Recently we have been hearing a lot about disruption, innovation and the 4th industrial revolution, especially within the technology industry. At BCX, Africa’s premier end-to-end digital solutions partner, we counsel our clients about this seismic shift in industry every day.
At the same time, we are also embracing disruptive thinking to stay ahead of the pack.
Disruptive thinking comes from putting together diverse groups of people supported by an inclusive culture. Working with people from different cultures, traditions, educational backgrounds and age groups can lead to unexpected solutions that disrupt the status quo and foster new ways of thinking and doing things.
Gender and age diversity is a catalyst for disruption and should become a top priority for the tech industry, where women are severely under-represented across all levels and where youthful insights are needed alongside maturity and practical knowledge. As technology companies seek to come up with the next game-changer, women’s experiences and expertise are becoming more and more essential and should be part of the talent agenda.
Women bring a unique perspective to the boardroom at Catalyst, a non-profit organisation that focuses on women’s rights. It reports that companies with more women on their board experience higher financial performance, and companies with the highest percentage of women on their board tend to outperform those with a lower percentage of women by about 42%. Additionally, having more women on the board increases the likelihood of companies moving more women into leadership positions, further enhancing gender diversity. Companies with a female chairperson have nearly doubled the number of women serving on boards as compared to when boards are led by a male chairperson, according to research from Deloitte.
As part of the talent agenda at BCX, a subsidiary of the Telkom Group, the recruitment of a diverse workforce with a focus on women and youth has become top priority. This means not only recruiting women but also focusing on their development and creating a culture that fosters their growth within the organisation. We have developed and launched a mentorship programme, where young and/or junior female employees are matched with senior level female leaders for a focused mentorship journey.
We recognise that women are under-represented in technical careers. It’s an institutional problem that affects girls still in school who require access to science and technology education, even before they select their final subjects in Grade 9. We have a responsibility to partner with schools to bring technology closer to our young girls and encourage them to study subjects that will enable them to enter technical fields. This is a mission that the Telkom Foundation, which we contribute to, has taken to heart. The foundation has supported close to 140 schools across the country with mobile ICT labs, connectivity and ICT training.
Earlier this year, BCX entered into a partnership with WeThinkCode, a tuition-free programme educating the next generation of computer programmers. Over the next three years, BCX will donate R60 million and will host 40 interns every year. Because of this investment, WeThinkCode will be able to expand its training and effectively double the number of entry-level coders in the South African market by the end of 2018. WeThinkCode actively seeks female coders which will place more women in science and technology professions in the long run and we are proud to be associated with this initiative to build skills within our communities.
At BCX, we know that if disruption is the goal, we cannot rely on what’s worked in the past. In keeping with this insight, we will be working with institutions and
communities to increase the numbers of women in the industry. We call on other companies to do the same.
* Dipale is chief of Human Resources at BCX.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.