Last year, McKinsey and LeanIn.org dubbed 2022 the year of “The Great Breakup.” According to the annual “Women in the Workplace” report, women are demanding more of their employers and are willing to leave to find more supportive work environments.
These numbers are especially stark in leadership — where two women are leaving director-level roles for every woman promoted into one. And the number of women at senior levels is already thin, as the leap from entry-level to managerial positions is still a barrier for growth. For every 100 men moving out of an entry-level role, only 87 women do the same.
What can companies do to change that pattern? According to McKinsey, a few steps are clear: Create pathways for women to advance within an organization. Recognize the work women are doing in the workplace, especially when it lies outside their job description. Commit to employee well-being and build a culture that offers flexibility and highlights DEI.
Luckily, many companies here in San Francisco are doing just that. In honor of Women’s Equality Day, Built In SF heard from women at Snap, Crunchyroll and Philo about how their employers champion women in an equitable and inclusive workplace.
Snap’s technology brands use video and photography to offer users new ways to communicate and connect.
What does Snap do well to support, champion and empower women in the workplace?
I’m lucky to work at a company like Snap, where leading with kindness is a core part of our culture. The three tenets of Snap’s culture are that we are kind, smart and creative, and I can see these values shine through in all of the people I work with. Being kind does not simply mean being nice to your co-workers — there’s so much more to it. Kindness is about relating comfortably with diverse groups of people, championing ideas of your teammates no matter their background, giving space to female colleagues to speak up, especially if they are the only woman in the room and so much more. When people lead with kindness, our work environment is more inclusive.
Snap supports our kind culture through unconscious bias training, our SnapWomen employee resource group and coaching programs. Through SnapWomen, members are able to access workshops that accelerate their career and connect with other women in tech. We also have amazing benefits. In the US, our family leave policy allows for up to 28 weeks of paid time off and a return to work program for the first 16 weeks back. Snap also provides fertility, adoption and surrogacy support as well as access to a network of on-demand health care providers.
Leading with kindness is a core part of our culture.”
How do your colleagues — and in particular company leadership — show that they are allies to women in the workplace?
Every year, Snap releases our diversity annual report. In the report, you can explore the different cuts of data and clearly see how Snap values an inclusive workplace. You can also see areas where there is room for improvement. Snap’s leadership has not shied away from addressing these facts directly. We’re seeing leaders explicitly focus on creating more diverse hiring pools, and the company has worked to incorporate inclusive hiring across our whole recruiting system.
Narrowing down to my particular team, I work with leaders that empower me and support my growth at Snap. In my three years at Snap, I’ve been promoted, had my team double in size and have been able to work on projects that have fundamentally changed our small-and-medium customer business globally. These personal achievements wouldn’t have been possible without leaders that trust and empower me to do great work every day.
How do you feel like your voice is heard in the workplace?
An important part of being an inclusive workplace is giving space to employees to ask tough questions and provide feedback. When we have executive question and answer sessions, the Snap team doesn’t shy away from asking tough questions and the leaders do not shy away from addressing them. I appreciate this open feedback loop because it gives me confidence that our leadership is always working to improve our diversity, equity and inclusion.
In addition, Snap also conducts an employee survey twice a year where we can provide feedback about our experience working at Snap, and as a people manager, I have direct insight into the results and what the team cares about. This feedback doesn’t go into a black hole — we see action taken and changes implemented which gives me confidence that Snap is always moving in the right direction of being a place where people love to work and feel empowered.
Crunchyroll builds experiences to connect anime and manga fans with the content they love.
What does Crunchyroll do well to support, champion and empower women in the workplace?
Crunchyroll’s corporate commitment to DEI has allowed CRWN (Crunchyroll Women’s Network, pronounced “Crown”), our oldest employee resource group, to thrive and lead the way for equality and equity for women in the workplace. CRWN has the freedom and funding to create events and leverage female-driven programming in an effort to include, connect, empower and advocate for women at the company. We also lead Women’s History Month, and we spotlight exceptional women at Crunchyroll. Crunchyroll has also proven their support and empowerment of women at the company by example — half of the leaders on Crunchyroll’s senior management team are women. I feel privileged to work for a company that walks the walk by having gender equity on the leadership team. Those of us who help lead CRWN are here to ensure that trend trickles down to benefit other women within the greater company.
I feel privileged to work for a company that walks the walk by having gender equity on the leadership team.”
How do your colleagues — and in particular company leadership — show that they are allies to women in the workplace?
Shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned last June, CRWN’s leadership felt a responsibility to offer support by creating a safe space for dialogue, and with the support of several of our female senior management leaders, we hosted “listening sessions.” Many of our female colleagues live in states that were instantly impacted by this decision, and many were saddened and concerned. Men and women throughout the company participated and a safe space was provided for people to express those feelings — talk, cry, support those affected by the ruling or express anger or dismay. The fact that we were allowed to conduct these sessions while being supported by several women leaders at the company made CRWN’s effort to offer support effective.
What would you share with women in your field interested in joining Crunchyroll?
For women interested in Crunchyroll, I would say that it’s wonderful to work for a company whose mission is “to help everyone belong.” Crunchyroll’s mission and values were born out of anime’s history and its fans. Anime was once considered a fringe community where fans could come together to find acceptance and belonging within the art form and its culture. Historically, that sense of inclusion has also been a relevant theme for women in the workplace. Our company’s mission is one of the biggest selling points for me about being at Crunchyroll. Where else in the entertainment business or corporate culture do you find that type of mission supported and acted upon year after year? Crunchyroll is committed to super serving its fans, while also working hard to serve its employees — those are efforts that matter to me.
Philo offers live and streaming programming through its subscription television service.
What does Philo do well to support, champion and empower women in the workplace?
Philo has implemented an employee resource group, Women of Philo, which gives women in the tech industry a platform to have a voice, share insights, gain confidence and promote an inclusive workplace culture. This group allows us to connect, share experiences and address challenges that might arise in the workplace.
In addition, Philo offers flexibility and parental leave policies that create a supportive work environment for women. The company recognizes the responsibilities and obstacles faced by working mothers and thus fosters a work-life balance that most women seek at a company.
Philo is a company that helps women to manage both their personal and professional responsibilities. One touch that’s appreciated are the mental health days that are scheduled during months with no paid holiday — Philo really shows how much they value the people that work for them.
How do your colleagues — and in particular company leadership — show that they are allies to women in the workplace?
Leadership shows they are allies to women in the workplace by collaborating with the recruitment team to promote gender equity at all levels of the company, especially by actively seeking and hiring qualified women for leadership positions. The recent hire of our Chief Financial Officer Julianna Hayes shows the importance for representation at the executive level within Philo. In addition, leadership has created a safe environment, free from harassment and discrimination.
Leadership collaborates with the recruitment team to promote gender equity at all levels of the company.”
How do you feel like your voice is heard in the workplace?
Philo promotes a work culture that ensures my perspective and ideas are taken into account. As an independent contributor, they value my work and encourage me to bring suggestions to the table, fueling my work motivation and spiking productivity. I feel comfortable speaking up in meetings with my colleagues. Our weekly all-hands meeting includes a question and answer portion which gives us the floor to ask the CEO any questions we may have about the company. Leaders are always very transparent and honest with their answers. Regardless of gender, Philo is a place where respect and inclusivity are valued.
