Dr John Sullivan Talent Management Thought Leadership

by Trena Luong and Dr. John Sullivan

This is the final part of a two-part research-based series that is designed to reveal and describe the four categories of factors that restrict the recruiting of STEM women (i.e. women with degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) into high-tech firms.

In part one we highlighted Category 1, the lack of a short-term impact associated with efforts to increase the supply of STEM women, and Category 2, the top barriers that restrict STEM women from applying for and accepting new jobs. Our research and analysis indicates that there are two more major categories of factors that inhibit STEM women from changing jobs. Those factors will be covered in Category 3, the corporate cultural frustrators that discourage STEM women from being recruited into new jobs, and Category 4, biases against women in the hiring process of high-tech firms.

CATEGORY 3 — The corporate cultural frustrators That Discourage STEM Women From Being Recruited Into New Jobs

Even if STEM women were to overcome the barriers (highlighted in Category 2) that inhibit them from switching jobs and companies, they still face the reality that they have to work every day in a corporate culture that is not friendly to them. This fear of having to work under a repressive corporate culture directly discourages some from applying to high-tech firms. Read More »