Changing the STEM Landscape For Equality Across The Board

This week I was excited to be speaking at the Society of Women Engineers Conference #WE17, here in Austin, TX. There were more than 10,000 attendees from around the world this year and I was empowered to meet so many incredible women engineers. Here is an article I wrote for the conference that was the basis of my lightning talk.

Despite significant focus and efforts by organizations around the country, the number of women and minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) still remains depressingly low.  Worse, are the numbers of women and minorities leaving the field after five years, with some estimates as high as 40%.  

Diversity in STEM Facts Video

Globally, we are still struggling to attract and retain this demographic in these fields.  Corporations are pouring millions of dollars into initiatives to stop what has been called the "leaky pipeline".  And in 2017, we do have more attention on this problem, however the change is occurring much too slow.  The reasons diversity and inclusive have not taken root have not changed over time.  Both women and minorities cite feelings of isolation, mistreatment by colleagues/management, and lack of opportunities for advancement, as the reasons they leave.  The challenge appears to be now how to change the STEM landscape for equality across the board, including corporate, academia and government.  

There are three key actions that organizations that are serious about real change in STEM are currently doing.

Hire STEM professionals in Human Resources 

In many organizations, recruiting is the most junior position that they hire.  While most are hardworking, dedicated professionals, many are right out of school with no STEM education at all.  The likelihood of a recent liberal arts graduate being able to decipher and understand a science or engineering resume or even the unexpressed needs of the hiring manager is very low.  There is no way to know how many great candidates were discarded by well meaning recruiters who did not understand a diverse STEM candidates' resume or whose implicit bias caused them to overlook someone who did not meet all of the job requirements but would be great hires.  To combat this, companies have begun hiring seasoned scientists and engineers to work along side experienced talent professionals in HR.  The benefits of this are many, including ensuring recruiters have a better understanding of technical concepts when evaluating applicants, especially since technical types are not known for their writing abilities.

In addition, experienced STEM employees know where to go to find talent, instead of relying solely on university alumni and job boards.  Last year, a tech giant issued a report decrying the lack of diverse talent in the pipeline.  The executive hired to increase diversity, has degrees in Caribbean studies and law.  Neither of which demonstrate a firm understanding of the tech ecosystem or what diverse communities and organizations they should partner with.  To find great engineers, you have to be an engineer.  Other methods may work too, but with less success and without a firm comprehension of what makes a great STEM hire.

Increase diversity in STEM senior leadership

Women and minorities still make up a fraction of senior leaders in STEM industries.  Although the number of female CEO's has increased overall at Fortune 500 companies, the numbers are still not reflective of the population percentage.  Underrepresented groups also continue to lag in this area.  Too many women and minorities are stuck in mid level roles, not gaining the experience or exposure to be considered for senior roles.  An unintentional side effect is that the lack of career movement in these groups results in less upward movement by younger employees, who then become frustrated and leave their jobs or the field altogether.  More must be done to increase diversity in the senior ranks.  The existing STEM landscape will not change without significant effort and attention.  Companies have to get serious about having more qualified women and minorities leading businesses and sitting on corporate boards.  We can no longer blame the lack on talent on the pipeline if companies are unwilling to abandon the status quo.  There are many organizations working to address these issues, including my own Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE).  We are focused on the development of pathways to success for our members through mentorship and guidance at all career stages, from university through corporate, academia and government leadership.

Increase diversity in STEM entrepreneurship

Finally, we need more women and minorities to helm companies they created.  Today, the vast majority of STEM related firms are founded by men.  This is starting to change  slightly in tech.  However, the opportunities for professional and financial support to assist underrepresented groups is woefully lacking.  We should be encouraging diverse employees to start businesses that provide goods and services that are needed by these organizations.  There are government and corporate contacts that specify diverse suppliers, yet go unmet because they don't exist. Besides creating development programs, some companies are working to spur innovation and entrepreneurship by providing funding and other resources to these targeted groups.

While these actions alone won't guarantee that the STEM landscape will be equitable immediately, it sure seems like a good start.