This month marks the beginning of something special. WomenHack launched its first-ever hiring event at CBS Interactive in San Francisco, bringing together top employers and talented women technologists in an innovative reverse-recruiting format.
Why We Started WomenHack
The tech industry has a problem. Despite decades of discussion about diversity, women still represent only 25% of computing roles and less than 11% of executive positions at Silicon Valley companies. Traditional recruiting methods clearly are not working.
We believed there had to be a better way—a format that puts candidates first, removes unconscious bias from initial screening, and gives employers direct access to pre-vetted talent pools. WomenHack was born from this vision.
The Reverse-Recruiting Model
What makes WomenHack different? We flip the traditional career fair on its head:
- Candidates apply and are vetted before the event
- Employers “pitch” to candidates rather than the other way around
- Speed-interview format ensures meaningful conversations
- Follow-up facilitated for mutual matches
At our inaugural San Francisco event, hosted graciously by CBS Interactive, we saw exactly why this model works. Employers had quality conversations with qualified candidates. Candidates met with multiple companies in a single evening. The energy in the room was palpable.
Thank You to Our First Partners
None of this would be possible without the employers who believed in our vision from day one. To the companies that joined us at CBS Interactive for our first event—thank you for taking a chance on a new approach to diversity recruiting.
What Comes Next
This is just the beginning. We are already planning more San Francisco events and exploring expansion to other tech hubs. If your company is serious about building diverse engineering teams, we want to hear from you.
The traditional pipeline excuses no longer hold. The talent is out there. WomenHack is here to make the connection.