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Retaining WIT

Retaining WIT

By Jossie Haines & Jordanna Kwok

Research shows that 56% of women leave the tech industry during the second decade of their careers. Join us as we share our stories, create an environment where women can be successful, and teach each other the skills we need to stay and thrive in the tech industry. Join the hosts Jossie Haines, and Jordanna Kwok as they share their experiences in the tech industry, and interview others to share unique stories and skills around the challenges of keeping women in tech.

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity)!

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Episode 21: Season 2 Wrap Up - AI, Personal Life Updates, and the Tech Industry

Retaining WITJun 27, 2023

00:00
37:45
Episode 21: Season 2 Wrap Up - AI, Personal Life Updates, and the Tech Industry

Episode 21: Season 2 Wrap Up - AI, Personal Life Updates, and the Tech Industry

In the last episode of this season of the Retaining WIT podcast, Jossie and Jordanna discuss some of their recent topics and podcast guests, before digging in on exploring current events, technologies, and their own journeys. Thank you for joining us!


We dive into:

  • Personal tech life updates
  • Big events in the industry
  • Artificial intelligence


Resources:

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn:⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/⁠⁠ and on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jordeewok⁠⁠

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/⁠⁠ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines⁠⁠. Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our embers and building their high powered network. Learn more at ⁠⁠sheTO.org⁠⁠!

Jun 27, 202337:45
Episode 20: The Confidence Gap with Farzona Pulatova

Episode 20: The Confidence Gap with Farzona Pulatova

On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Farzona Pulatova, an Engineering Leader in Silicon Valley! Our interview with Farzona focuses on exploring the confidence gap and its impact on women in the tech industry. What is the confidence gap? How can this struggle be navigated? Our guest shares her insights on why women often struggle with confidence, and how this can hold them back in their careers. We discuss practical strategies for building confidence, including tips for overcoming imposter syndrome and cultivating a growth mindset.


Farzona is an engineering leader with 16 years of experience in the tech industry with a history of leading teams to build consumer-facing products at MasterClass, Uber, Twitter, and Orbitz, to name a few. She's passionate about mentoring and coaching women in various stages of their careers and increasing the number of women in organizations. She has also helped create, lead, and support woman-focused ERGs and initiatives in the workplace. On a personal note, Farzona is a big fan of audiobooks and is always on the hunt for reading and listening to something new.


We dive into:

  • How do we combat uncertainty with pre-committal, preparation, and mentally re-framing challenges?
  • How do we elevate and validate each other to build confidence and act?
  • What do we do if we're struggling, in order to accomplish our goals and thrive?


Resources:

You can connect with Farzona on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/farzona/

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/⁠ and on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/jordeewok⁠

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/⁠ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines⁠. Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our embers and building their high powered network. Learn more at ⁠sheTO.org⁠!


Jun 06, 202319:55
Episode 19: Managing Performance in Uncertain Times with Teresa Martyny

Episode 19: Managing Performance in Uncertain Times with Teresa Martyny

On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Teresa Martyny who is now Sr Engineering Manager at dbtLabs. The main topic of our conversation today is managing performance and making an impact in uncertain times. We discuss how to strategically build out team resilience and response, from care and curious communication to contextualizing company stressors in a way that is actionable on an individual and team basis.


Teresa Martyny started her career in tech in 1997 at North East Regional Data Center at the University of Florida. She spent time leading teams building powerful data products, most recently at companies like New Relic, Twitter, and Amazon and is now an Sr Engineering Manager at dbt Labs. Her mission is to enable teams to build incredible products through thriving, collaborating efficiently, and being audacious.

We dive into:

  • What are key strategies to effectively manage a team during times of uncertainty?
  • How can you boost your team's motivation and morale during hard times?
  • What are the challenges leaders face when making an impact during uncertain times?


Resources:

You can connect with Teresa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresamartyny/


You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok


You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!


May 10, 202332:11
Episode 18: Effective Networking with Samantha Zeitlin

Episode 18: Effective Networking with Samantha Zeitlin

In this episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Samantha Zeitlin, Former Senior Manager of Security Machine Learning at Elastic. The main topic of our conversation today is effectively building and managing a professional network. Networking is crucial for career success, especially as we go up the career ladder. Yet, women in tech often hesitate to leverage this crucial skill due to a misconception it will take a lot of time, or feeling discomfort about reaching out to strangers.

Sam was a cancer researcher for twenty years before switching to software, learning Python for data science and machine learning. More recently, she has specialized in MLOps and managing machine learning teams that put models in production.

 

We dive into:

  • How do you approach networking with authenticity and purpose, rather than trying to "collect" as many contacts as possible?
  • How do you make time for networking?
  • How do you stay connected with your network over time, especially with individuals who may not be in your immediate work circle?


Resources:
 

You can connect with Samantha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgzeitlin/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthazeitlin

 

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok.

 

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines. Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info! 

 

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!


Apr 26, 202320:36
Episode 17: Bouncing Back from Layoffs with Yuliya Falkovich

Episode 17: Bouncing Back from Layoffs with Yuliya Falkovich

On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Yuliya Falkovich, Head of Engineering for Chassis Capability @ ION Analytics (a division of ION Group). The main topic of our conversation today is bouncing back from layoffs, which is a crucial topic in our current tech landscape. We also follow Yuliya’s journey and discuss visibility, perseverance, and resilience in technical fields. 


We dive into:

  • The importance of seeking visibility and finding sponsors
  • Building perseverance through a realization that careers are so often non-linear
  • Building resilience by being prepared for layoffs before they happen
  • Dealing with the emotional impact layoffs can have not just on those impacted, but the leader and remaining team as well


Yuliya is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of software engineering and development team management experience. She is leading a globally distributed team of software engineers building innovative products and laying the foundation of reusable UI and natural language search components. In the past she has held numerous senior level positions on the Selerity team, serving as the Director of Application Development prior to ION's acquisition. Yuliya's extensive professional experience spans the financial, media, and technology industries. Prior to Selerity, she held various senior engineering and management roles in Morgan Stanley's fixed income technology department, Thomson Reuters' media department, as well as in various startups. Yuliya is bilingual in English/Russian and currently holds a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from New York University.

Resources:

You can connect with Yuliya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliyafalkovich/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yuliyafalk


You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

 

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on YouTube at: http://youtube.com/@jossiehaines/   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

 

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that women hold less than 9% of engineering executive roles? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with the goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high-powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Apr 11, 202325:11
Episode 16: Being Heard and Respected for Our Technical Abilities - Interview with Bhavna Bhatnagar

Episode 16: Being Heard and Respected for Our Technical Abilities - Interview with Bhavna Bhatnagar

On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Bhavna Bhatnagar, Engineering Leader at Rivian, in the Identity Access Management space. Today's main topic of conversation is how to be heard and respected as a technical leader. So often, women are assumed to be non-technical.  Jossie’s example drives this home, “When I managed at Apple, people constantly assumed I was the project manager, and I even got an apology letter from someone who made that assumption.  I think this is a crucial topic to ensure we retain women in tech.”

In our conversation with Bhavna, we dive into the challenges women face with being technical. We discuss unequal role opportunities, gender bias, unbalanced work requirements for growth, and issues that can arise in pushing policies and initiatives.  She shared how small, consistent wins can reinforce an identity of competence and enable us to gain allies and build trust. She also shares tools for handling situations that bring you unexpectedly out of your comfort zone.

Bhavna has over 25 years of professional experience, from a software engineer to growing through the ranks to a leadership role in the Identity Access Management and Security space.  She has global experience, having grown up and studied in India, and then she made her way to UK, Singapore, Germany, US, India, and then US again for her jobs and family. She is an avid blogger, holds 4 US patents in the identity space, and is one of the authors of the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) specification. She led and started the Women in Tech forums at UBS, helping younger talent find their voice.  She is married to a wonderful supporting husband, lives in South Bay, California, and has 2 boys.

Key Insights:

  • Find the balance. Apply compassion and curiosity confidently in dealing with perceived bias issues

  • Start with low complexity, avoid jargon, focus on the business, and consider the audience, especially when talking to non-technical teams and leaders.

  • Show and delegate repeatable competence. Empowerment through accountability allows teams to have ownership, lean in, and show mastery, bringing pride and technical excellence.

Resources:

On the Web - Bhavna’s articles on zero trust, IAM, and Security:


You can connect with Bhavna Bhatnagar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavna-bhatnagar-784403/


You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok


You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!


This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Mar 28, 202330:13
Episode 15: Interview with Dr. Bushra Anjum on Building Inclusive & Diverse Tech Teams

Episode 15: Interview with Dr. Bushra Anjum on Building Inclusive & Diverse Tech Teams

On today's episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Dr. Bushra Anjum, Director of Data Science and Analytics at Doximity. We highlight her journey from academia to industry and from an individual contributor to senior management. Our conversation then focuses on her recent work to improve the hiring practices and diversity numbers for the Doximity data department. Dr. Anjum is also the inaugural board member of the women@Doximity ERG. We discuss her leadership philosophy, the effectiveness of DEI activities, and the company’s policy to offer compensation for leading ERG efforts. From hiring to promotion and team management, Dr. Bushra Anjum details how diversity plays a crucial role in employee quality of life, productivity, and retention.  

Resources:

Doximity on the Web- https://www.doximity.com/

You can connect with Dr. Bushra Anjum on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bushraanjum/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBushraAnjum and https://twitter.com/doximity

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Mar 14, 202324:00
Episode 14: Welcome Back to Our Second Season!

Episode 14: Welcome Back to Our Second Season!

In this episode, Jossie Haines and Jordanna Kwok return to share updates on their own lives, discuss changes in the industry, reiterate goals for supporting Women in Tech, and unveil their plans for the podcast! 

On the podcast, we will be addressing two main focus areas to help women thrive in technical fields:
- “How can we retain women in tech via resilience, allies, policies, and initiatives?”
- “What should women do if they are thinking of quitting tech fields?”
This season will include a number of great podcast guests focusing on these crucial topics!   

In this episode, we dive into: 

  • Our thoughts on the layoffs in tech and which companies are doing them well (or not!)
  • How to deal with being a survivor after layoffs happen 
  • How the pay transparency law rollout in California is going


Resources:

- California Pay Transparency Links:


You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech to empower them to thrive, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Mar 01, 202332:20
Episode 13: “Best Of” Darlene Rouleaux on Momming in Tech

Episode 13: “Best Of” Darlene Rouleaux on Momming in Tech

Jordanna and I are taking a break between seasons and wanted to share with you some of our best of episodes from when we first launched. We'll be back in March with new episodes and interviews!
In this interview from 2019, Jossie and Jordanna speak with Darlene Rouleaux, UI/UX software engineer at Schneider Electric, as well as a mom of two young kids. Darlene shares the challenges of being a mom in tech, as well as her transition from individual contributor to manager and back.
Other topics include:

How different the real world is from college
Transitioning back from parental leave
Promoting diversity at work
Being brave

Here are some additional resources Darlene mentions in the episode:

twitter.com/mommingintech
mommingintech.com/
www.instagram.com/mommingintech

Special Guest: Darlene Rouleaux You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/and on Twitter: twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/and on Twitter: twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free discovery calls to women leaders in tech looking to be heard, lead authentically and play by their rules. Be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!
This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!
Feb 14, 202319:13
Episode 12: "Best Of" Karen Catlin on Being Better Allies

Episode 12: "Best Of" Karen Catlin on Being Better Allies

Jordanna and I are taking a break between seasons and wanted to share with you some of our best of episodes from when we first launched.  We'll be back in March with new episodes and interviews! 

In this inaugural podcast episode, Jossie and Jordanna speak with Karen Catlin, leadership coach and diversity advocate, about her start in the tech industry, the challenges of staying in the tech, and how to be better allies to women and other underrepresented groups.

Other topics include:

  • Issues around diversity in hiring
  • The struggles of being the only woman in the room
  • Bias in the tech industry

Here are some additional resources Karen mentions in the episode:

Special Guest: Karen Catlin.

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free strategy calls to women leaders in tech who are struggling to be heard, lead authentically and get that promotion they deserve. Be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Feb 03, 202332:07
Episode 11: Leadership, Resilience & Self-Confidence with Monica Bajaj

Episode 11: Leadership, Resilience & Self-Confidence with Monica Bajaj

In our last episode of the season, we speak with Monica Bajaj who tells of her experiences growing up in India, and of moving and working in the United States. It is a testimony of dealing with bias and overcoming doubts, weathering racism and immigrant status, and challenging culturally traditional roles. Join us as we discuss these topics and consider how we can impact the lives of others through leadership, resilience, and self-confidence.

Key Insights:

●  “To be a champion, compete; to be a great champion, compete with the best; but to be the greatest champion, compete with yourself.”

● “Never give up and hold on to it like Mumbai train”

● Invest, reflect, define and build a brand in/for yourself.


We'll be back in early 2023! Happy Holidays!

Resources:

You can connect with Monica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobajaj/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbajaj9

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Dec 15, 202222:55
Episode 10: Kathryn Vandiver on Gender Bias and Segregation in Tech

Episode 10: Kathryn Vandiver on Gender Bias and Segregation in Tech

Today on Retaining WIT we are thrilled to have Kathryn Vandiver, who is currently VP of Engineering at BlueOwl and has over three decades of technical experience in Silicon Valley, which included roles at VMWare, HP, and NetApp.

We discuss issues around how gender bias plays a part in filling roles within tech companies, what to watch for, and how to avoid being diverted or stuck in roles that pay less or are outside of desired positions and duties. It is important to fight for and to stay true to ourselves and our passions. We also share strategies that those in management positions can leverage to fight these biases. Join us in this amazing episode of Retaining Women in Tech!

Resources:
Gender Segregation in tech links:

Hiring and Intra-occupational Gender Segregation in Software Engineering

Google 'segregates' women into lower-paying jobs, stifling careers, lawsuit says

The Tech Industry’s Gender-Discrimination Problem

https://hbr.org/2022/09/3-workplace-biases-that-derail-mid-career-women

You can connect with Kathryn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynvandiver/

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Nov 22, 202221:52
Episode 9: Sue Nallapeta: From Engineer to VPE

Episode 9: Sue Nallapeta: From Engineer to VPE

On today’s episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, we are joined by Sue Nallapeta, VP of Engineering at Apartment List.  We are excited to chat with her about her journey from being an engineer to getting to an executive leadership role, the challenges of being a mom as an engineering leader, and finally dive into the topic that women are “downgraded” when being offered a role in tech.  Sue, thank you for joining us today!

Key Insights:

Resilience is key to thriving and weathering adversity in hard-won goals. Focusing on individual tasks and having an inclusive home life helps with work success.  Balance can be affected by unrealistic expectations and standards; prioritize and push where you can with respect to your current resources and status, while building a network that can support your successes in many different ways.

Curate successes by delivering value to your business; this can be done by providing solutions for motivation, diverse and inclusive team building, and managing in an innovative, relevant manner, despite whatever may come up.  Use feedback, and maintain the psychological safety for a cycle of management to adapt responses to issues and develop solutions with empathetic collaboration.

Resources:

You can connect with Sue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sushmanallapeta/ and check out her company at https://www.apartmentlist.com/!

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Nov 08, 202224:28
Episode 8: Ruthann Weeks on the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Workplace

Episode 8: Ruthann Weeks on the Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Workplace

Jossie and Jordanna return to chat with Ruthann Weeks, founder of Harmony in the Workplace.  Ruthann is a tireless forward-thinking crusader whose efforts have helped to bring the importance of an abuse-free work environment to the forefront of public awareness. Research shows 15-20% of the population is neurodiverse; we cover what neurodiversity is, how it has gained more visibility, and practices for including these individuals. Join us and listen to our discussions of interviewing and hiring, managing in both workplace and work-from-home situations, and the benefits of hiring neurodiverse employees!

WIT Tip of the week:

Ruthann provided some useful resources to share with all of us:

Resources:
You can connect with Ruthann via email: info@harmonytraining.ca and on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthann-weeks-harmonyintheworkplace/
Twitter:   https://twitter.com/Harmony_HR.
Website: https://harmonyintheworkplace.com/

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with a goal of accelerating careers of our members and building their high powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Oct 25, 202227:52
Episode 7: Are Women Compensated Fairly in Tech?

Episode 7: Are Women Compensated Fairly in Tech?

In this episode of the Retaining WIT podcast, Jossie and Jordanna dive into the inequities of compensation in tech. Men are often offered higher salaries or positions than women, however, this discrepancy can be fought with planning, data, and support:

  • Planning: Don’t take the first offer, instead focusing time and energy on creating leverage with counter offers and expressing confidence in the ability to provide value. This begins in the home; working out domestic equity first will help combat the social disadvantages women face with non-work obligations.

  • Data: Statistics give transparency to bias, and as a result, many companies are adopting pay transparency as a policy, with other services such as the Elpha database providing spaces for global contribution and the resulting accountability this brings to bear.

  • Support: Having support from leadership is immensely powerful with regard to pay equity and fighting workplace inequalities. Then, choosing/providing a place where inclusive benefits with medical and leave plans, curated compensation bands, and transparency are all deemed important, is crucial, especially due to the trouble with enforcing this via outside policies (some states are testing out required pay ranges for employers).

Resources:
Elpha salary database:
https://elpha.com/salary-database
Pay gap ‘need to know’: https://www.codecademy.com/resources/blog/gender-pay-gap-in-tech/
Pay transparency considerations: https://hbr.org/2022/08/research-the-unintended-consequences-of-pay-transparency
Equal pay dates:  https://www.aauw.org/resources/article/equal-pay-day-calendar/
Advancement bias: https://hbr.org/2018/06/research-women-ask-for-raises-as-often-as-men-but-are-less-likely-to-get-them

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high-performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

This podcast comes to you in collaboration with the sheTO community (formerly Divhersity). Did you know that less than 9% of engineering executive roles are held by women? sheTO is on a mission to change that. sheTO is a private network for women and non-binary engineering leaders with the goal of accelerating the careers of our members and building their high-powered network. Learn more at sheTO.org!

Oct 14, 202225:41
Episode 6: Maria Kazandjieva on Being a Co-Founder in Tech

Episode 6: Maria Kazandjieva on Being a Co-Founder in Tech

In this episode of the ‘Retaining WIT’ Podcast Jossie Haines and Jordanna Kwok chat with Maria Kazandijeva, co-Founder at Graft, a new company that strives to make AI more accessible for small companies without large teams. Maria shares her insights on becoming a co-founder and building a company from scratch, the differences between early startup life and corporate life, and building a culture and team that is inclusive from day one.

Key Insights:

Maria makes a refreshing point that in spite of degrees and titles she is  another approachable human being figuring out what’s next. She’s always loved working with data and decided to go for it when a friend came to her about starting Graft. Being open to opportunities as they come by, is her actionable advice for proactive change. She shares that building a company from the ground up entails learning all of the invisible, non-glamorous jobs, and providing value, context, and appreciation to the team.

“Creating a culture of respect and collaboration is super important.” To create a diverse, and effective team, you have to work hard and smart, and invest in extra time and energy for networking and interviewing extra people. If you are a manager, you already know how to retain men, you can likewise support and retain women. People know how to retain others in tech… we just aren’t doing so with equal energy. Put the energy where it needs to be, and collaborate, network, and be resilient in tech together!

Resources:
You can connect with Maria Kazandjieva on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariakaz/ and visit her company site at https://graft.com/

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

Sep 27, 202237:17
Episode 5: Making Performance Reviews more Effective & Inclusive in Tech

Episode 5: Making Performance Reviews more Effective & Inclusive in Tech

Summary:
In this episode of the ‘Retaining WIT’ Podcast Jossie Haines and Jordanna Kwok deep-dive into performance reviews and how they aren’t always effective, especially for women and underrepresented minorities. Only “14% of employees say that performance reviews are encouraging them”, so it is important to discuss how performance reviews and 360 feedback can be leveraged to fight this statistic.

Key Insights:

  1. Career ladders can allow for more directed growth-related feedback and more explicit conversation with direct reports on how they may grow their careers.
  2. Leverage impact-based job descriptions where you create your clear 30, 60, and 90-day goals. In turn, you can leverage those same goals during onboarding when you hire new employees. In giving that feedback, you may slow down your thinking and tie it back to those goals in order to provide the same level of concrete technical feedback to both men and women.
  3. Tips for women when receiving feedback:
  • Approach with curiosity
  • Ask questions to dig deeper and try to understand where the other person is coming from with their feedback
  • next steps depend a lot on how safe it is at your company to speak up, so start with curiosity and ask for clarification

Resources:

You can connect with Jordanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannakwok/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordeewok

You can connect with Jossie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JossieHaines   Jossie offers free discovery calls to engineering leaders interested in building inclusive high performing teams, be sure to DM her on LinkedIn for more info!

Sep 20, 202215:18
Episode 4: Interview w/ Nidhi Gupta – How Divhersity addresses that only 9% of CTOs are women
Sep 20, 202222:45
Episode 3: Welcome Back to the Retaining WIT Podcast!
Sep 20, 202231:56
Episode 2: Darlene Rouleaux on Momming in Tech

Episode 2: Darlene Rouleaux on Momming in Tech

Jossie and Jordanna speak with Darlene Rouleaux, UI/UX software engineer at Schneider Electric, as well as a mom of two young kids. Darlene shares the challenges of being a mom in tech, as well as her transition from individual contributor to manager and back.

Other topics include:

  • How different the real world is from college
  • Transitioning back from parental leave
  • Promoting diversity at work
  • Being brave

Check out the episode webpage for the full show transcript.

Here are some additional resources Darlene mentions in the episode:

Special Guest: Darlene Rouleaux.

Aug 15, 201918:53
Episode 1: Karen Catlin on Being Better Allies
Jun 05, 201931:47
Introducing the Retaining WIT Podcast

Introducing the Retaining WIT Podcast

Research shows that 56% of women leave after 10 to 20 years in the tech industry. It’s been terrific to see the momentum around getting girls and women into tech, but how do we ensure that they find long-term success in the industry? Join Jossie Haines and Jordanna Kwok as we share our stories and teach each other the skills to stay and thrive in the industry. On each episode, we invite a guest to talk to us about their unique experiences and discuss solutions for creating an environment where women can be successful. Retaining WIT is coming soon!

Jan 03, 201901:12