Autodesk Life
Creating a diverse and inclusive engineering team is good for business, but it’s also the right thing to do. Diverse teams bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and skills that fuel innovation and supercharge problem-solving abilities.
Promoting gender diversity in engineering teams requires a conscious effort and a genuine commitment to creating an inclusive environment. Here are five ways we’re focused on increasing diversity in engineering at Autodesk:
1. Review language in job descriptions
Job descriptions play a crucial role in shaping a candidate’s perception of a job opportunity. The language used in these descriptions can significantly impact the confidence and motivation of potential applicants. Women often feel the need to meet all the qualifications before applying, while men are more likely to take a chance even if they meet only some. That’s why it’s essential to ensure that job descriptions use inclusive language.
At Autodesk, we use several tools to evaluate the use of inclusive language and gender-neutral terminology in job descriptions, as well as focus on the skills and qualifications necessary for a role rather than specific characteristics or traits. This helps avoid any language pitfalls that could potentially distance certain applicants.
2. Foster a culture of belonging
Creating a culture that values and promotes diversity and inclusion includes raising awareness about the benefits of gender diversity and ensuring that everyone feels welcome and respected in the workplace. Organizations must look to building a culture of belonging where all employees have equal opportunities to succeed and contribute.
In 2020, Autodesk launched a new global diversity strategy that focuses on individual, interpersonal, and structural dimensions of change and transformation. One of the key objectives is to increase the representation of women in tech, including increasing gender diversity in engineering.
We have several programs to foster a sense of belonging in the workplace, including Autodesk Women’s Network (AWN), one the largest employee resource groups in the company with more than 1,600 members across 40 offices globally. It’s a community where peers can help each other develop and realize their full potential. There’s also a Women in Tech arm within AWN for members who work in technical roles at Autodesk.
3. Partner with organizations that support underrepresented groups
Non-profit organizations can play a big role in driving positive change for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the engineering sector, and getting involved with these kinds of groups can make a significant impact.Autodesk works with many non-profit technology organizations across the globe, including University Technical Colleges (UTC), the United Kingdom’s alternative to mainstream schooling, which aims to increase children’s chances of being ready for the future of work. Thirty-nine of the 50 schools are engineering-focused, using Autodesk’s Fusion 360 software.
When the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, a UK charity that supports and advocates for the colleges, elected a “Founding 20” board of 20 female and non-binary students to represent the UTCs across the UK, we hosted an event to help them develop their mission statement, purpose, and goals to be as effective as possible. They were also introduced to the Make:able design challenge to encourage groups from across the UTC network to enter, and we provided mentors from Autodesk to support the groups as they worked on the challenge.
We’ve also been supporting Girls Who Code (GWC) since 2016 through their two-week summer immersion program geared toward female and non-binary high school students. This year, we hosted a cohort of first-time job seekers from the GWC alumni community for a technical interview bootcamp. Nearly 30 Autodeskers volunteered to support this cohort of talented young engineers by acting as interviewers in mock technical interviews, sharing their experience and advice at a time when it matters most to help the students build their networks early. (A similar event was held during this year’s internal TechX conference with the organization LatinaGeeks.)
4. Offer mentorship programs and professional development opportunities
The engineering industry can sometimes be an isolating environment for women, with few peers who look like them. Outreach programs are essential in raising awareness of possible career paths – this is where role models and mentors come in.
At Autodesk, we have a mentorship program that gives all employees the space and resources they need to connect, network, and learn from and with each other. Mentorships can instill confidence, empowering and enabling future women engineers while allowing the mentors to fulfill their own continued professional development in nurturing future generations.
5. Support work-life balance
Having policies and practices to support work-life balance — like flexible working hours, remote work options, parental leave, and childcare assistance — can help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all employees, including women in engineering.
Our hybrid-first approach to work means Autodeskers have the freedom to work where they’re most productive – whether that’s office-based, hybrid, or home-based. We believe flexibility in how and where work gets done helps us better meet the needs of our dynamic, growing business while allowing our people and teams to thrive and realize their potential.
Diversity unlocks a new world of talent, creativity, and innovative thinking. Embracing gender diversity in engineering is an ongoing journey that requires dedication, perseverance, and a wholehearted commitment to inclusivity. By putting these strategies into action, companies can create an environment where talented women engineers can truly shine and make an impact on their organization’s overall success.
Interested in an engineering career at Autodesk? View our current openings!
