25th April 2024 was Girl’s Day. YAGER has taken part in Girls Day for a number of years running, and we are often asked, why and what impact does it have on employees, the company, and the gaming industry as a whole.
So … What is it?
The Girls’ Day is a career orientation day for girls that takes place once a year, in over 30 countries. In Germany it began in 2021. Companies invite girls from the 5th grade onwards to get to know their field of work – generally careers in which currently no more than 40% of women are working, undergoing training, or studying. As the average % of women in the gaming industry is at about 20-30% we qualify to take part.
Why does it exist?
Girls on average get better school qualifications and grades in high school. Nevertheless, more than half of girls choose career options that are not in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for which their grades would qualify them to get into. Thus, they are later underrepresented in companies recruiting in these fields. Young women are not fully utilizing their potential and career opportunities and companies are increasingly lacking qualified young talent, especially in technical and technology-related fields.
Why is Gender important?
Gender is just one of many aspects of diversity. It’s an easy one to measure (due to legal restrictions for example) and compare and can be a good indicator of diversity in a company because it reflects one aspect of the variety of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds among employees.
Why do we care about Diversity?
Its 2024 and indisputable that companies with diverse teams are better at problem solving and innovation, in the long-term leading to less blind spots, more creativity and better products = more sales and a stronger business. A stronger business is better for everyone, regardless of your Gender, Sexual Orientation, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Age, Ability and Disability, Socioeconomic Status, Cultural Background, Intersectionality and Neurodiversity. Many of our employees give us feedback that they feel diverse perspectives are respected at YAGER, however we know that in terms of fostering a sense of belonging, the work around Diversity & Inclusion is never really done.
Does Girls Day work?
As Girl’s Day has been around for 23 years, they have gathered a lot of empirical data to show that girls that are exposed to jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields have a higher chance of entering those fields later in life. I am delighted to say that even at YAGER we have someone who discovered working in Gaming is an option for her, directly through attending a Girls Day herself.
Since 2020, YAGER has implemented various measures to promote women in the workplace and is continuing to try and increase its female representation.
Other initiatives that we are working on are flexible working hours, remote work options, and fostering equality and more equitable and transparent communication. Additionally, workshops, gender-neutral job postings, bias trainings in the recruitment processes also aim to ensure a fair and inclusive environment. These efforts underscore our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shaping a supportive culture for all employees, with a focus on women’s advancement. We believe that taking part in Girls Day has a positive impact (down the line!) and are very proud to support this initiative.