Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#11

Post by Zikes » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:36 PM UTC

DeusExMachina wrote: post #4

Am I wrong or all the issues seem to be not gender related but about management and they apply to both sexes?

I think there's a case to be made that, in general, women may be more sensitive to some universal tech industry issues which men tend to shrug off or otherwise deal with differently.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#12

Post by hn_throwaway_99 » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:36 PM UTC

DeusExMachina wrote: post #4

Am I wrong or all the issues seem to be not gender related but about management and they apply to both sexes?

I had the exact same reaction. Common themes were along the lines of not having confidence in your direct manager, especially in cases where technical folks have been promoted into management positions. I hear this all the time.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#13

Post by warcher » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:36 PM UTC

helloothere wrote: post #6

is there a plan for Ask a Male Engineer series?

I believe you'll find that here in the comments section.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#14

Post by cmdrfred » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:38 PM UTC

helloothere wrote: post #6

is there a plan for Ask a Male Engineer series?

Clearly it would be sexist to include men.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#15

Post by jlengrand » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:38 PM UTC

ry_ry wrote: post #7

helloothere wrote: post #6

is there a plan for Ask a Male Engineer series?

Isn't that just HN? ;)

Or is it not?

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#16

Post by warcher » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:38 PM UTC

I am (perhaps naively) encouraged at the familiarity of these engineers' daily gripes. That's progress, haha.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#17

Post by danielneri » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:38 PM UTC

DeusExMachina wrote: post #4

Am I wrong or all the issues seem to be not gender related but about management and they apply to both sexes?

Agreed - all of the comments or reasons given are not specific to a particular sex, and I've heard the same laments from men as well.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#18

Post by striking » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:39 PM UTC

Zikes wrote: post #11

DeusExMachina wrote: post #4

Am I wrong or all the issues seem to be not gender related but about management and they apply to both sexes?

I think there's a case to be made that, in general, women may be more sensitive to some universal tech industry issues which men tend to shrug off or otherwise deal with differently.

Infantilizing much?

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#19

Post by TheGirondin » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:40 PM UTC

jackweirdy wrote: post #10

helloothere wrote: post #6

is there a plan for Ask a Male Engineer series?

It's called Ask HN

I wasn't aware HN had a policy of discouraging women from answering questions that are asked in those threads.

Seems like a terrible thing that needs to change.

Re: Ask a Female Engineer: How Can Managers Help Retain Technical Women?

#20

Post by gedy » Mon, Mar 27, 2017, 4:42 PM UTC

1) Discourage your work 'culture' from being built around aggressive tech code reviews/debates/arguments/chat where young males love to beat their chest

2) Some flexibility on hours/location when children come. Women have a harder 'stop' than men do on their child bearing age, which frequently coincides with moving into senior development roles.