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00:00SCARLET: IBM IS TURNING ITS ATTENTION TO MIDCAREER DEPARTURES AS PART OF A EFFORT TO INCREASE DIVERSITY. BLOOMBERG'S ONGOING POSITION OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE, THAT IBM'S VICE PRESIDENT OF TALENT AND ASKED HER WHAT THE COMPANIES TECH WE ENTRY PROGRAM. >> WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN DIVERSITY AND WE HAVE HAD GO PAY FOR EQUAL WORK POLICIES AND ON THIS COMMISSION AND HIRING POLICIES FOR DECADES, WHILE THE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD CAUGHT UP TO THOSE POLICIES. WE ARE PRESENTLY LOOKING AT WHAT WE NEED TO DO DIFFERENTLY. WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON NOW IS REAL PRACTICAL PROGRAMS THAT GET WOMEN INTO ROLES IN TECHNOLOGY. SCARLET: CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE? JOANNA: A WOMAN WHO TAKES HIM RIGHT TO RAISE A FAMILY OR OTHER PERSONAL REASONS. WHEN WOMEN HAD THEIR 30'S, MORE THAN HALF STOPPED WORKING. THAT WE HAVE 500,000 OPEN TECHNOLOGY ROLES IN THE UNITED STATES, SO THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT WOMEN BACK INTO THESE ROLES IN TECHNOLOGY AND DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ROCKET SCIENCE. ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS IS TAKING THE IDEA OF AN INTERNSHIP IN PROVIDING WOMEN WERE RETURNING TO THE WORKPLACE WITH A RETURN SHIP OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK INTO THE WORKPLACE AND BUILD THEIR SKILLS AND GET READY FOR A JOB IN AREAS LIKE QUANTUM COMPUTING AND BLOCKCHAIN. SCARLET: IS IT PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT IBM BEFORE OR SOMEONE IN THE OUTSIDE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A BACKUP IN TECH? JOANNA: THIS IS FOR WOMEN WHEN TECHNOLOGY SKILLS AND CAREERS AND TOOK A BREAK AND THAT BREAK COULD BE A COUPLE OF YEARS OR 20 YEARS. SCARLET: TALK ABOUT HOW IBM LEVERAGES TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO TURN THE TIDE AND LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR WOMEN? JOANNA: THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, AI HAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE BIAS THE HIRING PROCESS AND HELP BOTH THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES. ONE EXAMPLE IS WATSON CAN THAT ASSIST, A SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS CANADA TO EXPLORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT IBM. WHAT IS IT JUST THING IS THAT BECAUSE IT USES A HAT IT WILL LOOK AT YOUR RESUME IF YOU CHOOSE TO UPLOAD YOUR RESUME OR HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH WATSON ABOUT YOUR SKILLS AND INTERESTS AND WATSON CAN SUGGEST SHOPS FOR YOU TO APPLY TO. WHAT IS INTERESTING MAY SUGGEST ROLES PEOPLE DON'T TRADITIONALLY THINK OF OUR CAREER PATHS THAT MAY BE ARE UNDER SURGED OR UNDERREPRESENTED BY WOMEN, AS WELL AS THE HIRING PROCESS. WE USE AI TO HELP WORKERS MAKE LESS BIASED DECISIONS AND MAKE SURE THEY LOOK OBJECTIVELY AT SKILLS. SCARLET: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR IBM'S BOTTOM LINE? JOANNA: THIS IS CORE TO OUR DNA OF INCLUSION AND WE'RE AT A TIME WHERE IS MORE CRITICAL TO THE BUSINESS. WE NEED DIFFERENT MINDSETS AND TECHNOLOGY NOT JUST TO MAKE THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, BUT TO ENSURE OUR TECHNOLOGY IS SECURE AND TO ENSURE WE ARE TRAINING AI THAT IS ETHICAL AND UNBIASED. SCARLET: WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THAT SUCKS ME INTERESTING IS THAT AT ONE POINT WHEN YOU ARE WILL BE PRESENTED IN TECHNOLOGY BUT THERE'S A RECORD PROCESS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE SHORTAGE OF WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY. TALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW THAT IS BEING REMEDIED. JOANNA: WHEN THE INDUSTRY STARTED THERE WAS AN APTITUDE TEST THAT IBM DEVELOPED AND USED AND LEAD TO 20,000 WOMEN PROGRAMMING. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 70'S WAS A NEW TEST WAS INTRODUCED ABOUT BY A PSYCHOLOGIST WHO LOOK AT A GROUP OF 8000 PROGRAMMERS AND ONLY 15% WERE WOMEN. IT WAS A BIASED GROUP TO START WITH AND ASSOCIATED PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES WITH BEING GOOD IN COMPUTER SCIENCE.

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How IBM is Helping Women Re-Enter the Tech Workplace

On today's "Walk the Talk," IBM Vice-President of Talent Joanna Daly discusses the company's efforts to help women who are returning to the workforce after a mid-career absence with Bloomberg's Scarlet Fu on "What'd You Miss?" (Source: Bloomberg)

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