Where women want to work
We’re a regular feature on official lists of the most progressive employers in the UK. And we’re always happy when our efforts to make Microsoft a better place for women to be are recognised.
There’s no environment quite like ours. We’ve a simple aim: to help nurture and grow the potential of people and businesses around the world. But it’s how we bring this to life that makes us truly different.
We encourage innovation and free the imagination. What’s more, we’ve placed the emphasis on collaboration, enterprise and the seamless blend of technical ability and commercial know-how.
So that everyone can participate fully, and prosper in our workforce as well as the industry at large, we’ve put countless initiatives in place for minority groups, including women. And it’s worked so well that over 30% of our UK board is drawn from them.
Success is measured by far more than a seat on the board, of course. To make sure everyone can reach their potential, our recruitment, employee development and community outreach programmes are designed around the different needs of different groups.
Outside the workplace, we’re involved in everything from hosting women’s conferences and taking part in the Global Summit of Women to offering specific grants and scholarships.
Within it, our efforts reach even further. One-on-one and group mentoring are a key feature of the way we work, while a Microsoft website just for women help to attract and retain the right people.
Specific networking tools are in place, as is a successful mentoring ring and even blogs to communicate with other developers or customers. Of course, benefits such as creches and support groups for families and single parents provide advice and guidance about combining family life with a career.
All this and more proves our commitment to women in the workforce. If you have more ideas, we’d be happy to hear them.
