Celebrating and presenting the women who work at Chaser on IWD 2022

Nine out of 10 people are biased against women (Guardian).

As a company, we see International Women's Day (IWD) as an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements in the workplace and to recognize the initiatives and support we offer to our female colleagues. On IWD, companies publicly recognize and reinforce their commitment to helping forge an inclusive world. This year, we wanted to join in highlighting the women working within our team, doing great work and serving our customers every day.

While International Women's Day tends to be a more prominent focus each March 8, prime employers for women tend to maintain a deep and continuous focus on equity, diversity and inclusion all year round.

Many companies worldwide offer progressive policies, practices, benefits and support mechanisms that help women’s careers thrive, providing attractive job opportunities.

Celebrating the work and achievements of women encourages other women to do the same. And celebration is at the heart of Chaser’s core values.

Did you know that less than 30% of the workforce in fintech is composed of women (Fintechfutures.com)?

Also, only 13% of fintechs are led by women. (EU-Startups)

Not to mention that only 3% of VC funding is awarded to female founders in fintech yearly. (Innovate Finance)

In January 2021, Chaser only 20% of our team were females, including the CEO. In January 2022, we managed to grow that to 34%, with more plans to grow. We’ve yet to employ a female software developer (applications welcome here!) and experience the challenge that fewer women apply for roles in this industry. In general we tend to receive 80% of male applications.

Chaser is fortunate to have brilliant and talented women to count amongst our team and to encourage female applicants to join our team, here are some interviews with female colleagues you could work with!

Did you know that less than 30% of the workforce in fintech is composed of women (Fintechfutures.com)?

Interviews

Presenting Amaya

How did you start working in fintech?

During my university placement year I ended up securing a year as a marketing intern for a tech company. Working in tech companies with solutions that are constantly evolving and proactively solving their end-user needs always keeps your job interesting and I was set on staying within the tech industry.

Based on this experience, I went on to secure a graduate role as a Marketing Executive in Fintech and after 5 years in tech, I can’t see myself ever wanting to leave the industry!

What recommendations do you have for women wanting to work in fintech?

Firstly, do it! Do not let the fact that this field is male-dominated discourage you. We need more women to break their way into the industry and pave the way for others. Our insights, ideas and opinions are extremely valuable and will help drive Fintech businesses forward, and make this a more inclusive industry for future generations.

How can society #BreaktheBias?

I am by no means a thought leader in this field but my key suggestions are to do your research, continue to stay informed on gender bias, and question yourself and others more on their actions and assumptions. Eliminating gender bias is going to be a process rather than something that is fixed in a day.

We can start to chip away at the bias and unlearn unconscious biases that are often ingrained within us (all genders!) since childhood by educating ourselves on the problem.

It is also important to acknowledge that different groups of women are disproportionately impacted by gender bias. For example ethnic minorities, working class women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. All of us should be proactively working to open up opportunities and ensure these groups of women have equal opportunities in their lives and their careers.

Why would you encourage women to apply to work at Chaser?

Chaser is an environment where women are heard, respected, and can contribute and thrive.

Presenting Catarina

How did you start working in fintech?

The most important factor for me in a company is the culture, so I started looking for companies with great culture, that actually care about their employees and stumbled upon this world where you can actually make a difference and really get involved in every detail and area of a company. I loved the idea of making an impact in other small companies and helping them fix their problems.

What recommendations do you have for women wanting to work in fintech?

Listen to yourself and just try, go for it. A “no” is always guaranteed, but what if they say “Yes we want to hire you” and it turns out to be the best job ever? This industry needs more female leaders, female engineers, female designers, etc. We have to be present in boards, important meetings, and leadership roles in  order to really break the bias and create a better environment for future generations.

How can society #BreaktheBias?

I think a lot of people, including women, need to empathise more with others and really try to put themselves in other people’s shoes. We also need to take a step back and check ourselves from time to time to make sure we are being correct and doing everything we can. I think it’s easy to get lost in this male predominant world and not do enough to actually make an impact.

If you have the power to hire, take a second look at that candidate that you judged by the name, background or whatever reason your mind quickly decided that the person was not fit for the role.

If you are a male leader, maybe try to ask some of your female employees for their opinion, or include them more in your decision making, they will probably bring you a point of view that you did not previously considered.

If your employee is pregnant and you know that soon you will need to replace her, maybe try to focus more on how to help her and make sure she feels supported instead of focusing so much time thinking about the costs of maternity leave and how you will need to hire a second person.

If your company employs predominantly people from the same background, gender, race, sexual preferences, maybe look harder and try to hire someone different and see how much value and a different point of view that someone can actually bring to the table.

If we all make a small change, I’m sure the workplace will be a much more inclusive space for future generations.

Why would you encourage women to apply to work at Chaser?

3 words. Chaser is Amazing! Seriously, you will feel part of the crew as soon as you join. Everyone is super supportive and our culture is amazing thanks to our team and our inspiring female CEO who works her hardest at making sure everyone feels appreciated, content and that they can succeed at their job. As a woman, your opinions are respected, your voice is heard and your ideas are taken into consideration and put into action. It’s a perfect environment for women.

Presenting Charlotte

How did you start working in fintech?

After university, I naturally ended up looking for jobs in the tech industry. Technology evolves rapidly and there are endless opportunities to change the status quo. I enjoy a fast paced workplace hence why I took this route. My fintech journey started at Chaser and has been an extremely exciting one so far.

What recommendations do you have for women wanting to work in fintech?

Speak up, never stop learning and build a great support system around you.

How can society #BreaktheBias?

Every single person has a responsibility to break the bias. The thing with bias is, it is often subconscious and you won’t even notice it. The first step is to take a step back and understand what bias is and what your personal biases are. The next step is to learn how to eliminate these biases when working with others or making decisions.

Why would you encourage women to apply to work at Chaser?

Chaser is a great place to work because of the people. The culture at Chaser allows you to push your limits, try new things, all whilst having the support of a great team around you.

Presenting Inga

How did you start working in fintech?

I left university with a masters degree in politics and never envisioned myself working for a tech company. However, when I began looking for graduate roles the fintech industry really stood out to me.

Fin-techs have the opportunity to impact every type of business which creates a highly competitive and innovative industry, always looking for new ways to improve. This means that when working in the industry you always have to adapt your approach and adopt the latest trends, tools and techniques which is something I really enjoy and have enjoyed for the past two years.

What recommendations do you have for women wanting to work in fintech?

My greatest recommendation to women who're interested in working in fin-tech is to just do it. Give it a try. It’s not common to have a degree in fin-tech, and everyone who’s working here now was as inexperienced as you were at some point. The worst thing that can happen is that you find out it is not for you, but you wouldn’t have known that if you didn’t try.

How can society #BreaktheBias?

I believe that there are several ways society can break the bias, and one of them is to have uncomfortable conversations. Shed a light on the issue of gender bias. If we don’t acknowledge that there is a problem then we cannot fix it. So, talk about it with your friends, family, your colleagues, both male and female, cause we need everyone on board if we’re going to break the bias.

Why would you encourage women to apply to work at Chaser?

Chaser is such a great place to work, especially if you’re a young woman trying to find your way in the business world. Everyone at Chaser is so supportive and is rooting for each other's success. Additionally, we have an amazing, female CEO. It’s such an inspiration seeing what she’s accomplishing and how brilliant she’s handling herself in a male-dominated industry.

Presenting Zoë

How did you start working in fintech?

I first began working in Marketing where I realised my interest was in digital design and branding. Having now worked in those areas for seven years for B2B and B2C companies, starting at Chaser was my first time in Fintech. I wanted to gain strengths in a new area as Fintech is quite a creatively challenging industry. I’ve already learnt so much in my first three months here.

What recommendations do you have for women wanting to work in fintech?

Show confidence in your skills and what you can bring to the industry, even if it’s your first time in fintech, there’s always something that can be gained from new experiences for both sides.

How can society #BreaktheBias?

Don’t be afraid to speak out and support others. Be self-aware and own up to any mistakes you might make yourself, re-educate and learn for next time, the little changes over time become noticeable, we can all break the bias together.

Why would you encourage women to apply to work at Chaser?

People at Chaser are supportive of anyone from all backgrounds and with different hobbies and lifestyles, there is genuine interest to share and learn from each other across work but also socially.

A few notes about me:

Presenting Sonia

How did you start working in fintech?

I started working in fintech whilst in Canada after growing my passion for business solutions, automation, ERPs and more. Having led numerous software companies to success as a marketer first, I am passionate about striking a balance between the power of the automation economy and the power of people.

What recommendations do you have for women wanting to work in fintech?

Dive in. Be brave. Support your female colleagues, always. That also means not turning a blind eye to sexism and/or rationalising it.

How can society #BreaktheBias?

Breaking the bias specifically focuses on encouraging us to have more conversations about bias, discrimination, and stereotypes that women are affected by, whilst taking action to challenge and stop them.

9 out of 10 people are found to be biassed about women (Guardian). How do we stop it?

Because bias frequently lives in the subconscious, the best way to break it is by "flipping" your thoughts.

For example:

• Have you ever referred to a manager as a mum when giving instructions? Would you ever refer a male manager as a "dad"?
• Do you call someone a "working mum"? Would you ever call someone a "working dad"?
• Do you take guidance and direction from a female leader in the same way as you would from a male counterpart With the same expertise and knowledge?
• Are you more likely to ask your female staff to carry out administrative work than male staff at the same level and in the same roles?
• Are you prone to trusting the point of view of men over womens?

Here is an old clip I love from ages ago that details this. Think about it and how you think of how you may or may not have interpreted women in the workplace in previous jobs.

Why would you encourage women to apply to work at Chaser?

Many leaders care about gender diversity and this is a hiring priority for many companies, also for Chaser. However, women remain underrepresented at all levels, especially in fintech, so there is work to be done.

At Chaser, you will be fully supported to grow and develop your career from all the staff, men and women alike.

Thank you for supporting equality and we hope you’ll be applying to join our team soon!

Available positions here: https://www.chaserhq.com/jobs

Sources: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme