I have been thinking a lot about the success of women who work in Engineering, Science, and Technology from a post-pandemic lens. As more and more women considered dropping back, or out of the workforce in the past two years, I began to wonder what strategies and behaviors could be used to keep them in their professional careers. There is a large body of work dedicated to uncovering research behind women in the workforce and their reasons for leaving yet not much has been written about the support systems women have that enable their rise in the workforce to be successful. I decided to interview a couple of women in engineering, science, and technology to learn a little bit more about the workforce policies that helped them rise and the kinds of people that have lifted, mentored, or supported them along their journey including both professionally and personally.
As an added bonus, I interviewed a couple of men to uncover some insights into what they have done personally to lift up and support women in their lives to thrive in what continues to be mostly underrepresented fields. Thank you to those that contributed, your names are below. For everyone else, I hope you enjoy this blog and have learned a bit more about the kinds of successful support women need in the fields of engineering, science, and technology.
Female Interviewees/Contributors
Jo Viney, PhD (she/her)
Co-founder, President, and CEO
Seismic Therapeutic
Katherine L. Andersen
Head of Life Science & Healthcare
Corporate Banking and Relationship Management
Patrice Torcivia
Director, Learning Design, Technology and Media, Teaching and Learning Lab
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Who contributed to your success? Tell us about a person, or the people who helped support you in your career and life to help get you to where you are today.
Jo Viney
My husband was my biggest champion. We had been a 2-career family, when (approaching 40), we decided to/found out we were to become parents. We had a number of conversations about who would be the primary caregiver... and my husband, after some soul searching, decided he was ready to take on the task, and that he would support me in pushing my career as hard as I could.
Katherine L. Andersen
As the saying goes, it takes a village. I could point to my mom, who spent hours on end going through flashcards with me when I was a kid. I could point to my brother who helped me negotiate for a better salary and title in my early 20s. I could point to our incredible part-time nanny who carts our kiddos around from sport to sport during the week, helps with homework, and generally speaking, helps keep our house in order. All of these folks have been critical support for my career and life and are a big part of where I am and who I am today. That said, the person who has been my biggest supporter every single step of the way is my husband. He is always there to be a sounding board and my voice of reason. As a working mom, it is really easy to put yourself last but my husband reminds me to take care of myself so I can be a better mom/wife/manager/colleague.
Patrice Torcivia
I’ve been very lucky to have an amazing support system of colleagues, family, and friends without whom I would not be where I am today. When I returned to get my PhD I was raising three children alone, working at a job that required me to travel internationally several times a year, and taking three classes. My friends, family, and colleagues helped with childcare, provided much-needed words of encouragement, and always reminded me to breathe.
In your opinion, what are the ways in which men can support women in the workplace to be an ally and help them reach their goals?
Jo Viney
Being very clear about who is going to be accountable for what - and deciding that in advance - is a great way to help relieve women of the stress (or guilt) of not being the ONLY one responsible for thinking about the child. Note... I said "thinking" about the child. I believe it is important that partners take ownership of the intellectual/mental accountability associated with whatever their child-care sharing task is, not just the physical task. What do I mean by that? Well... being accountable for physically taking the child to the pediatrician's appointment is one thing. Being accountable for arranging all the appropriate checkups and vaccinations and generally being the point person contact for the pediatrician is a whole lot more.
Katherine L. Andersen
One of the easiest and yet most impactful things that can be done is to listen – actively listen. And if in a team meeting, make it a priority to create space and lift others up.
Patrice Torcivia
Anyone can be an ally by helping to create an inclusive culture, stepping in to amplify other voices when needed, and stepping back to allow other voices to be heard. When it comes to hiring, taking the time to reflect on what biases they bring to the hiring process and creating pathways for more women to get the experience they need to move into leadership roles. They must commit to changing their practice, sharing power, and introspection of their values and purpose.
In your opinion, how can women support other women in the workplace, especially in the under-represented fields of STEM?
Jo Viney
Be kind! We all know what it is like when we have to change our plans at the last minute because of a family situation. I have teenagers now... and even this week I had to change my plans because my husband came down with COVID and all the driving and other responsibilities fell to me - unexpectedly. I am lucky to be surrounded at work by people who said... don't worry... we've got this... we can cover for you.... go take care of the family and let us know what else we can do to help. So, be kind, lend a hand, and give words of support.
Katherine L. Andersen
If a woman has made it to the top, I firmly believe it’s their responsibility to extend a hand to pull other women and under-represented people up. They have an opportunity to be the voice for others when they’re still working to find their own.
What have you done to support women in the workplace to help them reach their goals and potential?
Jo Viney
Making it ok to have a flexible working schedule is one way women can find it easier to juggle home and work. In some ways, the pandemic really showed us that we do not need to be onsite 40 hours a week to accomplish results. Being supportive of allowing people to deliver results using a work schedule that suits their home life is a big thing.
Katherine L. Andersen
No matter how busy or overwhelmed I might feel, I try to never turn down an invitation to meet with an under-represented team member. Take the time to get to know them – listen, learn and leave the door open for them to reach out if/as needed.
Patrice Torcivia
I try to give other women the same support, mentorship, and sponsorship I received. This includes making the time to have a conversation with them and understand how best I can help and support them, inviting them to write a paper or present with me, and giving them opportunities to lead or be the face of a project.
What is the biggest hurdle women have to overcome in the under-represented fields of STEM?
Jo Viney
Under-represented individuals often struggle to find good role models or even good peers with whom to share experiences. When we think of DEIB - diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging - the B is sooooo important. It isn't just about being included, it is about being included and feeling like you belong that makes a difference. Having someone like you to share experiences and perspectives allows people to feel relaxed, and when feeling relaxed it allows people to focus on performing well, rather than worrying about how they are being judged.
Katherine L. Andersen
Imposter syndrome is so prevalent and I suspect even more so with women in the fields of STEM. Confidence is really hard to build in your career when you don’t see people who look like you – who act like you – who have your background or your personal lifestyle outside the “office”.
Patrice Torcivia
What I continue to hear from women is issues around sexual harassment. We need to do much more than once-a-year workshops to create real, systemic change.
Do you have any experiences with a manager that has been particularly supportive to you in the workplace and can you describe what that looks like? OR alternatively, can you describe what you do as a manager to help support and lift women in the workplace that may report to you (or not)?
Jo Viney
Keeping an eye out for when someone is juggling challenges at home is really important. Even talking through the situation can help someone de-stress and reprioritize.... and offering a lending hand is even better.
Katherine L. Andersen
The most thoughtful, productive people I’ve worked with in my career are all incredible listeners. They don’t work to fill the space with their own voice. Rather, they have the confidence and conviction to pause and listen to what others are saying – to really hear what’s going on and to instead spend that time working to decipher how to best support their team – to create space and lift others up. Good managers are constantly working to turn the spotlight around to shine on others.
Patrice Torcivia
My first manager in my first job after graduation, when I was a mechanical engineer. He gave me opportunities to interact with senior leadership, lead high-profile projects, and truly supported me when I went on maternity leave. What does that look like to me? Care, sponsorship, and belief.
What workplace policies do you wish were in place for families and for women to help them succeed as leaders in STEM?
Jo Viney
I wish that all companies were in a position to offer flexible work hours - not necessarily fewer work hours, but rather the opportunity to work at the times of day that work best for the individual. Also, offering paid parental leave to ALL parents (regardless of gender) has the potential to help both the birth parent and the non-birth parent in a more equal sharing of responsibilities.
Katherine L. Andersen
Flexible work schedules can be huge. Many companies have shifted or are shifting to a virtual-first environment where “face time” is becoming more a thing of the past. This can be incredibly valuable for working parents but it requires complete trust, respect, and the willingness to share direct feedback with regularity.
Patrice Torcivia
In order for policies to be successful, we need everyone to believe in their importance. This continues to be an issue. No matter what policies are in place, if you don’t feel supported and cared for you won’t feel safe taking a leave or switching to a flexible schedule. There is still a significant amount of work to be done in this area. I believe a shift to a feminist leadership model will help with this.
Male Interviewees/Participants
Jose Pagan
Senior Scientist II at Seismic Therapeutic
Daniel Rios
Principal Scientist at ROME Therapeutics
Michael DiPeri
Information Technology Engineer - Enterprise Software at Broadcom Software Group
What are the ways in which men can support women in the workplace?
Daniel Rios
I would actually reject the premise of this question. Short of specific inclusion/training programs everything that a manager does to support a male colleague should be extended to their female colleagues/direct reports. I think the best guidance here would be to reject prior assumptions about the roles of men and women in the workplace. There are people who have good leadership qualities, there are people who are prone to make hasty decisions, there are people who are comfortable with presenting complicated points in a high-stakes environment. These people may be men or women and it quite frankly doesn't matter their gender, the most important thing is to discard the construct of gender for making an a priori assumption about what someone will be good or bad at.
Jose Pagan
Men can support women in the workforce by acknowledging inequalities between men and women. For example, no matter how supportive people and systems are, the simple fact remains that women deal with way more physically/emotionally during and after pregnancy. Once you’ve done that, be available and offer support. Avoid trying to ‘solve’ issues that you weren’t asked to solve but always offer to help.
Michael DiPeri
Men can include women in social events and meetings. Making sure their opinions and voices are considered. Women have plenty of opportunities to improve their abilities as this will help them to pick up different projects.
What have you done to support women in the workplace to help them reach their goals and potential?
Jose Pagan
In the past, I’ve had two close colleagues go through pregnancy while keeping their careers moving forward. I can’t speak for them but I mostly kept to their instructions and supported their projects by being their ‘hands’ so things could continue going until they got back.
Daniel Rios
I have strived to not do anything different to support my male and female colleagues. I have had the privilege of managing with and working on teams with many high-performing men and women. In the case of a direct manager-employee relationship, I make it a priority to understand what the long- and short-term goals of my direct reports are and do everything in my power for them to reach those goals.
Michael DiPeri
If I need an answer to a problem, help on a complex task, or something else I make sure to go to both females and males equally. I don’t always go to the same person every time. I also make sure to listen attentively to women in the workplace and their needs.
What is the biggest hurdle women have to overcome in the under-represented fields of STEM?
Jose Pagen
One of the biggest hurdles is changing culture to view family leave as something expected or normal. Changing the view that it’s neither an extra perk nor a hindrance towards goals.
Daniel Rios
As I am a scientist I will focus on the S portion of STEM. Science is tricky because it is taught in school as a series of facts, but in reality science is actually the process by which facts evolve. There is an element of a con-game to science in that you, as a scientist, are likely to be wrong about most things but your job is to convince other people that even in your wrongness you have some value. Due to a variety of social factors, it is common to find high levels of self-assuredness in males and high levels of self-doubt in women. For this reason, I believe that women tend to be better scientists than males because they are less likely to be convinced that they are correct about a hypothesis simply as a function of existing. However, this self-doubt comes at a price of the assumption that they may lack leadership qualities or be indecisive.
Michael DiPeri
In prior roles, I noticed that when projects were distributed, I found sometimes women were overlooked or passed up for certain projects and if women were just given a chance they could be successful at these projects. Women starting out in the field of STEM could use mentors, advocates, and allies to help them rise in the organization. Finding team projects to work on and accomplish goals together is one way to help women gain valuable experience in STEM when starting out.
What workplace policies have you used or implemented to support women in the workplace?
Jose Pagan
I am taking paternal leave so that I can bond with my daughter and importantly so that my wife can continue to be successful in her career. She’s an excellent NIH-funded physician scientist that had to put some projects on hold for a while. Doing all I can and being available so that she is free to decide what comes next is only possible through workplace policies.
Michael DiPeri
Allowing a job that fits well with other areas in your life is one policy that could help support women in the workplace. For caretakers things like on-site daycare is helpful as well as flex time.
What workplace policies do you wish were in place for families and for women?
Jose Pagan
I feel that most policies offer support on paper, but the work environment can be so competitive that it makes everyone feel awkward. Creating a culture of support and knowledge might ease the awkwardness of not knowing how to help colleagues. It will also address misconceptions about family leave if we all learn more about the struggles to adapt to new family situations and work responsibilities.
Daniel Rios
Extended family leave for both partners, and really a fundamental understanding that your employees are people in addition to workers. I had the privilege of becoming a father 18 months ago and the company I worked for at the time had an excellent paternity leave policy. I never had to fill out any paperwork beyond a simple email to HR describing the dates I wanted to take off. This was in stark contrast to my wife who had to fill out loads of paperwork while we were in the NICU for two weeks with our daughter who came early.
I have also come to appreciate the benefit of good work-from-home policies as this relates to families. Using the companies that I work at and where my wife works as an example. My company fully embraces a flexible work location policy. My company has invested in a good IT infrastructure to ensure that hybrid meetings (in-person / WFH) are not biased towards the in-person members. This is in contrast to my wife’s company which expects employees to be on-site nearly full time and does not make hybrid meetings accessible to WFH employees. We recently put our daughter into daycare and because of the increased flexibility my work provides I have been able to do the majority of pickup and drop-off. I can only imagine how much easier our lives would be if we both had this level of flexibility
Michael DiPeri
Mandatory paternity and longer maternity/paternity leave to ensure new families spend time together.
Conclusion
Helping women thrive and rise in the workplace takes conscious effort from policymakers, managers, significant others, and extended family. Helping women rise also helps families rise and supporting females supports organizations. Period. Organizations need female leadership and if we don’t all step in and help make space for them, we will be set back by decades and even worse continue to make global decisions with tunnel vision. We need to promote women's voices and give them opportunities for growth. We need to move away from giving women all the administrative work, the busy work, the tasks that get no acknowledgment. On a personal level, we need to take away some of the emotional and invisible labor by creating better access to childcare, allowing for more flexibility and making managing work-life balance easier for both genders.
I have been working in a tech role for most of my career and I wouldn’t have been able to get to the stage I am currently in (mid-senior level) without the help of my husband who during the pandemic made seismic shifts in his caretaking, chores, cooking and other duties to help as my workload rapidly accelerated. He saw the invisible labor, the emotional labor pile up from the stress of homeschooling kids, and managing a demanding workload, and made it a point to pitch in more.
There have been a few men in the workplace who have been allies, mentors, and strong supporters. My current manager for example makes sure I have access to work on meaningful projects, gives credit when it's due, and empowers me to learn new skills. Another male leader has listened and considered my thoughts and inputs and has made it a point to include me in high-level meetings and valued my attendance there. I also have some flexibility in my schedule which allows me to be the kind of mother I want to be while still satisfying work goals. All these elements have helped me on my path to success and it seems the participants in this interview have expressed similar sentiments.
There were some common themes among the participants of the interview including the need for increased flexibility for both men and women at work. Female respondents found that having things like strong paternity/maternity leave and work-from-home policies were beneficial for their success. Men felt similarly. Men and women talked about the importance of opportunities for growth with continuing education, upskilling and hands-on experiences. Women stated the importance of a strong personal network; mothers, friends, sisters, and neighbors. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a seismic shift to raise a child that is a female leader in STEM. If we want to close disparity gaps we need to look at how we need to support women both personally and in the workplace.
