Repaving the road to engineering: International Women’s Day 2023

Bringing more women into STEM roles is critical to building teams with diverse knowledge sets; however, Wendy Zvelig, VP of Engineering at Fluent Commerce, shares that the obstacles often begin with the recruitment process itself: ‘Women are often socialised to hold themselves back, doubting their abilities when confronted with requirements or job descriptions. I experienced this challenge when building my engineering team at Salesforce, where I noticed that the applications primarily came from men with similar backgrounds.

‘By confronting unconscious bias, facilitating professional development opportunities, and reevaluating traditional norms, organisations can spearhead the change needed to create a more diverse and inclusive engineering landscape.’

This change in the recruitment process is a thought shared by Mini Biswas, Specialist Team Unit - Operations Lead at Node4, who explains, ‘One key thing that is relatively easy to change and will make a huge difference is the terminology used in job adverts. It needs to be simplified and friendlier in tone. You don’t need to be a technical whizz or have an engineering degree to enter the field but so often we see them listed as a candidate ‘must have’. In this day and age, there should be more use of words like ‘flexible’, ‘remote working’ and ‘willing to develop’, which will make the roles more approachable for women.’

The benefits of ensuring diversity in engineering teams remain overlooked. As Hugh Scantlebury, CEO & Founder of Aqilla, elaborates, ‘Diversity in engineering is crucial in ensuring that technology, infrastructure, and software represent and meet the needs of all future users. To that end, we should feel optimistic about the growing number of girls studying STEM subjects. But we must ensure they are encouraged and supported in the workplace too.’

However, as Scantlebury identifies, ‘Nearly 40% of women with engineering degrees either leave or never enter the profession — the majority citing the genderstereotypical ways they are treated.’

On this International Women in Engineering Day, organisations must look closely at their recruitment processes to break down traditional barriers and enable a more inclusive culture. Wendy Zvlig concludes, ‘By confronting unconscious bias, facilitating professional development opportunities, and reevaluating traditional norms, organisations can spearhead the change needed to create a more diverse and inclusive engineering landscape.’