Attract diverse candidates with STEM Education
A tool for HR
Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talent is critical to the competitiveness of any company. A more diverse workforce leads to improved innovation and creativity, and ultimately a more competitive company. For companies to reach their potential, they must open the aperture and draw from the widest possible pool of talent possible.
Diversity, however, is often lacking in certain industries. Only 28% of the workforce in STEM industries are women, and men outnumber women significantly in most applicable college majors. This is also the case in leadership positions. The gender disparities are notably large in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid professions, like computer science and engineering. To attract women, companies nurture female talent with STEM education and mentorship opportunities.
Gender diversity is a business imperative
There are many reasons why gender diversity is a business imperative. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence's study "When Women Lead, Firms Win", firms with female CFOs are more profitable and have outperformed the stock market average.
Harvard Business Review reports that companies with female executives in senior roles are more profitable and socially responsible, as well as provide customers with safer and superior experiences.
Gender balance leads to better decision-making. With more female talent, a team takes into account a wider range of perspectives, which leads to better decision-making. Companies that can attract women are better able to understand and serve their customer base, which is increasingly diverse. A study by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.
Having more female talent, also makes it easier for a business enterprise to attract and retain top talent. The best and brightest employees want to work for companies that lead the way and value diversity and female talent. A survey by Deloitte found that millennials, in particular, view diversity as an important factor when considering where to work.
Improving gender diversity and promoting female leaders is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also good for business. Many investors see a lack of females and other types of diversity as a business risk. This reduces access to capital. Companies that fail to find the best female talent and foster leadership skills in women will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.
The scarcity of female employees in STEM
The average company does not have a great deal of diversity among its STEM employees. Human resources departments have a tough task, even if they have an effective internal process in place.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, only 28% of the workforce in STEM industries are women. The gender disparity is particularly high for leadership roles and in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid professions, such as computer science and engineering.
Women of color face an even greater employment gender gap. Statistics from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) show that the computing workforce was 3% black women, 2% Hispanic women, and 7% Asian women in 2020.
The limited nature of the diverse candidate pool is perhaps a direct reflection of the fact that women tend not to pursue engineering or computing educational opportunities as often as their male counterparts. Within most college majors for STEM disciplines, men outnumber women by a wide margin.
According to the Berkley School of Information, in 2019, universities reported that 21% of computer science bachelor’s degree recipients were women. In 2020, the percentage of women graduating across all computer science roles (systems analyst, information security analyst, programmer, software developer, web developer and database administrator, and architect) was on average 24%.
This lack of female talent is not only bad for women, but it's also bad for business. Companies that fail to tap into the talents of women and other underrepresented groups are at a competitive disadvantage. That realization, as well as the increasing external pressure from ESG investors and regulators, are bringing it into focus.
How gender diversity fits into ESG
Gender diversity is a component of the "S" or "social" pillar of ESG. Social typically refers to a company's policy and procedures on how it navigates relationships with its employees, the communities it operates in, and the political environment. It includes elements such as human rights, labor standards, workplace diversity, inclusive hiring practices, racial justice, pay equity, provision of health care, supply-chain issues, data security, and industrial relations.
For gender diversity, ESG frameworks assess factors such as:
the percentage of women in the workforce
the percentage of women on boards
the percentage of women in leadership roles
gender pay gaps
Gender diversity indicators consider the ratio of female to male employees while gender equality indicators take into account gaps between male and female salaries and positions.
ESG data and reporting is playing a more important role. In 2021, the European Commission made it mandatory for firms with more than 250 employees to report information on their gender pay disparity. The proposal also enhances workers' access to legal support and boosts their options for asserting their rights. Recently in the U.S., an increasing number of companies are coming under fire for uneven pay between genders, facing criticism from shareholders, customers, and government officials regarding their ESG scores.
Increasing diversity through STEM education
Programs dedicated to improving STEM education for many women are a powerful way to attract talent. These programs can take many forms, such as internships, mentorship programs, or shadowing opportunities. By providing women and girls with the opportunity to explore STEM careers, companies can help them learn leadership skills, be confident, guide them along their career path, and offer them a job at completion.
Giving female talent educational opportunities and the knowledge for successful STEM careers, this opportunity presents a way to expose them to your company as a top employer. What attracts women are programs that include:
Sponsoring or supporting educational programs that focus on getting more girls interested in STEM disciplines and careers.
Creating mentorship and sponsorship programs that pair women employees with female students interested in STEM majors or careers.
Offering paid internships or fellowships to female students studying STEM disciplines.
Hosting events or workshops that expose women and girls to role models who have successful STEM careers.
Providing scholarships for women and girls interested in pursuing STEM disciplines in college.
Investing in training and development programs that help women transition into leadership roles in STEM.
To help close the gender gap in STEM, a survey of experts and 6,000 young women showed these as useful foundational blocks for any program:
Role models
It's difficult for young women to imagine themselves in STEM roles. Women who work in these fields serve as reminders to girls that they too can have a place in technology and other scientific areas if they wish.
Excitement
Young women often seek to be both innovative and have a beneficial effect on society and the planet in life. Demonstrating that STEM and computer science occupations can provide them with these benefits precisely the openings they desire can be powerful.
Hands-on experience
Through increased exposure to STEM clubs and activities, girls are more likely to take a hard look and pursue these subjects later on in their education. This not only applies to after-school programs but also brings experiential learning into more classrooms.
Encouragement
Young women who feel supported in their learning of STEM and Computer Science by mentors and professionals are more likely to continue studying and pursue a career in these fields.
“Growth mindset”
It's important to encourage young women to ask questions, be curious and have the perception that they can even make mistakes as they are all part of the learning process.
Companies that attract female talent through STEM education
Here are some examples of programs that companies have built to help increase diversity in their talent pipeline:
Engineering education
The Amazon Future Engineer program is a childhood-to-career initiative that aims to inspire and educate 10 million students from underrepresented groups each year in the US, with a focus on computer science. The program provides access to resources like coding courses and internships, to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups pursuing STEM disciplines.
Apple's Everyone Can Code program is a global initiative that aims to increase the number of underrepresented groups in computer science roles. The program provides free coding courses and workshops to students from underrepresented groups.
Boeing offers the Women in Engineering program, which is a global initiative that provides resources and training to help women succeed in engineering careers.
Cisco's Networking Academy program is a global initiative that aims to increase diversity in computer science roles. The program provides free coding courses and workshops to diverse applicants including women.
The EMC Corporation Ignite My Future program is a global initiative that aims to increase the number of underrepresented groups in STEM roles. The program provides resources like coding courses and workshops to students from underrepresented groups.
The PwC Charitable Foundation has pledged $100 million over the next ten years to support STEM education for girls and young women. The goal is to help increase the number of women in the workforce who have expertise in these areas.
Scholarship and internship programs
Battelle offers STEM scholarships for women and minority students through its Diversity Scholarship Program.
HP offers scholarships and internships to women and minority students through its many initiatives, including the HP Scholarship Program, HP Impact Scholarships, and HP Women in Technology Scholarship Program.
The GEICO Pathways to Leadership Internship program is a paid internship program for college students from underrepresented groups who are interested in pursuing a career in business. The program provides internships and mentorship to increase the number of students from these groups pursuing business disciplines in college.
Facebook offers internships for women in engineering. The program includes housing and a stipend, as well as professional development and mentorship opportunities. The Facebook Scholars Program is a global initiative that provides financial assistance and mentorship to students from underrepresented groups pursuing degrees in computer science. The program also offers internships and the opportunity to network with Facebook employees.
Microsoft offers a number of programs for women in engineering, including the Women’s Scholarship Program and the WISE Internship Program. The scholarship program provides financial assistance to women pursuing degrees in computer science and engineering. The internship program provides paid internships to women interested in pursuing careers in engineering.
Donate to Nonprofits
AT&T Aspire initiative has awarded nearly $350 million to organizations working to increase high school graduation rates. The initiative focuses on students from low-income backgrounds and aims to increase the number of students from these groups pursuing STEM disciplines in college.
The eBay Foundation has invested $40 million in educational programs that help women and girls gain the skills they need for success. This includes programs like Girls Who Code which provides free coding courses and workshops to girls from underrepresented groups.
Google has provided $50 million in grants to organizations working to increase girls' participation in computer science. They have also developed Made with Code, an initiative that helps girls see the connection between coding and creativity.
Business Education
The Coca-Cola Company has invested $35 million in educational programs that help women and girls gain the skills they need for success. This includes programs like the 5by20 initiative which provides women with access to business training, financial services, and mentoring.
Goldman Sachs has committed $500 million to initiatives that help advance women in the workforce. A key focus of this is their 10,000 Women program which provides business and management education to women around the world.
Google's Grow with Google initiative offers free tools and resources to help people grow their skills, careers, and businesses. The initiative includes programs like the Code with Google program, which provides educational resources like coding courses and workshops to students and teachers.
Competitions
The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a competition for middle school students that aims to increase the number of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines. The competition provides students with the opportunity to win a $25,000 scholarship and participate in a mentorship program with a 3M scientist.
Yahoo's Make It Count Challenge grants program offers $20,000 to young women aged 13-18 to create a technology project that solves a problem in their community.
The Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge is a competition for middle and high school students that aims to increase the number of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines. The competition provides students with the opportunity to win prizes and have their apps featured on the Verizon website.
Grants to schools
The General Electric Foundation's Developing Futures program is a program that provides funding for STEM initiatives at schools that serve underrepresented groups. The program provides grants of up to $25,000 to schools to increase the number of students from these groups pursuing STEM disciplines in college. The GE Girls program is a global initiative that provides resources and training to help girls succeed in STEM disciplines. The program provides access to resources like coding courses and internships, to increase the number of girls from underrepresented groups pursuing STEM disciplines in college.
Training, mentoring, and networking
Intel's Diversity in Technology program provides mentorship, networking, and educational opportunities to underrepresented groups in tech. Intel's She Will Connect program which provides training and education to women and girls in developing countries has reached more than 10 million women and girls in 50 countries to get more women online.
Microsoft's DigiGirlz program offers events like the DigiGirlz Day event, which provides girls with the opportunity to learn about various STEM careers and meet Microsoft employees. Its Imagine Academy offers free courses and training to students from underrepresented groups and the Microsoft Technical Community connects underrepresented groups with experts in the tech industry.
Oracle's Woman in Technology Community offers programs like the WIT Empowering Women in Technology event, which provides women with the opportunity to learn about various tech careers and meet Oracle employees.
Uber's diversity and inclusion team offers a variety of programs to increase the number of underrepresented groups in the transportation industry. The team offers workshops, networking events, and mentorship opportunities. For women, Uber offers the She's Coding program, which provides coding courses and training to women around the world.
Conclusion
These are just a few examples of the many ways companies can help reach their diversity hiring goals. By fostering diverse young talent, companies play a significant role in helping to improve the quality of their pipeline into STEM roles. By providing women and girls opportunities to have successful STEM careers through educational opportunities, companies can help close the gender gap in STEM and contribute to a more diverse workforce overall.
