How to design gender bias out of your workplace | Sara Sanford

Introduction

The speaker recounts her experience in a corporate setting where she faced challenges while trying to implement initiatives to recruit more female employees.

Challenges Faced in Corporate Setting

• Howard's lack of response and engagement despite efforts made by the speaker.

• Howard's positive reaction to a proposal when presented by another male colleague, highlighting the need for male validation.

• Reflection on self-doubt and feeling like an outsider in a male-dominated environment.

Gender Inequality Issues

The speaker delves into the persistence of gender inequality issues despite advancements, focusing on statistics and challenges faced by women in various sectors.

Gender Inequality Statistics and Challenges

• Stagnation in progress towards gender equality with projections pushed to 2119 for wage gap closure.

• Businesses' ineffective approaches to addressing gender inequality through training programs.

• Failure of asking women to change behavior rather than addressing systemic issues like unconscious bias.

Unconscious Bias and Workplace Dynamics

Discussion on unconscious bias, its impact on workplace dynamics, and the need for systemic changes beyond individual behaviors.

Unconscious Bias and Workplace Dynamics

• Awareness of gender bias post-Me Too movement but focus on tolerance rather than value in workplaces.

• Proposal for actively anti-biased workplace design through small adjustments countering biases.

Eliminating Workplace Bias: A Path to Gender Equity

The speaker discusses the need for clear benchmarks in businesses to counter bias impact and highlights the importance of gender equity certification.

Creating Clarity in Business Practices

• Googling "best employers for women in tech" revealed varying lists, some based on ads. Clear benchmarks are desired by employees and employers beyond good intentions.

Standardized Certification for Gender Equity

• Developed a certification with the University of Washington focusing on gender equity. Similar to LEED certification for environmental stewardship, it outlines steps needed for certification.

Measuring What Matters

• Vanity metrics like total female employees or female board members are not indicative of gender equity. Focus should be on hidden opportunity gaps such as mentorship access disparities.

Factors Influencing Workplace Culture