Why Does The Demographic of Employees Matter?

[Solly]

Why is http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2687247.stm even a story at all?

Making sure women stay in technology jobs is as important as persuading girls to pursue such careers in the first place.

This was the view of a succession of speakers at the third annual Women in Information Technology conference held in London on Wednesday.

Currently too many women are leaving the profession and this flow must be stemmed if the UK is to have an equal percentage of men and women in the tech sector

And it doesn't surprise me the Beeb didn't place that last paragraph in speech marks - sliding to the left all the time.

[Dinner]

The reality is it matters very little to anyone other then the socialist garbage of the earth.

[Datajack Franit]

Oerdin

[Solly]

Originally posted by Oerdin
The reality is it matters very little to anyone other then the socialist garbage of the earth.

[SlowwHand]

That should make Che real happy, Oerdin.

[FrustratedPoet]

this flow must be stemmed if the UK is to have an equal percentage of men and women in the tech sector

In what way would an equal percentage of men and women in the tech sector be an advantage? In what way would it be a disadvantage?

Answer to both questions: In no way whatsoever.

So why the hell is this news? Seems a bit daft really.

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet

So why the hell is this news? Seems a bit daft really.

Probably because of the increasing number of women in the UK media.

If there are more men than women in an employment sector in the UK there are cries of outrage and demands to give more jobs to women. Yet the UK television industry is going through a phase of male presenters being kicked out after allegations of misbehaviour in their private lives and replacing them with young women (who may be nicer to look at but then spoil the effect by opening their mouths and spouting drivel) and no-one says anything.

Bringing in more women seems to be something we do in the UK when we want to undermine a profession (teaching, medicine, law) and get it done for lower wages.

[Ozz]

Originally posted by Oerdin
The reality is it matters very little to anyone other then the socialist garbage of the earth.

It matters to me, we need our coffee wenchs.

[Kropotkin]

It matters since some people seems to think it will change something fundamental about society.

I personally think they are missing the point.

If you want to be popular and do something about unequality it's much easier to try to change the number of people in different sectors and places than actually try to do it something about the fundamental "problem" (if you actually think it's a problem). Affermative action is easy. It's also hard for many women that's into this to understand that women are about half of the source of the "problem". Maybe even more.

[Boris Godunov]

Companies benefit from diversity on many levels. First, there is simply the good PR of having an employee body that shows all facets of society and manner of employees. When people see a company where there is good diversity, it gives a sense that the company has a healthy culture that can attract anyone, it has progressive policies in general and seeks to operate in a non-exclusionary manner.

The biggest benefit, however, is in marketing services and products to various communities. If a company wants to target black clients/consumers, it is very helpful to have a black company member who can help convey the company message. This works also for women, gays, etc. People within certain groups feel most at ease hearing company messages from other members of their group, since they can more easily relate.

This interconnects with the first point, as a diverse company will be more likely to attract diversity candidates for jobs who are truly excellent and can then work to expand the company's reach into diverse markets. A brilliant gay advertising executive who would bring in millions in could very well decide not to join an agency where the environment didn't make him comfortable, no matter how much money they offered him.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes, Boris, but IF women leave the tech sector, shouldn't that be their own choice? I mean, apparently, they were hired in the sector and then decided to leave. What's the problem with that?

[JohnT]

"The biggest benefit, however, is in marketing services and products to various communities. If a company wants to target black clients/consumers, it is very helpful to have a black company member who can help convey the company message. This works also for women, gays, etc. People within certain groups feel most at ease hearing company messages from other members of their group, since they can more easily relate."

Very true and very relevant... if the article was talking about Marketing positions.

Here is the real issue:

"Part of the problem, said Ms Hewitt, is a perception that it was impossible to balance a career and children in the often tough world of technology.

Hewitt: Something is wrong in retaining women
More flexible working and "giving more women the confidence to challenge a workaholic culture" were crucial she added. "

You accept the job, you enter their culture. You have to adapt, not the others. A man who "challenges" the culture is put out on his ass (or, at least, denied promotions and raises) - and properly so.

The fact is, somebody who puts in 14 hours a day is going to get better notices than one who hits the door every day at 5:00pm. That's just the way the world works.

[ColdWizard]

posting on behalf of Zylka

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Companies benefit from diversity on many levels. First, there is simply the good PR of having an employee body that shows all facets of society and manner of employees. When people see a company where there is good diversity, it gives a sense that the company has a healthy culture that can attract anyone, it has progressive policies in general and seeks to operate in a non-exclusionary manner.

The biggest benefit, however, is in marketing services and products to various communities. If a company wants to target black clients/consumers, it is very helpful to have a black company member who can help convey the company message. This works also for women, gays, etc. People within certain groups feel most at ease hearing company messages from other members of their group, since they can more easily relate.

This interconnects with the first point, as a diverse company will be more likely to attract diversity candidates for jobs who are truly excellent and can then work to expand the company's reach into diverse markets. A brilliant gay advertising executive who would bring in millions in could very well decide not to join an agency where the environment didn't make him comfortable, no matter how much money they offered him.

Zylka says, "Seriously... Shut the **** up and worry about life for a change, ok?"

[Dis]

I'm tired of all the whining from women.

Here's what I propose:. Fire all men from their jobs. This would be goverment enforced of course. Put women in their jobs and give them more pay than men.

Maybe this will stip the whining

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by JohnT
Very true and very relevant... if the article was talking about Marketing positions.

Considering the title of the thread, I think Bodd's was using the tech issue as an example of why he thinks seeking diversity in a company is somehow stupid. I was merely countering with examples in which is it quite pertinent. If he just wants to confine the discussion to the tech sector, so be it, but I don't think that was his aim.

Zylka says, "Seriously... Shut the **** up and worry about life for a change, ok?"

Considering the above has a great deal to do with what I do for a living, Zylka can take another hit from his crack pipe and shut the **** up himself.