In the world today, females are coming to the same level as males especially in the professional world. In the field of engineering at the moment there are very few female engineers present. These women know that they have several huge responsibilities on them and so have taken this job of an engineer. So there are just a few selected women who are practicing this field of engineering.
Why Aren’t many Female Engineers Present?
Just finding a few handfuls of women in this field, certain questions pop up in people’s mind. People start thinking of whether or not female engineer fit or competent enough for carrying the role? They also begin thinking whether there are few additional issues needs to deal with in the workplace.
While looking for engineering students it is greatly seen that the students getting the highest marks in science group are mainly female students. But why do they back out when it comes to taking the actual job of an engineer?
7 Myths of Being a Female Engineer:
People usually have grown a misconception regarding the engineering profession that, it is male-dominated sector and women do not fit in this industry. But frankly speaking this is one of the biggest myth and even women are emerging and growing in this field just like males.
There are also a lot of opportunities for women who want to build a career in this industry. Engineering is a diverse industry where even women can take part and become successful.
So here in this article, we blow away a few myths that people have relating to the engineering sector.
- Women should be strong and big to survive in the engineering field
- Women need to get their hands dirty in a real sense to become an engineer
- Women have to bold and forthcoming rather than timid in the engineering profession
- Maths and science subjects are not their cup of tea
- Women are miserable at technical skills
- Women are not capable of reaching top positions in engineering jobs
- Women can not balance work-life equally if they are in the engineering field
How to Raise a Female Engineer:
Engineering is a diverse field and is not suitable for everyone. Not suitable does not mean we are talking about gender discrimination but it points to the interest and passion towards the industry.
Girls are usually not allowed to take up engineering courses as people think that maths and science is a boy thing and they can get better jobs if pursued engineering. But the truth is that even girls can take up engineering provided if they have an interest in it.
Supporting the girls to take up engineering and providing them with the required resources is the best way to raise a female engineer.
Here are a few easy steps that help raise a female engineer
- Introduce them to a few engineers
- Help them to interact with them and get inspired
- Clear out the cloud that maths is tough
- Help them learn subjects which they feel hard
- It is not necessary to be smart and social always
- Be yourself and be confident
- Motivate them by telling “they can do it”
There are certain ways by which an individual can attract female engineers and hire them to work for their company. A few ways mentioned below.
Ways to Attract and Retain Female IT Talent:
1. Supporting the female student engineering groups:
The initial journey of the engineering job for a female student begins from the college itself where they do their engineering studies. So at this time, a number of girl students form their own separate groups to help each other.
But at times lack of support and a negative influence may entirely remove the concept of working as an engineer in the minds of the student.
So from the initial moment itself, the person needs to start supporting the engineering student groups in the college.
By supporting these groups, the students may feel that they all wanted and they can consider working for them in the future.
2. The efforts for recruitment should only be targeted for female engineers:
If the company wishes to have more female engineers in the workplace then they need to solely concentrate on hiring only female engineers in their next recruitment program.
The recruiter should first recognize that female engineers tend to be better than make engineers. Certain female engineers can do or carry out certain tasks which male engineers cannot.
So simply concentrating on only hiring female employees will get the recruiter the person they desire for the job.
3. No kind of hazing should occur in the workplace:
Hazing also knew as ragging is a set of activities which a person does to someone else which is harassing, any kind of abuse or humiliation in the workplace.
Before the female engineer thinks of practicing or accepting any kind of future job, they begin to think that they will have to go through similar problems.
During the interview itself, the recruiter should inform them that this kind of behavior will not tolerate in the workplace.
Also, inform them that if such a thing happens then they can report and take any necessary actions.
4. Emphasize on workplace respect:
Having respect in the workplace between every employee is really important. Workplace respect will properly define what the company is in reality.
Such behavior will only keep on attracting engineers and in this case, female engineers to the company.
Hence when the interview is going on, it is important that the interviewer lets the female engineer candidate know that they mainly emphasize on maintaining proper respect in the workplace.
5. Assuring them that there isn’t any sexism in the workplace:
Sexism happening in the workplace is common in every company or office today.
Women everywhere still suffer from workplace sexism in the form of any discrimination between men and women, using certain offensive statements against women, inappropriate actions towards women, etc.
Just because the person working in the company is a woman it doesn’t mean that they can be treated in any way.
Similarly, before hiring female engineers, the recruiters need to assure them that they do not prompt sexism in their workplace. They can also file a complaint with the company’s HR if anyone behaves inappropriately towards them.
6. Start establishing a role model in their life:
Initially, female students may not have a role model in their life. The female engineering students may only feel that becoming an engineer, they may have a satisfactory family life.
This won’t prompt them in further doing the engineering job actually in their real life. So before recruiting the female students who may be still in their first or second year, they need to have a certain person to act as a role model in their life.
Discuss with the people who achieved similar achievements in their life either well have known public personalities or ordinary employees in any workplace.
7. Tell them to stop thinking that they are incompetent:
A person who thinks that they are incompetent has lost self-confidence in them. They think that they have lost any of the abilities they once possessed or do not have any knowledge or skill required for carrying out a task successfully.
Female engineers normally think that though they are engineers now, they still have low self-esteem within them.
So the person hiring needs to remove the feeling of incompetence within them and further encourage them to accept the job which is being offered to them.
8. Removing the barrier of motherhood:
The greatest happiness for any woman in the world is the feeling of motherhood. Before joining the engineering company, the woman also thinks what will be the reaction in the workplace once they announce that they are pregnant.
They begin thinking that things may begin to get complicated in the workplace. So even before hiring the woman, the person can assure them that they won’t have any inconveniences towards them personally as well as the workplace.
Even tell them that they will be provided an appropriate maternity leave at this time.
9. Keep maintaining professional behavior at all times:
The first impression itself that a person receives about a company is how the behavior of the people who represent the company is.
If a female candidate is needed to be attracted to a particular company, then the representatives need to keep maintaining professional behavior at all times. This behavior should first be carried and maintained throughout the interview.
They should next emphasize that they focus on always having and maintaining professional behavior with everyone in the workplace.
10. Talk about workplace flexibility:
Any person would like to have a flexible work environment so that they have less number of inconveniences.
A flexible workplace will provide a flexible number of work timings which will be beneficial for the future potential female engineers.
Hence during the actual interview itself, the recruiter needs to mention that the workplace is a flexible environment to work.
A flexible work environment will further prompt the person to select the company for work. Their daily work timings, as well as overtime timings, can be efficiently managed by them.
11. Motivating the female engineering students:
Motivation is one of the most important things that a person needs to have within them so that they can begin with a new journey in their life.
The life of a female engineer student is similar before they think of beginning a new journey on completion of their engineering studies.
So before and during the interview, the person needs to motivate the candidates to how they are wanted in the workplace.
This gives them a sense of belonging that they are needed and hence they may select to begin working as an engineer.
12. Assure the candidates that they can feel comfortable in their workplace:
If the recruiter really wants the female engineer to work for them in the future then they need to know that they can feel safe at all times in the workplace.
This mainly refers to the elimination of any gender discrimination in the workplace. If the male worker is given higher priority than female, then no female wants to work in such a workplace.
To assure them that the overall environment in the workplace is comfortable. Also, tell them that every individual is given equal importance irrespective to the gender they belong.
13. Being a part of organizing mentor programs:
Having a mentor in life really transforms the life of any individual. Certain candidates or students do not have such a person in their life while they are practicing their studies.
Hence even after they complete it, they will not consider in taking that next step further and actually accepting a job with an engineering company.
So for that colleges at times organize mentor programs. So at this moment, the potential future recruiter needs to be a part of such programs so that they can identify if there is a future candidate who can be perfect for them.
14. Visiting certain colleges and recruits with women societies:
Female societies are the different organizations which mainly work for the benefit and welfare of different women present.
At least one such society is present in a college which will assist a female in any problem. With the help of such societies, the recruiters should also approach the female engineers for any jobs in their company.
This will help the company in getting the desired candidate which fits the entire job profile being offered.
15. Talk to female engineers with interest and importance:
There are very few numbers of female engineers who are present in the world today. All of them should be given due importance to the work they have contributed so far.
Whenever any person comes across a female engineer they will have to talk to them with interest and show them that they are important.
If they don’t, then even other future female engineers will begin to think that women are neglected. This won’t influence them to choose the career of a female engineer in the future.
So always give any female engineer due to importance at all times.
16. Building an internship program:
When a recruiter has built a strong and effective internship program then the undergraduate female candidates can become a part of the organization. If the internship is a paid type then female engineers will apply for it.
These programs can also provide an individual mentor for every female candidate who joins the program. This will help in creating a personal connection between the female candidates as well as the company and the university where the students are from.
Once the program has been concluded and if they liked it, they can consider joining the same company in the future when they become engineers.
17. Ask for recommendations from different universities and colleges:
The recruitment procedure for hiring and attracting a number of future potential female engineers begins from the colleges and universities itself.
These places keep a track and record of which of their students are brighter in which field and what will be preferred by them. So it is important that the recruiter takes assistance from the college or universities for hiring the candidates they prefer.
This will help in saving time and also provide the information of the right person who fits the job perfectly.
18. The option of work from home:
Working from home is one of the newest and the most influential kinds of job which dominating the world today.
Working from home helps in saving time and provides the person with the entire information regarding someone who may fit the job profile in the future.
Using work from home option, the recruiter uses it as a means of attracting potential female engineers for their company. This can happen in a large number at one time and the interested candidates can be hired by the company.
10 Women Who Broke New Ground in Engineering:
Discussing gender discrimination relating to any professional industry is an age-old practice and should not be even a debatable topic in this 21st century. Women these days are working equally hard and smart and are gaining a reputable position for themselves. There are also few sectors where they are succeeding more than men which is a commendable success on their part.
This can be an eye-opener for a set of people who think women are no match to men. Gone are the days when women were treated weaker compared to men. Nowadays women work enough matching up with men and are also being successful in the professional front be it any industry at the same time.
Some of the examples of women who have done wonder in the engineering industry are
- Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903)
- Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards (1842-1911)
- Mary Walton
- Elsie Eaves (1898-1983)
- Kate Gleason (1865-1933)
- Edith Clarke (1883-1959)
- Beatrice A. Hicks (1919-1979)
- Marilyn Jorgenson Reece (1926-2004)
- Lillian Gilbreth (1878-1972)
- Martha Coston (1826-1904)
This ever dynamic world is showing that females are becoming much better in education than males. Hence female engineers should be considered to have in the company.
