Wavestone: “A team with an equal number of men and women achieves better results”
Cybersecurity consulting firm Wavestone strives to strike a balance between men and women. And Noëmie Honoré, Head of Wavestone Belgium, has her reasons for this: "Different backgrounds, attitudes, and opinions lead to richer opportunities and ideas. Diversity improves performance, enabling us to serve our clients even better."
Job advertisements for women
The daunting challenge? Only 24% of cybersecurity specialists are women. "Five years ago, we attracted only 3 women out of 120 candidates. We have able to turn this around since by partnering with Women 4 cybersecurity , explicitly explaining that we recruit women and men and adjusting our job advertisements."
"We know that women apply only when they meet all the requirements. Well, we prevent that by saying that we are also open to conduct an interview even if not all requirements are met. We then explain our context, what is expected, and what will be learned."
Richer communication
The unique 50/50 male-female distribution extends to the management team. "We also find that we communicate more richly. More things need to be named and explained in a more diverse team. More questions are asked, and assumptions are avoided."
Equal pay
Building a diverse team is one thing, retaining it is a constant challenge. Equal pay is essential for Honoré. "We apply minimum salaries for everyone according to years of experience and expertise. The evaluation process is collective. Increases are granted by the company and verified by a committee."
Follow-up is also crucial. "Men and women do not behave the same way. Trust and affirmation are needed to learn together. I often tell women that they don't have to be able to do everything. I help young people who feel that they don't know enough. That helps because yes, we can provide room to grow, but our clients often expect a lot."
This case is a practical example from 'Technology for a better world', Agoria's sustainability strategy for the technology industry. That strategy contains a roadmap with concrete commitments linked to measurable performance indicators that companies can work on, divided into 12 action domains. Wavestone's case illustrates the action domain 'Diversity & Inclusion'.
- Read more about the action domain 'Diversity & Inclusion.
- Read all about the technology industry's sustainability strategy here!
