By Andrew Lientz, SVP of engineering, Smartsheet
As the head of engineering at a growth software company, I am occasionally asked to comment on opportunities for women in technology. I always hesitate, because I’m not interested in being another “mansplainer” on the tech scene.
I will never personally experience pervasive gender bias and misogyny. Yet I do want to live in a world where women have equal opportunities to start their careers and excel in the workplace.
I believe that armchair allies are ineffective, and if we are going to create equal opportunities, we must all advocate for equality. We can help create a more inclusive industry by looking for gender bias and challenging our institutions when that bias emerges. There is no root cause that the Smartsheet team or I can remove entirely, but we are all committed to being part of that journey.
While there is strong evidence that teams made up of both women and men create better products, equality is important in its own right. An equitable society has intrinsic individual and collective value. Achieving equality in the tech industry requires companies to create an environment where one can safely challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what is possible. This is no easy task, but it is something we can work toward together.
At Smartsheet, we jumped at the opportunity to support the extraSlice Women’s Startup Hackathon. Hackathons serve to break down barriers that exist in corporate culture. They push people who don’t usually work together to connect around a common problem and to innovate a solution. The extraSlice hackathon has potential to go further and create a space where women can work without corporate barriers and gender biases to spend time bringing great ideas into reality. This event can enable people to try things they never would have otherwise. For many participants, it will be their first opportunity to work on teams solely made up of women. It’s a three-day window into a technology culture that could and should exist.
The team at Smartsheet is always working toward an inclusive work environment. We have worked to close the wage gap by offering market value to all employees and a generous parental leave for all parents. We also provide opportunities for anonymous employee feedback. We recognize these things are just a start and are interested in new ideas that will help Smartsheet be a better ally of and advocate for women in tech. If there’s ever an opportunity for those of us at Smartsheet to help, please let me know. You can share your ideas with me directly at andy.lientz@smartsheet.com.
Register for the Hackathon here
