In the media: Consid is investing in gender-equal offices

In Sörmland’s media business supplement, one can read on May 17th about Consid in Eskilstuna, which is one of the few workplaces in the male-dominated IT industry that has achieved a balanced gender distribution. The article includes interviews with Annika Virtanen, Consulting Manager and Project Leader, Anders Lundberg, Office Manager, and Anna Johansson, HR and Recruitment Manager, who provide more information about Consid’s various initiatives to create a more inclusive tech industry, both internally at Consid and externally throughout the industry.

According to Anders Lundberg, the office manager at Consid in Eskilstuna and Västerås, during recruitment, competence always comes first, so they are not talking about quotas. However, he believes it is crucial to have a workplace that encompasses various perspectives as it strengthens everything from innovative power to new ideas.

The IT and tech industries have increasingly played a crucial role in today’s society and world. However, the IT industry currently consists of less than 30% women, and the industry is often described as male-dominated, exclusive, and challenging for women.

Anna Johansson, HR and Recruitment Manager at Consid in Eskilstuna and Västerås, explains to Sörmland’s media her thoughts on the reasons behind the skewed gender distribution:

– I believe it starts at a young age, where many people think that boys are more interested in technology. Not many girls choose to study it.

Consid works hard to promote gender equality both within the company and in the industry as a whole. In the fall of 2021, the company announced its establishment in Eskilstuna, and just over a year after its establishment, there are already around 20 employees in the office, with an equal distribution of men and women. They plan to recruit another ten employees before the end of the year and will continue to actively work towards maintaining a balanced gender distribution in the workplace. Annika Virtanen, Consulting Manager and Project Leader, states in the interview with Sörmland’s media that they are currently looking for a new office manager, preferably a woman.

Annika Virtanen emphasizes in the interview the importance of discussing both significant and small matters to avoid falling back into traditional gender roles. She joined Consid last year after reading an article about the company being named the Best Employer of the Year. Prior to joining Consid, she worked for ten years at another IT company.

– There, it was just me and guys. Here, we have a 50/50 balance. It makes a huge difference. I want diversity in terms of age and gender in the workplace. We have different conversations during coffee breaks. We don’t just talk about Tesla, for example!, she tells Sörmland’s media.

The article also discusses the work carried out within Consid’s equality platform, Q by Consid, where they employ several initiatives to attract more people to the IT and tech industry and aim to transform the industry into a more open and inclusive one. Through initiatives like the mentorship program Q Mentoria, they aim to offer guidance to women and non-binary individuals seeking a path in the IT and tech industry.

– One idea behind Q Mentoria is to make young girls realize that it’s not just about ones and zeros. You don’t have to sit in a basement coding; you can work with design, colors, and shapes on a website if you find that interesting, says Anna Johansson to Sörmland’s media.

Within Q Mentoria, mentors and mentees are matched based on their expectations of the mentorship program, competencies, and interests, aiming for the best possible collaboration. The mentorship program is free to participate in and lasts for five months, from January to May and from August to December. During this period, mentors and ment