Gender diversity in the workplace is one of the most divisive topics in business. Despite it being a fact that companies with a significant number on the Boards of Directors having markedly better financial results, progress is still glacial.
Entrepreneurs have stepped into the breach with mobile phone apps and websites that help women level the playing field in searching for jobs and developing their careers. Several apps came to EmployDiversity Network’s attention in developing the survey of digital technologies aimed at aiding women in the workplace.
Digital resources aimed at boosting the careers of Spanish-speaking women are of particular note.
The space for apps to support working women, however, is still a large one with great opportunities to provide a much-needed service to half the population of the earth.
Some of the apps we suggest readers around the world consider include:
It’s not just a cliche that women with positions of power and leadership will bring more women into their organizations. It’s the same playbook men have been using for centuries. So where to find the companies in which women are a significant portion of top leadership? What organizations have women who have made an impact in their workplaces and in marketplaces, too? Moreover, who are the women?
The Gender Diversity Exchange is the brainchild of Sophie L’Helias. She runs an advisory that tracks the diversity and financial scorecards of major corporations. The Gender Diversity Exchange is a mobile phone app. It provides up-to-date information about the progress companies are making in the area of hiring women and closing the compensation gap between men and women. The app currently tracks more than 3,900 publicly traded companies across 38 industries, 27 countries, and three geographic regions: North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
It’s a great place to start if women want to know where to begin their job searches or to move on in their careers.
Workwide Women is a Spanish-language website and accompanying app that connects women in Spanish-speaking countries. The app services The Americas, Spain, and Italy, with plans to expand coverage to other countries.
The organization provides local events through which women can network. Its website hosts online courses with certified and experienced trainers in a variety of fields, including digital content marketing and content analytics.
The Workwide Women app provides the contact details of women nearest users. Members in the app’s network help other women learn about local markets, possible job opportunities, and connect users with other helpful contacts.
Adalab teaches front-end website programming to women in Spanish-speaking. A network of volunteers offers online training to women who have a deep passion to enter the technology market. The Madrid-based service also helps women who are already in the technology field to upgrade their programming skills or to learn new languages.
The website also offers companies an opportunity to hire Adalab graduates. Companies fill out an online profile. If Adalab believes there may be a fit between the company and its students, it arranges an interview with the company to learn more about the business’s requirements. The average time it takes Adalab graduates to obtain a job is 54 days, according to its website. 95-percent of students find employment.
PowertoFly is an online career counseling service led by Heather Coll. Ms. Coll has nearly 25 years of experience in the Human Resources field. She provides women with one-on-one training in areas such as interviewing, resume development, cover letter development, job search strategy, and more. Rates per hour for services average US$125.
The website also hosts webinars presented by professional women who discuss topics such as Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone, career advancement, and salary negotiation.
Caigo is a British-born smartphone app that any woman anywhere in the world can use to improve their career while on the go. The makers of Caigo, recruitment company Structur3d, promote the app as a kind of mentor-in-your-pocket. Like WorkWide Women, Caigo also helps professional women find local contacts with whom they can connect. Local networks support women through mentorship encounters, advice, and referrals to other nearby professional women or job opportunities.
Digital technology for women that nurtures them, helps build their careers, and connects them with like-minded professionals is still in its infancy. Perhaps through the services the apps above offer, you’ll create your own unique product to promote the skills, abilities, and passions of other women in the workplace!