In recent years, many companies have been measuring the success and health of their workplace environments using 3 key indicators; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Diversity emphasizes the acceptance of each individual’s uniqueness, equity ensures impartiality, fairness and justice in opportunities provided to all individuals, and inclusion is the practice of providing a sense of belonging throughout the workplace.
The tech industry is often commended for its forward-thinking approach. In the industry’s pursuit for a brighter future, there is one area of work that especially stands out: building greater representation of women across STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
In celebration of Women’s History Month, it is important to recognize how far women have come in STEM, as well as identify the work to be done to bridge gender gaps.
The Canadian Workforce
72% of people in STEM work in engineering or computer and information systems. For a sector so large, the representation of women is extremely low, as they only make up 18% of workers in engineering or computer and information systems (Statistics Canada, 2019). Clearly, there is a great need to even out the playing field, especially since engineering and computer science are among the highest-paying and fastest-growing occupations.
Building Diversity by Hiring Women Leaders
Many analyses point to the same finding: greater diversity strengthens innovation and performance. In a global analysis of 2400 companies, it was concluded that organizations with at least one female board member yielded higher return on equity and higher net income growth than those that did not have any women on the board (Credit Suisse Research Institute, 2012). Hiring women is not merely an empty phrase, but rather a smart business decision.
Able Innovations can attest to the fact that women provide massive value to a workplace. As the team has grown, the company has built an understanding of intentions around hiring women:
Women Leaders will Shape the Future of the Workforce
By having more women in positions of leadership, those starting to enter the workforce will be inspired. Implicit gender biases continue to affect workplace culture, which can at times daunt younger generations of women. Women entering the workforce could benefit from encouragement and mentorship from those who have already broken past barriers.
Women Offer Fresh Outlooks and Strong Communication
Diversity blooms creativity. By hiring more women, workplaces can benefit from fresh perspectives to drive innovation. Women’s unique lived experiences can drive meaningful conversations with staff, and push an open communication stream for ideas.
Able Innovations' Proud Team of Women
Able Innovations is continuously striving to uphold a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. The company is especially proud of their team of women leading in areas of product development and business. Below, is an image of some of the outstanding women on the team:
Not Pictured: Shu Ting Yang
Works Cited
Heinz, Kate. “What Does Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Mean in the Workplace?” Built In, https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/what-does-dei-mean-in-the-workplace.
Kersley, Richard, et al. The CS Gender 3000 in 2021: Broadening the Diversity Discussion. Sept. 2021, https://www.credit-suisse.com/media/assets/corporate/docs/about-us/research/publications/csri-2021-gender-3000.pdf.
Wall, Katherine. “Persistence and Representation of Women in STEM Programs.” 2 May 2019, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2019001/article/00006-eng.htm. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.