EQally.

com @EQally

GUIDING PRINCIPLES :
1
RETHINKING THE GENDER DIVERSITY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
When an organization lacks diversity (gender equality), it is not the employees who need fixing. Its
the business systems.
Approach:
Lean Start-up Model
Metrics-based
Collect data about whether gender bias plays a role in daily workplace interactions
identify company specific ways to measure its effect
create hypotheses about what interrupters might move those metrics; and
throw spaghetti solutions at the wall and see what sticks.

Initial Thoughts:
Current gender diversity industrial complex approach isnt working.
Old approach:
token hires
offering sensitivity training
setting up mentoring networks
other incremental changes that focus on ALTERING WOMENS BEHAVIOR
Expensive
Often abandoned when leadership priorities change.
Contrast EQally approach:
Not fixing women, but business systems
Metrics-based approach:
Collect data about whether gender bias plays a role in daily workplace
interactions
identify company specific ways to measure its effect
create hypotheses about what interrupters might move those metrics; and
throw spaghetti solutions at the wall and see what sticks.







1
The EQally relies heavily upon inspiration from Joan C. Williams, Hacking Techs Diversity Problem: To Bring More Women into
the Sector, Companies Should Try a Lean Start-Up Approach, Harvard Business Review (October
2014)http://hbr.org/2014/10/hacking-techs-diversity-problem/ar/1 and EDGE - THE GLOBAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION
STANDARD FOR GENDER EQUALITY.
All content @2014 Jeffrey A. Ruppert and High Mountain Ventures, LLC
C-bus test area for national brands and businesses
Good Housekeeping Seal Approval like mechanism
Other comparison:
Comparison: Energy Star & LEEDs
EDGE - UN based organization
but EDGE clearly for larger companies
EDGE for OH / C-bus
Small / medium businesses
lower initial threshold
significantly lower costs
Follow general EDGE goals:
Certification serves as validation for companies / business or organizations maintaining
gender progressive workplaces.
Also prompts businesses to think about what still needs to be done to push toward
gender equality.
One day people will seek out certified employers or purchase certified
products in an effort to support gender equality.

Certification as Gender Progressive Workplace
Approach
Business advantages of gender pay equity & fairness
Approach is somewhat male-centric
Use economic interests to recruit men as allies in gender struggle
Focus on more effective message.
Research shows once men are aware of issues, have
tendency to do the right thing.
Important to make participants feel that they are [not]
on a forced march into political correctness.
Judgment-free and evidenced based.
Data collection for analysis, monitoring, compliance and follow-up

EDGE for C-bus / Ohio companies
Initial audit / data collection:

STEP #1 DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A PROBLEM.
HOW?
Confidential Interviews
Focus Groups
Audits
Review by expert in patterns of bias
CURRENT GENDER DATA
but must go beyond body counts - need to know why.
HOW PEOPLE ARE HIRED
HOW WORK IS ASSIGNED
WHAT HAPPENS DURING PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
promotion
mentorship
leadership training





All content @2014 Jeffrey A. Ruppert and High Mountain Ventures, LLC
HOW COMPENSATION IS DETERMINED
FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE
flexible work
breast-feeding area
COMPANY CULTURE

Focus four basic patterns of gender bias:

PROVING COMPETENCE
Women often have to provide more evidence of competence than men
do to be seen as equally capable
2/3 of professional women
Example competence workplace challenges:
double standards
attribution bias
leniency bias
recall bias
polarized evaluations
dismissal of female technical competence
title bias (promotion, but no title)
STEP #2: POTENTIAL TEST - ID OF KEY METRICS:
Measure internal referrals - ask both men and women if they got
their last 5 opportunities from inside or outside the firm.
Review of work assignment distribution.

FEMININE / MASCULINE TIGHTROPE
High-status jobs seen as requiring masculine qualities; women
expected to be modest and self-effacing.
3/4 of women
Tightrope b/w being seen as too feminine to be effective and too
masculine to be likable.
Example of common workplace challenges:
Assignments to do undervalued tasks
Marketing or program mgt vs. core business tasks
Large loads of office housework
fetching docs, planning parties / conferences, and
cleaning up messes.
STEP #2: POTENTIAL TEST- ID OF KEY METRICS:
Set up task lists - low-profile vs. High profile.
Track distribution

MATERNAL WALL BIAS
Bias triggered by motherhood
59% of working women have experienced
STEP #2: POTENTIAL TEST- ID OF KEY METRICS:
Track how womens assignments differ before and after
maternity leaves






All content @2014 Jeffrey A. Ruppert and High Mountain Ventures, LLC
TUG-OF-WAR
Occurs when gender bias against women fuels conflict among women
/ align themselves with men at other womens expense.
Distancing ones self from claims of sexism.
45% of women have experienced.

STEP #3: MEASURE SUCCESS AND KEEP TRYING
HOW?
Interrupt the bias
Track / Test
See whether #s improve
If no improvement occurs, ratchet up interventions
Need to continually interrupt
Focus:
HIRING
Job advertisement guidelines that steer clear of masculine-gendered
words like competitive, assertive, and ambititous.
Blended resumes - cant tell whether applicant is man or woman.
Development of gender neutral and unbiased interview questions.
ASSIGNMENTS
Training in bias for those involved in assignments.
Formal assignment system.
Mathematical models for assignment.
PERFORMANCE EVALUTIONS
Gender bias expert review of evaluations.
PROMOTION AND COMPENSATION
Avoid tightrope
Compensation systems based on objective metrics that are not easy to
game - no insider model

Training
Sharing of information / posting of report

YELP-like feedback component
tied to their EQally rating page
customer
employee
vendors
monitored
allow for business response before posting
eBay dispute resolution like system
Seal for website / business exterior / advertising
Maintenance of list
promotion of businesses with EQally seal
Revenue:
Gender Audits
Advertising
Supporters / contributors
Conference / seminars
All content @2014 Jeffrey A. Ruppert and High Mountain Ventures, LLC