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Why #HireMoreWomenInTech is a game-changing business imperative for 2020

Fresh out of the University of Texas, my first job was as a programmer for a small software development firm. Every morning as I drove the 40 minutes to work, I could feel my energy drain. I believed, with evidence to back me up, that I was not appreciated or considered a valued member of the team I had recently joined.

There was no onboarding. There was no training. I did not have someone assigned to help me figure out the lay of the land much less help to understand the code in their product.

I felt alone. Going to work with a positive attitude every morning was hard.

So, I had to armor up.

When I look back at the courage it took for me to be one of three women in a software firm of 30 walking into those doors every morning, I am impressed with myself.

I know that things have improved for women in tech and young women seem to be braver these days, but I also know that women are still armoring up to face their workday while hoping that this day will be different. This day someone will extend themselves, include them in the conversation or encourage their voice.

As companies look ahead to 2020, one often-cited strategic goal is to improve the bottom line. Many tactics can help achieve that goal, but there's one that is often overlooked - becoming a more gender diverse, inclusive workplace.

According to a report by Morgan Stanley, "More gender diversity, particularly in corporate settings, can translate to increased productivity, greater innovation, better decision-making and higher employee retention and satisfaction."

"In essence, companies that screen better for gender diversity metrics are higher quality companies," said Morgan Stanley's Adam Parker.

As a recruiter and advocate for women in technology in the Chicago area for more than two decades, I have seen the immediate impact women have in IT departments, from helping the company's brand to increasing employee engagement to attracting more talent while experiencing fewer departures. And yes, even the bottom line improves because of this return on investment, partly because women think differently and speak to issues and challenges that might go uncommunicated.

In the last five years, an increasing number of companies "are seeing the value of having more women in leadership, and they're proving that they can make progress on gender diversity," according to a 2019 LeanIn.org and McKinsey Company study. In 2015, 29% of companies had three or more women in leadership positions. In 2019, that has increased to 44%.

Overall, women continue to be underrepresented at every corporate level, and its even more so for women of color. However, the biggest obstacle that women face is at the manager level. For every 100 men promoted or hired to a manager position, only 72 women are promoted or hired at that level. Only 38% of manager positions are held by women, according to the McKinsey study.

This results in more women getting trapped at the entry level, and fewer becoming managers. Not surprisingly, men end up holding 62 percent of manager-level positions, while women hold just 38 percent.

Here are five ways companies can achieve more gender parity and inclusiveness in the workforce:

• By creating more inclusive hiring practices from job descriptions to interview questions.

• Review benefit offerings so they are more attractive to women's life goals.

• Make the recruitment of more women a part of your strategic goals so that key technology positions are actually held open until a female candidate is found.

• Be aware of unconscious bias and take action to learn more about how to educate people in the workplace.

• Institute a mentorship program during the onboarding of a new employee.

• Laurie Swanson is the CEO of Wheaton-based InspiHER Tech.

which provides game-changing career strategies for women in tech and builds inclusive teams for culture-driven companies.

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