Be inspired by a Q&A with eyeo COO Jutta Horstmann on role models and driving gender equality, and how the presence of women in tech should and will evolve.
What are your experiences as a woman in tech?
“When I started to work as a system administrator and database developer back in the 90’s and got involved in the open source community, I started to notice that there were very few other women. When I decided to found my own company a few years later, I wanted to make a difference and I managed to reach a fifty-fifty ratio between male and female employees.”
How did you reach a fifty-fifty ratio?
“Having a woman as a founder and a CEO was incredibly helpful for hiring female tech staff. It’s all about role models. And that’s what I have been aiming for at eyeo as well since joining the company in 2017. We have already reached that goal regarding women in leadership positions, with 47% . However, with 32 % female employees over all, we still have a way to go. eyeo pays for child care, for example, and parents can bring their children to work or work from their home office. The idea is to be more accessible to different and talented people.”
Why are role models so important in your opinion?
“A role model is a person who you can relate to and identify with. They are in a position where you want to be and they show you that it’s approachable. Unfortunately, young girls are often lacking those role models in the media and also in schools. That’s why I try to use every possibility I have to reach out to young girls to make clear that they are capable of starting a career in tech and that it can be incredibly fun.”
What advice would you give to women for their careers in tech?
“Never be afraid, you can totally manage it. Being a good leader is not something that is against femininity. On the contrary, leadership is a truly feminine trait. It is something we should own and occupy. There’s no contradiction at all. The system needs to change so women don’t have to adapt to it, we have to make it ours!”
To learn more about eyeo’s flexible working policies and apply for their current vacancies, see eyeo.
