附近上门

Day three of TechCrunch Disrupt welcomed three women鈥� of , of , and of 鈥攚ho are all determined to create better work environments in Silicon Valley.

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Their discussion focused on a pressing and important topic given that Silicon Valley has, over the past year, seen a storm of sexism and harassment scandals鈥攆ueled by more women speaking up and advocating for change.

Some of the most well-known stories include Susan Fowler鈥檚 about Uber HR punishing her instead of the offender, Sarah Kunst David McClure鈥檚 sexual misconduct, which was followed by his from 500 Startups, and Ellen Pao鈥檚 of disparate treatment toward female partners at KPCB.

While trying to define their place in tech, most women have experienced discrimination and harassment on a certain level, whether it is , , or .

Steps Toward A Better Workplace

Kunst, Scott, and Gosher shared some of the ways that they think will be able to reverse Silicon Valley鈥檚 toxic culture or prevent it from happening in your workplace.

In Kunst鈥檚 opinion, the hiring process is crucial, especially since your employees make up your company鈥檚 culture.

鈥淸I found] hiring people who aren鈥檛 just white dudes [helps a lot],鈥� Kunst told the audience at TC Disrupt. 鈥淲hen you onboard people, be very clear about your values. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 impossible to build a great culture if you care and if you鈥檙e aware.鈥�.

Gosher thinks that culture and change come from the top:

鈥淭he CEO and management team set the tenor. The board also [makes a difference]. For example, Uber board turned a blind eye [to sexual harassment allegations]. The board needs to have a zero tolerance policy. [The one rule is] 鈥業f you鈥檙e a man in the position of power, don鈥檛 hit on women.鈥� 鈥�

Scott advises companies to 鈥減roactively look for gender biased language鈥� in their policies. Scott gave an example of when she worked with tech firms, they would look at performance reviews and identify areas where they think gender bias exists.

鈥淭he subtle stuff is material,鈥� said Scott.

In addition to advocating for change on the management level, pushing companies to become more responsive toward gender discrimination, women themselves should continue speaking up, including when instances of unconscious biases occur.

鈥淢any of us are being bystanders,鈥� Gosher said. She also pointed out how women stay silent when they are asked to do office housekeeping by men, even though it鈥檚 not part of their job. 鈥淚f we want to change the industry, we need to stand up.鈥�

And Scott thinks that if women were to bring up situations in which they feel uncomfortable, they should do it early.

鈥淭eaching people the importance of bringing it up early is gonna prevent explosive blow-ups later,鈥� Scott explained.

With more women sharing their stories, sexism in Silicon Valley can no longer be considered as a dispersed set of incidents. As a result, more companies are re-evaluating their culture, and onto fostering a more inclusive workplace.

iStockPhoto / Mikolette