When and how did you decide to join the technology field (as a career)?
I was in my honours year at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at National University of Singapore Campus when I attended a few campus road shows by several IT companies about 19 years ago. My then boyfriend, now husband, challenged me to apply for a job in the IT industry and I did. While not a tetchy, till today, I’m excited by how much technology can impact our lives in terms of its ability to connect people, bridge the information gap from the man on the street to businesses and decision makers across the world.
Did you ever feel discriminated against in your work place because of your gender?
I experienced very little discrimination in Singapore as I’ve had the benefit of working in environments where the focus has been on the competency for the role rather than the gender.
Most of the discrimination that I’ve heard of is with regards to the stereotypes of women’s roles rather than on their capabilities. There are well meaning managers who may feel they are doing women a favour by making certain assumptions based on stereotypes and not pushing the limits for women. Women today should be given the ability to make their own choices.
How do you balance your work and family responsibilities? Do you think you have to sacrifice one for the sake of the other? Please describe your typical day in office and at home?
There are two things that I work very hard on. Firstly, I am very strict about how I manage my time to deliver impact on my commitments. Secondly, whatever I’m doing, I ensure I am present both physically and mentally.
An important factor throughout my career are the people around me and the support I have. My husband has been unwavering in his support for my goals and aspirations especially when the kids were very young, My mother has also been very involved in the care of my children and while my husband and I are away at work, we know that someone we trust is with our children. My friends too have been more than willing to help whenever I ask for help. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with great teams and mentors and this has enabled me to achieve our business objectives but also to only learn from them. Even on my work with the community, I have good support from volunteers and grassroots leaders.
As for our children, being open with them on what we do at work, both our joys and blunders at work has been a way for us to also understand each other better. This not only helps them understand us but also in the process helps them open up and share their views and their own experiences at school.”
I enjoy my profession, time with the family and my work with the community tremendously. I try to be disciplined to ensure each gets the best possible attention from me at the right time.
I have a very early start every morning as I send my teenage kids to school. It’s the best time for me to catch up with what they are doing, and if there’s anything they want to talk to me about. I am in the office by 8am and it’s usually very hectic with meetings with customers, partners, staff and various stakeholders. It’s important to me that I also build in some thinking time, to help me take a step back and prioritise.
In the evening and on weekends, my other role as a Member of Parliament takes over, and I engage in activities residents and grassroots leaders as well as other community initiatives.
To me, achieving work life balance means carving out specific times for my kids and husband each week, and I am highly committed to these times. I do also make time to run at least once a week. It not only keeps me healthy but also helps me clear my mind of work and stress.
In the West, the proportion of women in IT is declining. Do you think the situation in Asia is better in this regard?
All over the world, there is a shortage of skilled IT people period. The participation of women in IT is therefore all the more critical as women form an important talent base. The decline in Women in IT is a big concern for Microsoft on a global scale, so much so that at a recent event in Paris called Imagine Cup, where we showcased the best of the best student innovations from over 60 countries, there was a specific Forum for all the women present to discuss this issue. Even our Singaporean students participated to discuss their challenges and opportunities. We need to continue to demonstrate the many fulfilling opportunities that IT careers have to offer, and we really need to start this in our schools. This is why Microsoft is so heavily involved in bringing creative learning through IT in schools to make IT more interesting, and hopefully to inspire more students with what technology can do.
http://channel8.msdn.com/Posts/IC08-Women-in-Technology-and-Science/’
Women leave IT because they can and that men typically don’t have that alternative because they tend to be the primary breadwinners. Do you agree?
Everyone has a choice on whether they want to stay in the job or not, regardless of whether it’s in IT or in any other industry. I don’t agree that men have fewer choices. Even men can choose to be house husbands and I know of some who have done that today.
However, I do understand that most women feel more compelled and are torn between family and work. By our socialization, women have always had to play multiple roles in society whether they are single or married. I believe women today do have more choices and it really boils down to making the choice that works for each of them.
Ultimately, is a lifestyle decision and as managers, we should respect that regardless of whether they are male or female.
Does gender diversity bring a competitive edge to IT companies?
Diversity is always a good thing. The core principles of which, are to drive creativity and ensure we have the best talent to mirror and operate more effectively in the market in which a company does business. More importantly is to understand the needs of our customers and how those needs translate to the way we do business. In a tight labour market though, we need all the talent we can get, regardless of gender, race, education or specialisation.
Hiring just to fulfill gender diversity requirements should not be the end result. The focus should be on the talent and impact that gender diversity brings to the business.
Should IT companies consciously increase the percentage of women in their employee pool?
At Microsoft Singapore, women make up about 41% of all employees. With more than 70% of our employees married, there was 1 baby born every 7 days at Microsoft last year!
In a world where deep IT skills are in great shortage, IT companies should hire based on competency, i.e. people who are right for the job, regardless of their gender or marital status.
What are the benefits of doing so?
At Microsoft, it’s all about attracting the right talent for each job that contributes to the overall goal of a results oriented company that is also a good place to work.
What is the impact on team dynamics, working hours, customer satisfaction, cost of facilities and attrition?
I’ve seen great teams with a good mix of men and women. The contribution of women is really varied. In the Microsoft Singapore senior management team for example, there are two women, including me. Both of us have significant industry experience and families to manage. We have taken on both sales and non-sales roles and have been successful. We enjoy our jobs tremendously.
I would not stereotype by saying that women are better at customer satisfaction roles than men or that they contribute more to attrition. In fact, as good talent is so hard to find, more often than not we are working hard to ensure we cater to the needs of working men and women with family commitments, especially those with very young children who usually need a little bit more support.
Microsoft has gone one step further to ensure we cater to the needs of both men and women whether they are married or not, by offering flexible hours, prayer rooms and nursing rooms for new mums. Flexi working hours, specifically, is available to all staff, and is enabled by our investment in technology and infrastructure. Some staff even bring their kids to the office when they need to, and as far as possible, we ensure we are inclusive in our family day events so that we don’t just take care of our staff, but their families too.
We believe that employees who are able to achieve work live balance in turn contribute to better work environments leading to higher employee and customer satisfaction.
What are the challenges of recruiting, retaining and managing women employees?
Women and men have similar career aspirations and look for similar opportunities. There is no difference in the way we recruit, retain and manage women employees. However, we do find ourselves having to go the extra mile to find talented women candidates, as perhaps, they are not as active in promoting themselves as their male counterparts are. We use recruitment agencies and rely on our employee referrals to find new talent on an ongoing basis.
Is there a need for special policies to retain women?
The need for special policies for women has to be taken in the context of the social environment we work in. In Singapore, women play a primary role in the family regardless of whether we are single or married. We are also key contributors in the work place. So rather than to discriminate against these multiple roles, we at Microsoft believe in empowering women to fulfill their duties by providing flexible work environments, making the workplace family friendly, enabling more women to realize their full potential. We have a culture of celebrating success and hopefully not just retain but attract women talent.
Despite a large number of talented and successful women in the field, why is it that society tends to associate only men with technology?I don’t believe this is the case in Singapore from the many examples of women leaders in the Infocomm industry.
Do you think one of the reasons for marginalization of women in technology are the social myths such as women are emotional whereas technology is logical, and compared to women, men are better with maths and machines?
I believe that the Infocomm Technology industry has more potential for women to participate as equals. Even in IT, there are different types of roles that an individual can play. In Singapore, I know many women in senior leadership roles in both IT and non-IT capacities. Sure, I will admit that we are not the majority but there are certainly more of us today than 10 years ago, and I believe that the trend will continue.
One of the myths is about women’s looks: technical women are unattractive, arrogant and abnormal. Your comments on this?
For the women in IT that I know of in the Industry, I disagree with this comment.
An internet survey polling over 2557 women working in the technical field found that 56% of women had never been able to wear a skirt to work in any tech industry job because they are afraid of being perceived as unprofessional. Is this a right or wrong perception in the light of your experience? (survey was done in India a few years ago)
I think women are practical and that they dress appropriately for the right occasion. Sure if you are going to be doing lots of manual work and need to be agile, pants may be more appropriate. But if you are making a presentation, meeting customers or having meetings, I don’t see any reason why wearing a skirt would be unprofessional, provided it meets the basic requirements of professional work attire.
In the same poll, 70% of the respondents said plain glasses, little or no make up and a tight hair bun helps them if they want their work to be taken seriously. Is this the right approach?
Embracing diversity is a part of Microsoft’s culture while stereotyping people isn’t. So if someone in IT wants to wear colourful glasses, make up, let their hair go long, colour it red and a skirt suit assuming a decent standard, we warmly embrace it. It makes coming to work and interacting with different types of people all the more interesting.
Do the media also play a biased role when it comes to coverage of IT professionals? Most IT magazines go for male CEOs or CIOs or male industry analysts for their stories. Is there a need to ensure that successful women in IT are displayed more regularly? Is there a need for government advocacy in this area?
The media play a critical role in creating an image and perception. I will concede that there are probably more male CEOs and CIOs. That’s a fact. But for those who are women, they are equally if not more sought after by the media. I am comforted by the fact that there are more women in leadership roles now than ever before.
Government advocacy and leadership in this area do play a big role, especially in Asia, where governments do set the tone and pace of industry.
Does lack of networking, compared to the opportunities that men have, also play an enormous role in rendering women in IT invisible?
Women network differently. We are constantly hard pressed for time and must prioritize where we will spend time outside of work. However, that hasn’t stopped women from being successful in IT. To be a truly effective leader, one needs to have an enquiring mind, communicate honestly and consistently in a variety of situations.
