Being a minority in the information technology industry is even more challenging now than it was just three years ago.

While most companies have diversity, equality and inclusivity initiatives, or DEIs, to intentionally build a more representative workforce, 75% of software and tech employers said that the pandemic impacted their DEI efforts, according to an industry study. Further, only 32% of employees surveyed think their company has an active and efficient DEI strategy in place.

This negative impact on gender equality in the workplace has made intentional recruitment of women and minorities a higher priority than ever.

“We’ve really seen first and foremost by being intentional that you can change the way your organization looks,” said Danielle Greshock (pictured, right), director of partner SAs and worldwide ISV at Amazon Web Services Inc. “But also that without being intentional, there were a lot of outcomes and situations that weren’t great for a healthy and productive working environment.”

Greshock spoke with theCUBE industry analyst Lisa Martin during a final analysis segment at the “AWS Partner Showcase S1 E3: Women in Tech” event, an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the career advice and personal stories shared by successful women in tech during the event. (* Disclosure below.)

During the event, theCUBE also spoke with Vera Reynolds, engineering manager at Honeycomb.io; Sue Persichetti, executive vice president of global AWS strategic alliances at Jefferson Frank, a Tenth Revolution Group company; Stephanie Curry, worldwide head of sales and go-to-market strategy, AWS, at NetApp Inc.; and Hillary Ashton, executive vice president and chief product officer at Teradata Corp.

Women benefit tech by bringing diversity of experience, and the workplace needs to change to accommodate their needs

While the pandemic has had negative effects on women in the workforce, it has had a positive influence as well, according to Greshock. Thanks to the window video calls gave into people’s personal lives, there is more acceptance that workers have responsibilities outside their careers that hold equal importance. When she talks to women who are interested in joining AWS, they often ask if they will be able to balance work, children and family and still have some time left over for themselves.

“Many people are thinking about work a lot differently,” Greshock said.

One piece of advice that stood out for Martin was: “Be selective in picking your bosses.”

“We often see people that are attracted to a company brand and think more about that than they do the boss or bosses that can help guide them along the way,” she said.

A supportive manager will offer opportunities and help a woman work toward her goals, but a non-supportive one can place roadblocks to prevent a woman from achieving success, Martin added.

“As I reflect through my own career, I can see how I’ve had particular managers who have had a major impact on helping me,” Greshock stated.

Women who don’t have the opportunity to choose a job where they have a sympathetic supervisor should still seek out mentors, allies and sponsors who can help them further their career goals, she added.

The difference between mentors, sponsors and allies was also touched upon during the conference, and Martin and Greshock discussed why each is important and how to leverage their advice and guidance throughout a career.

It’s a misconception that only STEM graduates are qualified for a tech career. In fact, Greshock views her “zig-zag” path as a benefit, not a hindrance, and many of the other women taking part in the event agreed.

“For folks who’ve been in the industry for 20, 25 years, I think we can just say that it’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. You’re always going to have new things to learn,” Greshock stated.

Here’s the complete video interview:

(* Disclosure: Amazon Web Services Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither AWS nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE