ANITA BORG INSTITUTE STUDY SHOWS THAT TECHNICAL WOMEN ARE ESPECIALLY AT RISK OF DISENGAGEMENT DURING THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

By Press, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology

Research Report Shares Strategies for Companies Looking to Retain a Diverse Technical Pipeline During and After a Recession

PALO ALTO, Calif. - October 28, 2009 - Technical talent retention is critical to weathering the downturn and responding to upcoming growth, yet top talent is critically at risk of disengagement now, and of flight when a recovery starts. According to a recent report by the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology, Retaining a Diverse Technical Pipeline During and After a Recession, this is especially true for female talent. The research concludes that this economic downturn represents a significant opportunity for executives to engage and retain diverse critical talent and cement their competitive position for the recovery.

The report, authored by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, is available at the Anita Borg Institute website.

Retaining a Diverse Technical Pipeline During and After a Recession reviews data about the impact of the recession on employees from high-tech companies and its implications for future retention. It also discusses why the retention of diverse talent is a critical issue for successful companies, and examines successful strategies that allow companies to retain their female technical workforce.

"An unprecedented economic downturn has hurt employee engagement and further jeopardized the focus on practices important to technical women," states Dr. Caroline Simard, vice president of research and executive programs for the Anita Borg Institute and author of the study." As a recovery occurs, companies are at risk of further losing female technical talent. An ongoing focus on practices that impact retention and advancement, such as establishing a culture of employee development and flexibility, will give companies a competitive advantage in the recovery and position them for renewed recruitment."
Key strategies for retaining technical women suggested by the report include:

- Developing and sustaining a culture of employee development and mentoring
- Promoting programs for leadership and technical growth
- Establishing vehicles for peer-interaction, mentoring and collaboration
- Offering increased opportunities for flexibility and work-family balance practices
- Leveraging technology to create virtual workplaces and telecommuting options

The study also offers recommendations for attracting tomorrow's generation of technical women and returning to recruitment, including:

- Supporting managers that understand the value of diversity and flexible workforce arrangements
- Developing and sustaining a culture of collaboration

About the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) The Anita Borg Institute provides resources and programs to help industry, academia, and government recruit, retain, and develop women leaders in high-tech fields, resulting in higher levels of technological innovation. ABI programs serve high-tech women by creating a community and providing tools to help them develop their careers. ABI is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. ABI Partners include: Google, Microsoft, HP, Cisco, First Republic Bank, Intel, National Science Foundation, NetApp, SAP, Sun Microsystems, Symantec, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Thomson Reuters, CA, Intuit, Amazon, Facebook, Raytheon, and Genentech. For more information, visit www.anitaborg.org.

University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Contact:Gale Mejia-Abregana, (808) 295-8592

Approximately 90 students from Waipahu Intermediate School will be introduced to GPS technology by participating in a scavenger hunt at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on Tuesday, October 27. Co-sponsored by isisHawaii and GEAR UP Waipahu, the project is spearheaded by Women in Technology's GeoTech for Hawaii Schools program, a statewide initiative to integrate the use of geospatial technology into local K-12 schools.

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Source: University of Hawaii: News

This week, NBC's Meet the Press will feature a week-long series of reports entitled "A Woman's Nation".

Offering a new, empirical look at the state of women in America, this important series gives our country a better picture of the challenges facing women today and how government, business, faith organizations and individuals can support them.

Now that women make up half the workforce, hold significant leadership positions and are becoming the primary breadwinners for many families, it's increasingly important to see how women are faring in today's society.

The show features an upcoming project lead by California's First Lady Maria Shriver in partnership with the Center for American Progress to further examine how women are faring on a host of issues. Meet the Press also includes commentary from Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls and John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress.

The Shriver Report combines the work of economists and academics to address the consequences of women's more prominent economic status.

The report also examines how women and men interact in our society today by utilizing on-the-ground research and analysis. The findings will be disseminated to the public, Congress and the Administration. Specifically, they will also be reported to the White House Council on Women and Girls to help define and influence their work in supporting women.

The last time a similar report was done was in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy appointed Eleanor Roosevelt to chair a commission to report on the status of women. Much has happened since then and women's roles have experienced a dramatic shift.

Many changes have occurred in family roles and the work-life tensions women feel everyday. Women are feeling greater pressure to do more at home and at work, and this is impacting their emotional and physical well-being. Overall, A Woman's Nation hopes to shed some light about these and many other important issues facing women's lives.

For more information, check out http://awomansnation.com and the special report on women today at www.msnbc.msn.com.

More information-technology jobs will be created in the next four years, about three times faster than the projected rate of worldwide general employment, according to a Microsoft-commissioned study.

"It shows there will be significant job growth in the IT sector," said Microsoft corporate vice president Pamela Passman. "Even though IT growth will be muted there will still be significant growth. Software will grow even faster."

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Source: Seattle Times

Save The Date for the 2009 Holiday Career Fair.

Monday, December 28
Ka Alahele - The MEDB Center
Maui Research & Technology Park, Kihei
12 noon to 4 p.m.