## Whats your enterprise lacking? – Sustainable Gaming – iGB
With International Women’s Day just around the corner, Jennifer Innes, leader of a gambling job recruitment website, states that the gambling and gaming sector is making strides in diversifying its workforce. Nevertheless, there’s still much to be accomplished to encourage women to join the field and benefit from inclusive hiring practices.
**What’s your business missing?**
As a mother of two young twins and the head of a leading recruitment consultancy in the industry, I’ve learned a thing or two about balancing responsibilities. So, I was surprised when a client recently suggested wanting a shortlist of only male applicants.
Apparently, they were concerned about maternity leave and how committed women could be to the company. Needless to say, we declined to fill the position.
Sadly, this attitude is something many women still encounter, and a more subtle but widespread assumption of masculinity.
While job descriptions rarely explicitly require male applicants, they often use language that is inherently masculine.
If you ask someone to describe the perfect candidate for a new job, they often say, “He will possess…”, “He will be…”, or “He should have experience in this specific field…”. I’ll let you decide if this is a careless use of pronouns or if it reflects a mindset that has already excluded women from the list of potential candidates.
In my experience, this preconceived idea often applies to me personally and my own role within the company. I’ve been the Head of Gaming for almost a decade, and even longer in senior roles. However, when I answer the phone, people still frequently mistake me for an assistant or receptionist, something my male colleagues have never encountered.
To alter this situation, a significant shift in the collective perception of women in the workplace is required. As a small part of this collective, we should all speak out when we witness this phenomenon.
But here’s the good news – and there is good news – because things are changing. In the past year, we saw a 26% increase in the number of women joining our industry. Many came from marketing, creative departments, and human resources. But there was also a 17% increase in the tech sector, my own area of expertise, and a 13% increase in operations. Most importantly, as we seek drivers of change, we see a higher percentage of women in executive positions than men.
For the last several months, we’ve chosen women to fill the position of Chief Marketing Officer for a bold cryptocurrency client, HR Director for a worldwide brand, and Chief Compliance Officer for a company with significant growth plans this year.
They join a team of Regional Directors, Senior Project Managers, Finance Directors, and Casino Product Directors in the European market. These already successful women will mold the future of our industry.
In certain US states, hiring quotas are now a legal obligation, meaning diverse groups must be included in candidate lists, including a predetermined percentage of women. Many Europeans hope to see these quotas adopted here to eliminate the “stale, male, and pale” from the workforce. However, despite the aforementioned experience, I’m not convinced.
Many of our clients are already accessing the untapped and previously underutilized talent pool of women. It’s comforting that some of those advocating for further equality are also among the largest and most well-known companies in our sector.
One group, with leading brands in several US and European markets, recently launched an open submission process for qualified women in tech roles.
Its crucial to actively seek out promising, fresh female talent in industries traditionally dominated by men. We understand that even without specific job postings, qualified candidates will be considered for any suitable roles.
A surge of novel ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, enabling clients to distinguish themselves from rivals who may be hampered by their adherence to conventional practices.
Therefore, in recognition of International Women’s Day, I urge you to take a look at your leadership team and consider what might be missing.
This isn’t about simply checking off a box or appearing to be doing the right thing. It’s about revitalizing your company culture and embracing original thoughts that have previously been disregarded or overlooked.
The future of this sector is already being shaped by exceptional women, many of whom are assisting businesses in setting their products apart. If you can afford to miss out, good luck. At least it might give you more time to pick up the children from school.
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