As many of you may have heard through popular media channels, there is currently a movement afoot to ban the word “bossy,” spearheaded by celebrities like Beyonce, as well as role models and leaders such as Condoleeza Rice.
So, you may be asking, “Why the word ‘bossy,’ and what does this have to do with recruiting?’”
Here at Market Street Talent, we’ve explored different ways to get more females into STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics) and help solve a growing IT talent shortage facing this country. There is no easy answer, but according to the experts at www.girlswhocode.com only 12 percent of computer science graduates are women. We’ve been trying to understand why.
The idea itself actually ties into some of our findings – that women may not be encouraged to enter the workforce in areas of STEM, which historically have been held by their traditionally more aggressive male counterparts. So it proves interesting to take the distilled theory of www.BanBossy.com in the context of our findings:
“When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a ‘leader.’ Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded ‘bossy.’ Words like bossy send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys—a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.”
We’re not here to tell you to run out and support this initiative. But this movement does offer insights and pose some real questions about one of the great challenges of the digital age – how to get more females into technical roles to meet the ever increasing demand for high tech workers here in the US.
We help to play a part in this as IT industry recruiters. Part of our role is to ‘drive’ hires from all angles, matching talent with needs of employers and helping to bring the whole deal together. This can mean pushing a client for feedback, or to beef up an offer with a hiring bonus. It might also mean encouraging a candidate to make the extra effort to rework a resume, or take a class to polish up on rusty skills. There is a fine line between what we, as recruiters, do effectively – and being ‘bossy’ ourselves. Good recruiters strike a balance among all the parties, introducing the needs of the employer to the talent of the market.
Market Street Talent differentiates ourselves by being that driving force behind making the employer/employee connection – and we do it skillfully – without being bossy. We make things happen. Confidence in us as recruiters will ensure that the next time someone has a hiring or job seeking need, they know who to call.
So decide for yourself if Ban Bossy is a worthwhile cause, and more importantly, drop those bossy recruiters and work with recruiters who get it!
This blog was written by Market Street Talent Recruiting Manager Rich Collins. We invite you to visit us at Market Street Talent online, or connect with us through our social channels on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Linkedin to learn more.