When Experienced Women Engineers Look for New Jobs, They Prioritize Trust and Growth
Automattic, WordPress.com’s parent company, set out to learn how to boost applications from women and non-binary developers.
How can we increase gender representation in software engineering?
Our Developer Hiring Experience team analyzed this topic in a recent user-research study. The issue resonated with women engineers and a strong response enabled the team to gain deeper insight than is currently available from online research projects.
Seventy-one engineers who identified as women or non-binary responded to our request for feedback. Out of that pool, 24 answered a follow-up survey, and we carried out in-depth interviews with 14 people. This was a highly skilled group, with the majority having worked in software development for over 10 years.
While some findings aligned with our expectations, we still uncovered a few surprises.
The Job Hunt
In initial job hunts, respondents were found to rely heavily on their existing networks and on personal outreach from companies.
If they do not have a pre-existing connection with a company, they’ll likely scrutinize it for red flags before they submit an application. Job descriptions are searched for any discouraging language — for example, if parental leave descriptions only refer to mothers. Information — about the job, salary, team, and hiring process — is key for encouraging applications.
Stack Overflow is a popular resource for job hunting; whereas Glassdoor is viewed as less useful, and more as a venting forum for former employees or unsuccessful candidates.
The Hiring Process
The most favorable hiring processes represent a growth opportunity, rather than being purely evaluative. Communication and responsiveness are important, as is the visibility of other women within the team. For some participants, interviewing is seen as a skill to maintain. These developers are continually keeping an eye on job listings to stay abreast of their options. However, the chance for growth was the most widespread reason for actually leaving a current position.
Job Satisfaction
Consistently being able to have an impact, including leadership opportunities, stood out as important; if this is lacking, experienced women engineers are likely to seek new employment. Dissatisfaction can also be caused by being pushed onto the management track and having to fight to continue to focus on technical work.
The data showed women are looking for more communities focused on connecting to other senior-level women, and around more technical topics. Concerns around online harassment can put women off trying to build their network online.
Changes at Automattic
We are working on Automattic’s employment branding to reflect our findings. We are in the process of gathering resources to better describe work at Automattic, and we’re encouraging existing developers to increase their visibility outside of the company — whether through writing or engaging in their communities.
In job postings, we have removed any gameplay or language that emphasizes hiring as a competitive process — for instance, we no longer mention application volume. Instead, job postings highlight learning and career opportunities for the candidate. Adding the term “Senior” to postings is also being tested. Although this implies a job ladder that does not necessarily exist here, the research clarified that its absence sent the message that all positions are mid-level roles, without the path to growth that women candidates tend to look for.
We are also managing candidates’ expectations by making the whole hiring process more transparent, and have created a public page outlining the hiring process.
We’ve made it easier for interested applicants to have casual chats with other women at Automattic. We also offer candidates the opportunity for one-on-one calls with a member of the Developer Experience team during the final stages of hiring; this has started with under-indexed candidates but with a view to rolling it out to everyone. These chats take place outside of the formal hiring process to provide an opportunity for the applicant to ask any questions they have and for the company to better understand their career goals and motivation.
We are tracking the progress made and are excited to be able to contribute data to the field of gender representation in engineering. If you’d like to take a more in-depth look at our study, please do read the more detailed write up on our developer blog, or download the PDF!
Interested to learn what positions are currently open at Automattic? We’re always hiring.
- August 28, 2019
- Automattic, Community, Diversity & Inclusion, Hiring, Resources
WordPress.com News 
Bless you for conducting this study, posting your findings, and contributing data to the field f gender representation. In 1962 when I was applying for a job, the interviewer actually asked me, “Why do you want to work? You have a husband. Why don’t you stay home and take care of him and start your family?” Indeed we’ve come a long way since those days!!
LikeLiked by 31 people
We really have, Ma’am. But more importantly, we have women like you to thank who paved the way for us. The battle is far from won and we are all doing our bit to make it less outrageous for the ones who come after us.
LikeLiked by 23 people
Yes, less outrageous! A worthy goal!! 👍🏽
LikeLiked by 14 people
Wonderful initiative. One more step ahead in encouraging gender equality. 🙂
LikeLiked by 14 people
As a trans lady reading this article warmed my heart, I always love to hear of companies that are hiring trans and non-binary people especially these days with a government that is trying everything to slat us down !!!
❤️✌️
BY FOR NOW
LikeLiked by 13 people
Thank you for a wonderful post !!!
LikeLiked by 10 people
Very informative! Thanks for sharing!!
LikeLiked by 11 people
We men could learn from this.
LikeLiked by 12 people
Maybe we need more women to start their own companies. Why should we wait for men to “allow” us into a world we already inhabit? I say there are plenty of women smart enough right now… gett’em girls!
LikeLiked by 17 people
Thank you for the post 😊
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Without empowering and encouraging women we are never gonna reach our goals. “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things”
– Mother Teresa
LikeLiked by 8 people
Wonderful news for all the highly skilled ladies 🙂
LikeLiked by 10 people
Very good idea👌
LikeLiked by 11 people
Very informative😊
LikeLiked by 3 people
Wow thank you so much for sharing this with us! I bet so many women feel heard. Thank you thank you thank you! I totally agree we need to represent more women and diversity in every work place!!!
I’ve had a customer actually ask me why I wasn’t home in the kitchen and I told him that I was too busy paying my own bills.
Thank you.
– meettheprices.blog
LikeLiked by 6 people
I love this post. It’s inspiring
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great! I wish I could attend the Workshops and grab the valuable insights
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’m all for women empowerment! I work for a WMBE! This article was very insightful, and one example of that is I wasn’t aware of the term “non-binary” and did a quick online search.
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From my perspective, a computer scientist, I agree that there is an under representation of women in the field. Posts like this one is what aids in implementing change into the rapidly expanding field. Good work!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Truly inspiring!
LikeLiked by 6 people