Hiring Women: Taking Out the Mystery
Dear Friends of Women in Science,
Some time ago, Sonia Pressman Fuentes sent me a link to an article about the mysteries of hiring women in STEM fields: how can it be done successfully? You can read that article here.
Apparently, there are companies out there that want to hire STEM women and find it difficult to do. A study by the Anita Borg Institute (coauthored by Caroline Simard and Denise Gammal), released early in 2012, pointed out some successful strategies in a 50 page report. The Anita Borg Institute supports women in technology and believe the current women's share of 24% of the technology work force is too low. Here are some of their suggestions:
During the pre-screening selection process, hiring managers should hide the names of the applicants preventing unconscious bias.
In every search for an open technical position, there should be found at least one viable female candidate.
Companies can emulate IBM and give cash rewards for their female employees to recommend candidates from among their contacts. (IBM estimates about 30% of their female hirings come through this route).
Do your searches use strategies like this? How much do you make use of networks of women already part of the organization? I really like this idea a lot but I haven't heard about it before.
cheers,
Laura
Dear Laura,
it's always helpful to hear what some industries have come up with to help get women hired. Academia has its own resources, but we can definitely learn from and be inspired by some of these strategies.
I think when we had a woman academic VP, there was subtle pressure to make sure there was a viable woman on the long list here. It never has been a written rule, though, and why not? I'll try suggesting it, based on this article.
cheers,
MKS
Hi Shanda,
Apparently, it's big blue (IBM) where you'd like to work!
cheers,
Laura
Hi Patsy,
Right. I just thought it was interesting to get the take of another group that studied the issue and made recommendations. I rather like the recommendation bonus idea, not that I think there's any chance Pomona would try that!
cheers,
Laura
Hi Laura,
There are a lot of good ideas, including training of search committees to know about their own hidden biases, that aren't covered in this article. You've sent us to WISELI resources at Univ Wisconsin before, and they have great support items, papers on bias, etc, that this article ignores. Not that I think these ideas are bad, but just sayin...
PRK
Money? You get money for recommending good women candidates? Where? I want to work there! Seriously.
SRP
