Did you know that a study of law firms that use numerical ratings systems for promoting associates finds that men are three times more likely than women to be promoted to partner at these firms? Although men and women junior attorneys received glowing narratives at about equal rates, the women with the glowing narratives were significantly less likely to advance to partner because their numerical ratings weren’t correspondingly high.
University of California Hastings School of Law professor and co-author of the research, Joan Williams, said the study “suggests that one reason law firms can’t keep women is that firms’ evaluation systems are not correcting for implicit biases that disadvantage women…Law firms need to adopt best practices, including having someone trained to spot gender bias reviewing all evaluations before they become final.”
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You may have heard that IBM recently appointed a new, female CEO, Virginia Rometty. But did you know that Rometty has been with IBM for 30 years? In commenting on the length of Rometty’s tenure, The Wall Street Journal points out some interesting research from Catalyst, which finds that women who climb the career ladder within a single company tend to have more career success and earn more money than women who switch employers. Men, meanwhile, are rewarded with higher salaries if they move around.
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Did you know that one of the co-sponsors of the Computer Science Education Act (CSEA) has been out stumping for his cause? Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), who along with Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced the CSEA to both houses of Congress this fall, recently visited a hi-tech high school in Pittsburgh, Penn. to emphasize the importance of computing education at the K-12 level. “This legislation will give more students the opportunity to study computer science and position themselves for the jobs of the future,” Senator Casey said. “This is a high-growth sector of very well-paying jobs. Research shows that through at least 2018, there will be far more jobs in computer science than there are people with computer science degrees. We need to equip our students now with the skills to pursue those opportunities.”
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Did you know that Purdue University has increased the number of women enrolled in its College of Engineering by 31% over last year? The college has 460 first-year women this fall, up from 352 a year ago. This year’s achievement marks the highest number of first-year women and the highest number of total women ever in the engineering school. Purdue credits the uptick to a 2008 National Academy of Engineering report, Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering.
“Specifically, when we are talking to younger students about engineering careers, we emphasize five points,” said Beth Holloway, director of the college’s Women in Engineering Program (WIEP). “They are that the work is enjoyable, that it’s done in a good working environment, that it is work that makes a difference, that it provides a good income and that it offers flexibility. These are important elements for everyone, and really hit home with young women.”
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Did you know that if you’re having trouble finding qualified candidates to fill your open jobs, you’re not alone? An article at The Wall Street Journal, “Why Companies Aren’t Getting the Employees They Need,” says that 52% of companies surveyed say they’re having trouble filling positions because of talent shortages. However, the article’s author thinks that some blame lies with companies themselves rather than a lack of talent; he cites the inflexibility of many companies to either train new employees, or give up keyword scanning in favor of deeper (but time-consuming) resume-screening.
Meanwhile, over at the blog of marketer extraordinaire Seth Godin, Seth advises that the way to “Get a Job with a Small Company” is to show you can contribute “far more than you cost.” He recommends that job-seekers avoid the Fortune 500 HR maze and focus on acquiring three key skillets that small companies need: salesmanship, writing ability, and multimedia tech skills: “Yes, you can learn to code. The fact that you don’t feel like it is one reason it’s a scarce skill.”
Did You Know? is a brief round-up of information and news that crossed NCWIT’s radar this week that we think might be of interest to you. Practices or content of the news presented are not vetted or endorsed by NCWIT.
- K-12
- K-12
- I Want To
- K-12 Resources
K-12 Resources
Act and advocate for more inclusive computing learning experiences. Encourage and inspire students to explore computing pathways that match their interests and abilities.
- K-12 Programs
K-12 Programs
Inspire and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, equip K-12 and higher education influencers, and foster virtual and in-person communities at local, regional, and national levels.
- K-12 Alliance
K-12 Alliance
Mobilize year-round alongside formal and informal educators and other adult influencers nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Higher Education
- Higher Education
- I Want To
- Higher Ed Resources
Higher Education Resources
Build consensus for action amongst colleagues, leaders, and advisors to create momentum for measurable, sustainable change within computing departments and institutions.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Education Programs
Recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- Higher Ed Alliance
Higher Ed Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside faculty, staff, administrators, department heads, and other mentors nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Workforce
- Workforce
- I Want To
- Workforce Resources
Workforce Resources
Employ strategic approaches that avoid the typical pitfalls of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion interventions.
- Workforce Programs
Workforce Programs
Volunteer to engage with the next generation of technologists, amplify the bottom-line benefits of diverse technological contributions, and more.
- Workforce Alliance
Workforce Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside corporate seniors, executives, and team leaders nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Resources
- Resources
- Programs
- Programs
- Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
- BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
- Color of Our Future
Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
- Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
- Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
- Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
- Sit With Me
Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Tech Inclusion Journey
Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
- Aspirations in Computing
- News & Events
- News & Events
- NCWIT Summit
NCWIT Summit
The NCWIT Summit: where conversations lead to change is the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.
- News
News
Check out NCWIT’s latest press releases, press mentions, newsletters, blogs, and articles we are talking about!
- Events
Events
NCWIT offers various in-person and virtual events throughout the year and is also present at many other industry events. Find out about past and upcoming items here.
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