'That kind of sounds very basic when I say it out loud, but that really is what it's about'
The key to achieving gender diversity in the workplace will require two steps: Employing women and treating them well.
This is according to Jo Stewart-Rattray, Oceania Ambassador of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), who recently discussed how to improve gender diversity in the workplace amid a myriad of barriers.
"I think one of the really simple things is employing women and treat them well, so they want to stay," Stewart-Rattray told the publication. "I mean, that kind of sounds very basic when I say it out loud, but that really is what it's about."
Stewart-Rattray made the remarks as Australia strives to improve gender diversity in the workplace.
Data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) last year revealed more employers are now taking greater action on gender equality, analysing their pay gaps, and offering employer-funded paid parental leave.
Despite this, the latest ISACA Tech Workplace and Culture report unveiled that gender diversity remains a dream for the IT sector, where 87% of IT professionals agreed there is a lack of gender diversity in their workplaces.
Stewart-Rattray noted that significant barriers continue to plague the sector, such as pay inequalities, lack of female representation in leadership, as well as the emerging office-return policies.
Addressing these challenges begins in recruitment, according to the Stewart-Rattray.
"There's bias already in the recruitment process. And, unfortunately, we know that algorithms are being used to select people.”
She noted that some women are more likely to be selected for senior or executive management roles due to their names sounding male, while others are more likely to be chosen for sectors like education, healthcare, or care-related industries, due to biases in the algorithm.
Avoiding "gendered language" in job ads is one solution to encourage women to apply for various roles.
"If you're really concerned about your interview panels having perhaps some potential bias, why not make sure that you use blind recruitment?" she said. "It means a lot more work for HR departments, but it really gives you a fairer approach to it."
Stewart-Rattray underscored the importance of hiring women in the tech sector as she noted the lack of female role models in the industry, which creates a catch-22 issue, as the lack of representation also discourages women from joining the tech field.
"The interesting thing is it's a really old thing. If you can't see your face that looks like yours, you're less likely to be attracted to that organisation, right? So, it's about seeing other women," she said.
According to the ambassador, showcasing women shouldn't be limited to those who are at the peak of their careers.
"I'm talking about at any point during their career, they might be straight out of university, but they're very successful at university and their first role is really successful," she noted. "We should be showcasing those women to those who are aspiring."
She stressed that organisations should be showcasing women wherever they are at their career because they need to give others encouragement to get to the next stage.
"Because women often find or feel that they're stuck," Stewart-Rattray said. "Women have this bad habit of unless they can do at least 80% of a job or even 90% of a job, they won't apply for it."
This is unlike men, she noted, where they will take the risk of applying for a role even if they only know about 10% to 20% of the job.
"I don't know whether it's brashness or whether it's confidence, but we need to be encouraging women to do that," she stated.
After recruiting women, it will be crucial that organisations treat them well, according to Stewart-Rattray. This includes various measures, such as offering flexibility and reducing pay inequalities.
In Australia, the current gender pay gap for 2023-24 is at 21.8%, where for every $1 men earn, women only earn 78 cents.
Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency
"Make sure that when we're employing a woman, we're employing her fairly and paying her the same as her male colleagues are being paid," Stewart-Rattray said.
This pay equity should extend to the climb in the corporate ladder.
"As the climb up the corporate ladder starts, then less women apply because they know they're less likely to be successful. They also recognise that there is a pay equity issue as well," she said.
The matter is further complicated when employers realise that women must take time off to give birth and take care of their children, which can discourage them from returning to the workplace.
"We need to make sure that women are looked after during that period of time as well," Stewart-Rattray said. "We know that a lot of women do not return to the workforce after maternity leave or parental leave because they feel that they've lost their impetus."
One way to do this is by asking them to return to the workplace at least several times to attend a professional development session or attend a meeting with the team.
"It keeps women engaged whilst they're on maternity leave as well," she said.
"The other way of doing that is if the female employee is up for promotion before they leave, she should still receive that promotion and that's an encouragement then for them to come back as well."
