Author: Sharon Crain

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How to encourage more women into cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is a field that has traditionally been male-dominated, but there is a growing recognition of the need for diversity in the industry. This is not only because diversity leads to better problem-solving and decision-making, but also because women and other underrepresented groups are often the targets of cyber attacks.

Here are some ways to encourage more women to enter the cybersecurity field:

  1. Offer targeted scholarships and grants: Financial barriers can be a major obstacle for women who want to enter the cybersecurity field. Offering scholarships and grants specifically for women can help to remove this barrier and make it more accessible for them to pursue this career.
  2. Encourage girls to study STEM subjects: One of the main ways to get more women into cybersecurity is to encourage girls to study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects from a young age. This can be done through initiatives such as coding clubs, robotics clubs, and STEM summer camps.
  3. Support women in their career development: Women who are already working in cybersecurity can be encouraged to stay in the field and advance their careers through mentorship programs, networking events, and professional development opportunities.
  4. Promote role models: Highlighting successful women in cybersecurity can help to inspire and encourage other women to pursue this career path. This can be done through media coverage, events, and social media campaigns.
  5. Address issues of workplace culture: Workplace culture can be a major factor in whether or not women choose to enter and remain in the cybersecurity field. It is important to address issues such as discrimination, harassment, and a lack of support for work-life balance in order to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.
  6. Work with a recruiter who focusses on working to champion diversity in the field of cybersecurity and works to influence in these industries. Like us 😉

By implementing these strategies, we can actively help to increase the number of women in cybersecurity and create a more diverse and effective workforce.

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Why diversity is a smart business move…

Workplaces benefit from gender equality and the positive economic impact is undeniable. Diversity is a hot topic everywhere in the media nowadays, but actions speak louder than words.

Apart from the issue of equity, it is known that appointing women in leadership roles often leads to increased profitability. So why is there no significant change yet?

Not a single female CEO has been appointed to an ASX 200 company in 2021 and overall, only 5% of these companies are led by women. These numbers are not corresponding with the general mindset of increasing diversity in the workplace. Something needs to change beyond structural, long-term changes of mindset. The system is broken and needs to be changed.

How can we make a change?

As per the audit of Chief Executive Women, the number of appointed female executives has been on the decline over the last four years. And this has everything to do with a flawed pathway to support woman towards a CEO role.

96% of CEO appointments are chosen from CFO (Chief Financial Officer) roles, responsible for profit and loss within a company. As women are underrepresented in this role (only 16 %), it’s no surprise they miss out and we don’t see any increase in numbers of female CEO’s.

Women need to be promoted more into roles with fiscal responsibility or there needs to be a change in expectations of what makes a good CEO. In any case, the gender balance gap needs to be reduced and changes are long overdue.

Here’s what you can do!

Apart from the obvious (paying women equally!), as a company there are a few easy and quick changes that can be done:

– Practise a flexible work environment for everyone. Support both women and men to not miss out on their children’s early development without any impact on work opportunities.

– Make Diversity and Inclusion a part of the leadership team’s goals and KPIs so they also are accountable for getting the gender balance right.

– Encourage everyone at work to volunteer to organise work functions, birthdays or gifts to reduce the stereotypical role divide.

– Be aware of the language used both towards women and men. Encourage everyone to be considerate in their way of speaking to avoid offensive language.

– Lead by example and be involved. Change starts at home, school and then further into education and work. By making conscious changes ourselves, we can all contribute to make a difference.

A diverse and inclusive workforce is what every business and economy needs to thrive. We are all part of it and we can all make a difference.

Are you up for the challenge?

 

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It’s not me, it’s you!

The several lockdowns of the past years have significantly impacted how candidates look at the recruitment process. While there are more employers seeking new talent and there are more jobs on offer, candidates are now more selective, have greater expectations and are not as eager to jump through multiple hoops as they once were.

With a 36% decrease in applicants and an economy that is effectively running at full employment, you must be inventive and alert to achieve success for both parties and move quickly.

Why candidates decline a job offer

There are many reasons why potential candidates decline a position; here are some of the key ones to look out for.

  1. Salary expectations – Employers offering below-market pay and less-than-competitive perks can be deal breakers. Displaying salary information in the job advertisments will increase the chance of applications by 66%. Candidates prefer clarity and want to know the bottom line of what employers can offer before applying for the position.
  2. Job content and contract terms need to align with the candidate’s expectations. Clarity and consistency are crucial as 53% of applicants favour job opportunities where the details of the job are explained in the job description.
  3. Company culture and work flexibility – The pandemic has taught us that working remotely can be more efficient and beneficial for both employers and employees and has turned our work-life balance upside down. Candidates are less inclined to spend time commuting to and from work and remote and hybrid working options are valued more than ever. Only 1 in 7 people expect to commute to work 5 days a week and 77% of candidates value culture over salary (Glassdoor). So companies who are not offering flexibility will potentially lose great candidates as these are indicators of the company’s culture and the value they place on the work-life balance of their employees.
  4. Slow or lack of response/feedback from applications and interviews –  This is a big one. Good candidates will more than likely have more than one offer coming their way. Failure to keep the process moving will result in your best candidates joining the competition! 52% of job seekers report that delayed feedback is a major turn-off and results in many pulling out of the application process to choose something else.

How to make the recruitment process more successful

 A few simple but important steps will improve your chances of hiring the best talent:

  1. Be open and clear about your employee value proposition. Vague or absent references to remuneration or other perks will deter potentially great candidates.
  2. First impressions are important, and candidates will check out your presence online before applying. To ensure they will consider you as a suitable match and view your business as legitimate and appealing, make sure your online presence is complete, consistent and up to date.
  3. Build an appealing employee value proposition and demonstrate a positive company culture. Actions always speak louder than words so provide real examples to candidates.
  4. Respond to everyone, and provide feedback promptly! Manage applications in a timely manner and get back to everyone who made the effort to interview. Providing feedback within 24 hours of an interview is imperative if you want to keep all the candidates in the process.

If you follow these steps, your recruitment efforts will be powerfully rewarded.

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In our own words: Breaking The Bias

On this International Women’s Day 2022, we reflect on the opportunities to act, to improve our post-pandemic workplaces, and remove bias for the benefit of everyone.  While it is known that women around the world experience bias at work, it is the unconscious bias that often makes it harder for women to be hired and promoted in equal numbers to men.

This is why this year’s theme of #BreakTheBias is important in creating widespread change by challenging the biases we face and shedding them boldly.

 

We at Open Door have had our own experiences and personal stories of bias:

“In my early career, I worked in the automotive industry as a parts interpreter where almost every person I came into contact with was male; and almost without exception they would ask to see ‘the man’ rather than speak to me. “What do you know about cars?”.  I had to prove myself over and over again whereas my male colleagues did not.”

– Sharon Crain – Managing Director

 

“I haven’t personally experienced gender bias in my career, but I’ve seen a lot of women who have and how they’ve overcome it to be successful. I’m blessed to be in these times where women are celebrated and many employers are actively addressing diversity and striving to be more inclusive.

We still have a long way to go in terms of eliminating our unconscious bias. Let’s continue to #BreakTheBias and continually evolve. I’m proud to work at Open Door that is committed to empowering women and improve their economic opportunities.”

– Jayasri Sivakumar, Principal Consultant

 

“People are conventionally only inclined to direct their concern to the most obvious and blatant remarks of gender discriminations perhaps because they are easy to address, however one major overlooked form of discrimination for women in any industry are subtle remarks such as “It’s a challenging role for a woman”, or “A woman would not be suited to handle such a role”. During my course at the university, I had one such assessment which was on the topic of unconscious discrimination at the workplace which usually starts with using *masculine words* for job descriptions that gives the candidate’s a first impression about the company and a lot of times deters women from applying to these roles. Such masculine worded descriptions are deduced by women that they are not the right fit for the role and should not apply, regardless of qualifications. This really motivated me to work and use my knowledge and skills to divert my passion towards working for an organisation that aligns with such principles and strives to reduce gender balance through recruitment processes.”

– Navneet Dhariwal, Talent Acquisition Specialist

 

I recently moved to Melbourne a couple months ago and was recruited by Open Door Recruitment immediately after. When I called my friends and shared the news with them, which for me was a very proud moment, they all asked me if the company only recruited me to fulfil their diversity requirements. I just asked them subtly, “What makes you think that?” I hope it makes them realise their subtle prejudice. I laugh at those who believe women can’t do what men do easily and those who clearly have no idea that I’m a strong, independent woman, and I’ve got this.

– Shivika Kohli, Talent Acquisition Specialist

 

“When I moved to Melbourne and with my prior international experience, I was in the process of job hunting and chatted to the myriad of recruiters in Melbourne. It was then I was politely suggested to change my name to a more anglicised name to help reduce bias during the recruitment process. This is exactly the types of limiting views that I aim to change in my role as a Principal Recruiter at Open Door where we emphasize and recognise candidate experience and celebrate diversity in all its glory!”

– Pooja Ganesh, Principal Consultant

 

 

Through all of our experiences we can recognise our experiences where change is required and actions must be taken to address and be part of this change.

In 2022, we at Open Door Recruitment have partnered with leading businesses to help address and be part of this movement to be more inclusive and eliminate bias.

We are committed to this everyday and are proud to be part of recognising and #BreakingTheBias.

 

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Winning the War for Talent

The rapid economic recovery in Australia is a welcome relief from what many were predicting to be a protracted period of hardship after the pandemic. Job advertisements are at record levels, unemployment is continuing to fall after failing to peak at predicted (high) levels. If you are currently looking for your next role, it’s about as good as it gets! There are new opportunities everywhere.

However, if you are an employer looking to recruit, you may be experiencing something commonly known as the “War for Talent”.
The War for Talent describes a situation where the number of job vacancies outstrips the immediate supply of candidates willing to take the roles. What ensues is a bidding war: employers compete hard to win over prospective candidates, and prospective candidates may find they receive offers from multiple employers, some with a very significant salary premium compared to the normal market.

Recruiting becomes hard, with people moving quickly to secure lucrative offers.

What are the lessons for employers wanting to win the War for Talent?

Firstly, make sure your offers are meeting the market. Salary is important, but in time this will diminish relative to things like flexibility and other conditions. It is vital your employee value proposition is attractive in all areas. How will you package it up?

Secondly, move quickly. When business is booming, things like recruitment can play second fiddle to other emerging matters. If you prioritise these matters, you will lose the War. While you are dealing with the business of the day or rescheduling second round interviews due to a conflict with another internal meeting, one of your competitors has just counter-offered your best candidate. Back to square one.

And for candidates?
Beware the greener grass. Yes it’s true, the War may present you with exciting new offers – perhaps you will finally score that lucrative promotion with your current employer (who suddenly has realised how much they value you, just when you were about to leave). Or, you might get a larger offer with a new and exciting brand. There’s no doubt, it is definitely a good time for negotiating a pay rise, so think about the whole offer and satisfy yourself that your employer (current or prospective), is the real deal. Culture, promotion pathways, learning and development, access to mentors, evidence of people living the company values – these are all important things that will matter long after the shine of the new salary has worn off.

It’s an exciting time for the job market. Open Door is proud to work with many exciting companies who want to elevate the voice of women in leadership. Let’s make it work for everyone.

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest job alerts and market insights.

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The economic bounce back – What does it mean for the job market?

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the Australian economy, with national unemployment rates reaching devastating heights in 2020 and women in particular feeling the brunt of job losses.

As the nation entered the biggest recession in living memory, a long and painful path to recovery was predicted by analysts who applied the historic trends of past recessions. However, the future is now looking a lot less bleak than initially anticipated.

The labour market has recovered rapidly since the height of the pandemic, and continuing improvement remains evident.

So what does this mean for the job market?

On the upside, the number of opportunities for candidates has soared. In March, ANZ recorded a 12 year high in job advertisements after a strong jump in February, signifying significant improvements in the unemployment rate. There are literally jobs everywhere.

However, if you are an employer looking to recruit, you may be experiencing something commonly known as the “War for Talent”.
The War for Talent describes a situation where the number of job vacancies outstrips the immediate supply of candidates willing to take the roles. What ensues is something of a bidding war: employers compete hard to win over prospective candidates, and prospective candidates may find they receive offers from multiple employers, some with a salary premium compared to the normal market. Suddenly, the exciting prospect of bringing in new people becomes much harder!

We have written about the War for Talent here.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines now taking place across the nation, the outlook for Australia’s economy is likely to continue improving and this coincides with greater job prospects for Australians. Here at Open Door, we are thrilled to see Australia’s economy bouncing back after such a difficult 2020.

We are dedicated to working with our Clients and Partners to assist with bringing people back to the workplace, particularly women who experienced greater job losses during the recession.

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest job alerts and market insights.

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IWD 2021 is here…

The theme for International Women’s Day this year is ‘Choose to Challenge’; one that reinforces how important it is that women (and men) continue to challenge the gender barriers and inequalities that remain entrenched in society.

Despite numerous global initiatives that focus on achieving gender equality including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #5, it remains a significant issue within society, particularly in leadership positions.

With the current COVID-19 pandemic having a disproportionate impact on women and the World Economic Forum predicting that it may take another 250 years to achieve economic gender parity, both men and women are required to Choose To Challenge if any progress is to continue being made.

So here are two ways that we can all Choose To Challenge in 2021 and set the foundations for future generations:

1 Challenge feelings of inadequacy

Although the gender confidence gap may be controversial, unfortunately it is very real. Whilst many women do have enough confidence to achieve their goals and make positive changes, a significant number do not. Research has shown that women tend to judge themselves more harshly compared to men and are more reluctant to put themselves in the limelight. A number of factors contribute to the debilitating self-doubt many women experience, however substantial advancements towards achieving gender equality can be made if more women #ChooseToChallenge the negative voices holding them back from reaching their full potential.

2 Challenge more people to support women backing themselves

It is incredibly important that both men and women make a conscious effort to lift other women up,  encouraging them to Choose To Challenge how they may view themselves and speak about themselves. By choosing to call out other women for making self-degrading comments and/or diminishing their achievements, all women can begin to defeat the stereotypes that act as barriers to their success and become empowered.

2021 provides an invaluable opportunity for all of us to Choose To Challenge, in every area of our daily lives. Together, we can forge positive change and work towards a better future for women.

#ChoosetoChallenge

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#IWD2021 – Are you ready to challenge?

With International Women’s Day just around the corner, it’s worth a moment of reflection. This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge, meaning that without challenge, it can be hard to change anything. And we still need change.

2020 brought about its fair share of problems for every organisation. It’s fair to say that we were all heavily distracted by what was going on around the world, in our backyard, in our businesses, in our homes. So it’s understandable that important issues like gender equality can take a back seat while our minds are focused elsewhere.

We are all hoping for a vastly improved year ahead, and it’s great to already see such optimism everywhere despite a year of fatigue and in many cases, hardship. It’s important to focus our energy on making positive changes for the year ahead.

There’s the old saying that repeating the same action and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. We don’t think it’s insanity, it’s just human nature. We make small tweaks here and there to our policies or recruitment strategies in the hope things improve, but nothing really shifts the dial. It feels like we’ve changed something, but we haven’t really changed much at all. And when we get the same result, we often post-rationalise our decisions and we make the story fit: “Ah well, we knew it wouldn’t work” or “We didn’t have the bandwidth at the time” or “I see the [insert competitor’s name] couldn’t do it either”.

So it’s worth asking: When it comes to gender equity and diversity and equal opportunity, what has changed in your organisation in the last 12 months?

What will you do differently this year, compared to last year, to effect real change?

How will you attract, recruit, and develop diverse leaders?

What will really shift the dial for your business?

 

 

Remember, effecting true change will come at a cost – time, effort, sometimes money. It feels risky, except it really isn’t. A bit scary maybe, but try it once and the fear of failure dissipates.

Striving for equality in your recruitment strategy is a worthy cause and the ROI is sound. Organisations that invest the required time and resources can truly cultivate the best company cultures, boost productivity, and outstrip their competitors on other people measures like employee satisfaction and retention.

How do we know?

Because with each and every hire, those companies that invest properly make sure they are seeing all the available talent in the market, not just the talent they think may be there. Men AND Women, equally. And when they achieve this, only then can they hire truly the best person for the job.

Let’s make 2021 the year for real change. Choose to Challenge.

#IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge

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Women in IT – Progress? What progress?

With a spotlight well and truly on female participation in the workforce, particularly in industries like IT where they have been under-represented, you’d be forgiven for thinking that things might be significantly better compare to say, 20 or even 10 years ago. But it might come as a surprise to find that according to data from the ABS, female participation as a percentage of the total IT workforce, until very recently, has actually been in decline.

Female participation, as a percentage of the IT workforce, actually peaked in Australia in the mid 90s prior to the take-off of mass-market Internet access. The subsequent boom and growth of the Internet saw thousands of people join the industry but they were mostly men. For the following two decades, the proportion of women working in IT shrunk. By 2018, there was just one woman for every four men working within the industry. And as many will testify, when you drill down into particular fields and disciplines, the ratios get even worse.

Figure 1 Workforce participation – Males vs Females, ABS 2020

At Open Door, we have sourced for roles where the ratio of male to female applicants has been in excess of 30:1. How can any company realistically move towards gender balance in the medium-term when there is such a structural imbalance as this?

Well thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom, and here’s why. Despite many people’s experience in recruiting, there are actually more women out there in technical roles than the job application inbox would have you believe. You just have to know where and how to look. There are noticeable differences in the way men and women approach the job market, in general terms at least. When you combine these differences with economic shocks like COVID-19, the differences can be exacerbated. So, at Open Door we directly address those differences so that we appeal to a larger number of women relative to the norm for any particular role. Sure, it isn’t easy (if it were, everyone would be doing it and lack of diversity wouldn’t be an issue), but with the right approach, patience and attention to detail, it’s possible to shift the dial.

Figure 2 Women to Men average ratios – IT sector, ABS 2020

The data is also starting to suggest that the tide is turning when it comes to women’s participation in IT. Since 2018 there is a small but noticeable upturn in the number of women working in the sector. There could be a number of reasons for this including an increase in the number of women graduating from STEM-related degrees and other related education. Businesses too, are beginning to understand the value of having more balance within their teams.

We have experienced an increase in the number of organisations who are willing to invest in achieving balance. Whether that is through a balanced recruitment strategy, developing women-friendly policies or workplaces, or a focus on removing the gender pay gap, there is a shift happening albeit more slowly than we would like.

Overall though, it’s positive news – and with continued governmental focus and genuine fiscal support including new budgetary initiatives these numbers should continue to increase over time. And when that happens, everyone wins.

Talk to us about how we can help bring forward the change in your organisation, and introduce more women to your role shortlists.

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Budget, Brand, and Balance – Getting the mix right for NFPs

Recruiting in any market can be hard.

When economies are thriving, it can be hard to find the right talent as competition for the best candidates heats up. When times are tough, there can be so many candidates for a single role that seeing the wood through the trees can be difficult.

In 2020, many Not-For-Profits have seen the worst of both worlds. On the one hand, COVID-19 has seen an increase in the demand for many essential NFP services. Healthcare and other support services have had to significantly increase their capacity, or add new services to cope with the new operating models that many organizations have had to adopt to meet the COVID challenge. On the other hand, the broader economy has been significantly depressed, with widespread job losses, under-employment and with unemployment yet to peak, the candidates for any one job can number in the hundreds. So for NFPs, there is the twin pressure of gearing up quickly, whilst struggling to manage the seemingly gargantuan task of finding the right people to fill roles. What a distraction!

This is of course on top of the usual challenges for NFP recruitment: Budgetary constraints both for salaries and recruitment, finding a skills AND culture match, attracting great talent when so many other organisations are on the chase.

It can be overwhelming.

There are solutions, of course. Common approaches include deploying AI, bringing in a recruitment team to manage the process, or outsourcing the process completely. Which approach is best is determined by your objectives, purpose, and talent needs. If your prime objective is getting people to fill seats, then using AI might be the fastest approach. There are challenges with AI as we noted here when it comes to diversity and culture, but it may get the job done. Bringing talent acquisition teams in-house may be a worthy solution, but with it comes new reporting structures, internal reporting and compliance, and a host of other hidden costs that are rarely seen in appropriate granularity on the P&L. In short, the cost is much higher than you think.

Lastly, there is outsourcing. For many, this can seem scary – placing your trust in external consultants and handing over hard-earned money to find and deliver the best talent available within your organization’s constraints. But for several reasons it often makes absolute sense. Getting access to specialized networks and balanced talent pools, using well-honed recruitment processes from shortlisting through to interviewing, seeing competencies and talents beyond what the CVs say – these are all vital ingredients for successful recruitment.

How is your brand coping?

Most importantly though, it is the management of your brand that is most at stake in recruitment. How candidates feel about your brand and what you do, is often borne out of their experience throughout the recruitment process. In a candidate-driven market, it is tempting to write “We will only contact candidates if you are successful” in your job ads. On the face of it, this seems fair enough because there aren’t enough hours in the day, but is it? Candidates remember poor experiences in recruitment more than they remember the good ones, and being ghosted by prospective employers or recruiters is a depressing experience. Many candidates spend a lot of time preparing applications, so it’s only fair that this is recognized in your recruitment processes. So, whether you outsource your recruitment or not, be sure to place brand management at the top of your priorities.

Not everyone can get the job, but everyone should have a positive experience with your brand, no matter which recruitment strategy you choose.

Open Door is committed to ensuring that women are evenly represented in recruitment processes. Talk to us about how we can help your NFP organisation achieve balance, within budget, and on brand.

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest job alerts and market insights.