Female Recruiting

Interview with Mag.a Dr.in Alexandra Singer-Weidinger

I would like to hire more women, where and how do I find the right candidate?

Time and again, HR managers complain about the lack of availability, lack of interest and helplessness in connection with female recruiting. “Well-trained professionals and committed managers yes, women please, but where and how do I find the right candidate”, is the general tenor (or soprano;-) .

Empirical research has provided a wide range of evidence that women value so-called “soft” factors, such as the working atmosphere, greater tolerance for care-related absences, no overtime, fixed salary, etc. The surveys and experiences thus cover that part of the already known findings which we obtain from the surveys.

Experiences with anonymised data analyses of AI-Recruiting pilots in the finance and insurance industry are somewhat different. These show that women are simply more curious and critical, i.e. a change of job, a choice of career, a job offer is primarily checked for compatibility with current life circumstances and this is done by means of research (e.g. on the internet), exchange (with experts, family, friends) and dialogue (discussions to weigh up advantages and disadvantages).

This is what makes the internet and social media so attractive for women in general and in search in particular. Response times, length of stay and usability in the application process were examined. Even the number of visits by women to the homepages of companies that take on new staff differs from those of men, with significant differences being seen in the length of stay and clicks in connection with the advertisement. But the beginning of a relationship is very sensitive. Every position, every area, every system, every organisation has a different story to tell, the marketing part in HR marketing is particularly important in order to address new target groups and not only to adapt advertisements according to the law.

# Factor F – women are added value!

Think about it: women are added value. Mixed teams are more efficient (demonstrably higher workload), more cost-effective (less sick leave), have lower staff turnover and generally flexible working hours (because they work in parallel and complement each other). Regardless of gender, it’s all about finding the best one by addressing. Don’ts are clear:

1. Not feel addressed because of the wording (gender), (m/f/x-d) is not enough and
2. Not feel addressed by the wording, an advertisement, a report, a text that wants to appeal to women must (!) be credible and deal with the issues/needs/criteria of the potential employee, colleague, interested party and
3. Do not feel addressed, because the research on the employer/client does not give a clear, unambiguous picture. This often occurs when the advertisement does not correspond to the company’s mission statement or culture, or the reporting or ratings on the net.

A promising team composition is the goal of every organisation. Questions: Who fits best into the team? Do I need an expert, a manager or junior staff? What do I have to take into account in my responsibility for any restructuring? How authentic am I as an employer/departmental management internally & externally?

# 5 to do’s for successful female recruiting

Write: The five points below are strongly influenced by the perception of the corporate culture as a whole, this is a challenge for every company, usually a corporate mission statement develops over time and years, newspaper reports, reviews on the internet, dissatisfied employees, job advertisements that are only updated but never questioned in the wording. These and many other factors have to be taken into account in order to find the right woman for vacant positions.

1. high credibility (authenticity as a contractor/employer)
2. lots of background information (dialogue)
3. role models (peers gender/culture/social/language)
4. transparent equal opportunities (salary details, internal contacts, address)
5. Diversity in action (events, commitments, etc.)

# Women are different…

Remember: women make decisions differently than men. The decision-making processes are more complex, but the decision made is considered to be more sustainable – verifiable and comprehensible. In order to successfully address women, you have to take a holistic and systemic approach. To mobilise women means to meet them and to touch them in all areas of life – family, health, career, education. Successful female recruiting requires unconditional equal opportunities. This is not always easy, because not all women are equal and therefore not their needs, but that, too, is the case with men.

It can be as simple as that, if you need assistance, I am available to answer any further questions from your teams at singer@jobaffairs.at.