What a Software Engineering Manager at a Leading Tech Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Tech Industry
After 30 years as a Software Engineering Manager, Sara reveals the persistent and "incredibly tedious" gender bias in the tech industry, lamenting the constant need to prove competence and the prevalent lack of emotional intelligence in recognizing diverse leadership styles. The industry's "monoculture" expectation, Sara argues, overlooks the fact that "different is where the best ideas and solutions come from," hindering progress despite superficial improvements.
Gender Bias in Tech, Leadership and Management, Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace, Career Longevity
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sara Rahimian
Software Engineering Manager
Fortune 10 Tech Company
University of California, Berkeley
NA
Computer Science, Engineering - Electrical
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Honors Student, Immigrant, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Experiencing gender bias and discrimination is a common and exhausting challenge for women in the tech industry, requiring continuous effort to prove one's capabilities.
2. The tech industry often favors a monoculture, overlooking the value of diverse perspectives and approaches, which can lead to missed opportunities for innovation.
3. Effective leadership involves recognizing and appreciating individual differences among team members, regardless of superficial similarities in background or demographics.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before entering the industry?
As a woman, I have found the bias and discrimination to be incredibly tedious. I've been in this industry for 30 years, and I feel like in every role, I have to prove myself again.
Even after I prove myself, people are kind of like, "Eh, but if only you were a dude, it would be so much better for me." Frankly, it's exhausting.
I know there's a lot in the news and media about whether it's true and where the bar is. I have to say, I wish someone had told me: first of all, they're not better. It's not like there's some magic bar that women aren't reaching.
It's that there's a lack of emotional intelligence about how different people show up differently. This industry wants monoculture, and it's really exhausting because they misunderstand differences. I don't think different is wrong; sometimes, different is where the best ideas and solutions come from.
For me, what makes me a better leader is that I'm okay with everyone being different. Even when they look the same on paper, they're not the same. I've managed hundreds of people, many of whom were white men or East Asian men. They were all different from each other.
I haven't experienced them all being the same. I don't know why we would claim these other categories are somehow materially relevant. So, I find the industry to be pretty tired in this way. They pay a lot of lip service, but I don't think it's made much progress in the 30 years I've been in the industry.