I Know The Woman You Want To Hire

As a Bay Area professional, I’m acutely aware of the dissonance between calls to hire and promote more female employees and the common perception that there aren’t enough qualified female applicants to do so. But I’m here with a guarantee: there is a woman nearby who is ideal for your position.

As a professional development lead for Palo Alto Lean In — the largest Lean In circle in California and part of the top community, SF Bay Area Lean In, in the Lean In Network — I’ve worked with countless high-performing women in a huge variety of industries. I’ve come to know engineers and app developers, ace marketers and social media mavens, scientists and analysts, executive coaches and graphic designers. They’re usually happily employed and interested in sustaining a healthy career, but often, even preternaturally intelligent, very capable women give testimonies of their underemployment. A few examples:

• An engineer’s male peers are offered the chance for a promotion, while she isn’t; her boss says that he assumed she wouldn’t take the promotion because she might want kids soon.
• A second engineer, with experience that perfectly matches a job description, is rejected because another candidate with less of the desired technical expertise has a stronger network.
• A digital marketing professional who’s been freelancing in her industry while raising kids is trying to re-enter the market full time. Despite a strong network and personal advocates within Bay Area companies, she’s been rejected for two years.

There are many factors I haven’t acknowledged. I’m privy only to the details our members choose to share, for one, and unemployment woes are expected among any sufficiently large group. Especially in competitive geographies and fast-moving industries. But among an educated community with varied skill sets and industry experience — a group that self-selects for professional improvement — such consistent tales paint a suspicious picture. I’m reminded of the words of many Bay Area professionals I’ve heard:

“I want — nay, I NEED — to hire women. I’d hire a qualified woman if I could find her, but they just aren’t out there. That’s why we reserve our Office Manager and Customer Success roles for female applicants.”

While I can’t vouch for the work quality or measure of “fit” of every member for every position they pursue, I will suggest this: somewhere in our 1,000+ Palo Alto Lean In members is a woman you want to hire for the position you now have open. She is learned. Experienced in her field. Willing to invest her time and energy in furthering her professional skills and developing a high-performing network. And if you’re a hiring manager, here’s a big bonus: she’s likely to be attuned to how to work well with YOU! Please don’t make the mistake of assuming that qualified, culture-fitting women simply aren’t out there for your position.

And, if you prove me wrong and find that no one among us is a suitable candidate, why not work with us to help develop the ideal candidates of the future?

Kay Christensen is the Office Hours Lead for Palo Alto Lean In.