Using Talent Communities to Fill the Need for Women in Tech

There has been no shortage of talk and concern about the lack of women in the tech industry. But some companies and individuals have decided to do more than just talk or make empty promises.

LiveHire is an Australian talent technology company that has partnered with the insight and technology company, CEB, to create Women in Technology, “an industry movement to attract 100,000 women, from anywhere, interested in working with technology.” And companies like Amazon Web Services, Salesforce and Dropbox have gotten on board.

Rather than seeking out or trying to attract women with technology-related degrees or backgrounds, the idea is to open the playing field to a much broader audience. This is where talent communities can make a huge impact.

In a traditional hiring scenario, job qualifications that include specific technical skills are listed in job postings, and people without the proper tech backgrounds are discouraged from applying. But when companies think in terms of core competencies, aptitude and transferrable skills instead of tech-specific experience they can create diverse talent communities that encourage women to join based on shared interests.

People coming from non-tech jobs who have strong problem-solving skills, good management capabilities, and excellent team-player or leadership abilities can be taught the tech stuff. So, by creating a “community” that attracts women who have the aptitude and attitude your company values—even if they lack specific technical training—you will have a much better chance of building a large talent pipeline full of people who will fit your current and future needs, as well as your corporate culture.

Start generating interest in your organization and the jobs you have available by making your online community a place where potential employees can learn more about your business and products, and find loads of helpful information about how their skills can transfer to a career in tech. This is also where they can share information about interests, skills and past experiences, so you can gather mountains of data about your community members to help you inform your recruiting and hiring decisions.

As you build your talent community, always have the candidate experience in mind. Make it easy and inviting for candidates to join your community and apply for jobs. And, make sure your job descriptions are enticing, convey your company culture and aren’t filled with loads of intimidating technical jargon.

If you’d like more information on building the perfect talent community of women for tech jobs, contact us here at talentcircles.com and we can provide you with all the tools you need to engage and screen your candidates, as well as capture and manage all their data. Call us at 888-280-0808 or email sales@talentcircles.com.