What does #EachForEqual mean to the fintech talent industry in Singapore? How can hiring managers avoid unbiased hiring decisions?
This year's International Women's Day's campaign is #EachforEqual. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. In 2020, we can choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations, and celebrate women’s achievements.
We interviewed Natasha Madhavan, Team Lead of Risk, Legal, Compliance & IT Recruitment in Singapore, to learn about her experience helping firms recruit diverse talent in Singapore's fintech industry.
The 2020 International Women’s Day theme is that an equal world is an enabled world. What does that mean to you in the fintech industry in Singapore?
It means that companies go out of their way to ensure that they bring on diverse talent. This can be through engaging recruiters to headhunt gender diversified candidates, and advertising roles on female-focused platforms can help as well. Management should put in a process to ensure there are a balanced number of diversified candidates on interview for every role, and should ensure a balanced gender ratio at the management level in the decision process.
Is gender equality a topic that often comes up in conversations with candidates and companies?
Yes, clients are increasingly asking us about gender equality. Some roles like in data science, development and infrastructure are very male-dominated. Companies engage with us to dig deep and headhunt female candidates - we can help them to look slightly outside the original job requirements, where we can find candidates who have a strong foundation to learn and be able to pick up the skills for the role.
What role can recruiters play in creating an equal world?
Recruiters make a conscious effort to headhunt passive female candidates. We understand what makes people tick and the drivers that would encourage them to move across companies. We also see things from an unbiased perspective, which helps us advise firms on what they need to provide to make the best hires and maintain a diverse workforce.
What advice would you give to a company that is trying to create a diverse hiring strategy?
Be open-minded. Make fewer decisions just based on CVs alone and interview people who you may not traditionally interview on paper. Traditionally, companies hire candidates based on their technical skills. We have been advising clients to expand to consider candidates' soft skills and potential. We also recommend promoting internal mobility and internal promotion instead of hiring externally as a practical approach as well.
Natasha and her team have extensive experience in recruiting for diverse fintech talent in Singapore. Speak to Natasha for more hiring tips on #EachforEqual hiring.
Collectively, each of us can help create a gender-equal world.