6 ways to shoot yourself in the foot (if you're trying to hire technical women)

6 ways to shoot yourself in the foot

Karen Catlin Developing powerful women leaders in the tech industry www.karencatlin.com @kecatlin © 2014 by Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

if you’re trying to hire technical women

1. Use masculine words

Lots of tech companies are looking for

him, a guy,

a right-‐hand man, a cra4sman, a quarterback

Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

in job descrip<ons

•  He evangelizes soluDons and best pracDces...

•  If you are an IT guy… •  If you are the kind of person who

manages his music collecDon on a Hadoop cluster...

•  We need 5 guys for a project. •  Looking for a sharp young up and coming

guy who can be his right hand man. More at techcompaniesthatonlyhiremen.tumblr.com

2. Show only the bro’s

Image courtesy of photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

on your careers page

What does your web site say about your team?

Similar educa<on Similar work experience Same gender

Referrals lead to

Homogeneity—NOT Diversity

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3. Rely on employee referrals as your primary way to find candidates

4. Require open source work

<2% of open source developers are

women

Image courtesy of cooldesign / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

when it’s not really required

To envision success, candidates want to see others like themselves

Image courtesy of sa@va / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5. Have all-‐male interview teams leaving female candidates to wonder “Where are the women?”

6. Lower the bar for women

What message are you trying to send?

Image courtesy of David CasBllo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

with easier interview ques<ons

So, if you *don’t* want to hire more women…

Use masculine words

Show only the bro’s

Rely on employee referrals

Require open source

Have all-‐male interview teams

Lower the bar for women

6 ways to shoot yourself in the foot (if you're trying to hire technical women)

Technology

Transcript of 6 ways to shoot yourself in the foot (if you're trying to hire technical women)