways to make your company more attractive to IT women" -- the "DO
THIS" not just "DO NOTs."
For instance, one obvious attraction is flexible work options (which
obviously appeals to both genders, but certainly is a Plus for women
with small children).
Anyway -- I'm hereby collecting input. Ideally you can share your
name, company, and position with me. Private messages are fine,
though I dare say there's value to be had by making this a public
discussion.
I'm hoping to collect information this week and next week (though I'm
about to disappear for a few days to the Microsoft MIX conference).
Then I'll compile and turn into an article that, I hope, may make
life just a little bit easier for techie women.
Esther Schindler
(in her devilish disguise as senior online editor, CIO.com)
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