iHeartMedia

Janet Heins, Chief Information Security Officer, iHeartMedia

I was at a security vendor event recently and it was clear the ratio between male and female attendees was way off. Now I could say how disappointed I was to be one of four women out of the 80 or so attendees, but I don’t always see it that way as I am blissfully gender unaware. I grew up with two older brothers and just one of me. I was one of three kids with both my parents working as professionals in their fields so maybe that’s why I see things a bit differently.

I do recognize that I am part of the minority gender in the tech industry and I would like to suggest something new to get some traction in closing the gender gap in the tech industry.

There are several organizations focused on women who want to advance in their careers and these organizations are a great way to gain insight and find support from other women. These groups give women the opportunity to be heard and learn from each other. But they are missing one thing… men.

I’m not suggesting any of these wonderful organizations run out and invite a bunch of men, that could be detrimental to their mission. What I am saying is that we need to engage men to help make changes happen faster. We need their help to advocate, and teach, as well as to call out where they could help.

As I think back to the room full of men at the event, we had lots in common. We all spoke English, we were all leaders in the cybersecurity industry, we all traveled to get to the event and we were all exposed to the same content, networking, meals, and hotel. Finding something in common with other people isn’t hard and it is a great way to start to build a trusting relationship.

If we solely rely on just each other, we will continue making slow progress in creating a balanced gender ratio. So, bring in the men, involve them in what you are trying to change and make them aware of what it is like for you. Remember, if you don’t ask, the answer is always “no”.

"Cross-Gender Mentoring is Probably One of the Best Ways to Instill Change. It also Provides the Opportunity for Two-Way Mentoring so Everyone Benefits" 

Yes, there are people, both men and women, that won’t help but there are so many more men in our industry than women. We have a good chance of finding some male allies who are willing to be supportive.

So, how can we engage men? Here are a few tips to share with men who want to contribute to bringing more women into tech and supporting them throughout their career journey:

1)Insist on a diverse candidate slate. When you are reviewing candidates, turn on the diversity lens and look for people who are different from your existing team, including but not limited to gender. Don’t forget the interviewers! Candidates are looking for people like them at your company so mix it up. It is a great development opportunity for team members to gain experience as interviewers and you’ll have a better chance of diverse candidates accepting a job offer.

2)Check for diverse representation in meetings, especially ones where decisions will be made or innovation is needed. Add in people who you might not typically think of, such as people from user experience, help desk, communications, and training. Not only are these teams that typically have a higher percentage of women but they also bring the customer perspective, which is often missing from tech-focused meetings.

3)If you manage people or are asked to provide performance feedback for a colleague, carefully consider the feedback you provide. Focusing your feedback on the impact of a behavior or work product is best received when people can understand how what they do influences the outcome. Remember, with both positive and constructive feedback, it is important to provide examples in a timely manner.

4)Mentor women and have women mentors. Cross-gender mentoring is probably one of the best ways to instill change. It also provides the opportunity for two-way mentoring so everyone benefits.

We haven’t seen much progress in closing the gender gap in the tech industry and it’s time to add this new approach. Let’s take advantage of the one thing we are trying to change, a significantly higher number of men to women and use it to our advantage to accelerate progress.