Today it’s my pleasure to interview Ewa Michalak, the IT recruiter at DAC.digital.
We will discuss the current state of women in IT, their challenges, and what initiatives companies can take to create a more inclusive work environment for women in IT.
Let’s get started!
- Hello Ewa, thank you for having this interview with me. Maybe we can start from the very beginning. Can you tell us something about yourself? What exactly are you doing at DAC.digital?
Pleasure is mine 🙂 Ok, so I am Tech Recruiter in DAC.digital, so basically, I’m responsible for expanding our team with new, super talented people.
- What inspired you to pursue a career in IT recruitment?
I always wanted to know people better and help them as much as possible. That’s why I studied psychology for five years; after that, working as a recruiter was a natural choice. In the IT industry, I appreciate the flexibility and knowledge of the technologies that can change the world in many ways 🙂
- How long have you been working in IT recruitment?
I’ve been working as a recruiter for around two years.
- What do you find to be the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part is the feedback when candidates are satisfied with the company, colleagues, and the recruitment process.
- What do you consider to be the essential skills for a successful IT recruiter?
I would say that communication and active listening. Of course, you need to have the technical knowledge and be able to talk about it. Because we are usually actively looking for candidates, sales skills are also helpful.
- What do you think makes a successful IT recruitment process?
The successful recruitment process is primarily about finding a great candidate in terms of skills and knowledge appropriate for a given position, it is also important whether the person is well-fitted to our culture and the values of the organization. We make sure that the candidate’s experience is at the highest level. Together with our Techleads, we create a friendly atmosphere so that the candidate knows what the atmosphere is like in our company 🙂 Feedback is an important part of each process for the candidate and our team.
- What challenges have you faced in your role as an IT recruiter?
Finding the right candidate is certainly a challenge. In our work, we mainly look for people actively on LinkedIn/Twitter/GitHub. Very often, I come across the opinion that it is annoying to receive a large number of messages from recruiters every day, and so many people do not reply to them. So, encouraging people to make the first contact and discuss the offer.
- How do you handle difficult conversations with candidates?
It depends on how you understand a difficult conversation 😀 If someone is unpleasant, I politely set the limit. In any situation, calmness and the use of substantive arguments is a good ways to proceed with the process. If someone is vulgar and offends me, I thank them for the conversation.
- What are the main benefits of having a more diverse IT workforce?
More opinions, different points of view. It is always better when the team needs to face a discussion over some theme. It is a creative way to come up with new ideas.
- How can the IT industry create a more balanced gender ratio?
At the base! Regardless of gender, everyone should have the same opportunity to develop. Whether it is the IT industry or any other. In terms of the IT industry, in my opinion, it is a good idea to indicate the possibility of education and support for girls. Especially in the technological field. We should combat professional stereotypes based on gender.
- What changes would you like to see in the IT industry to support better and promote women better?
Let’s show the world how many innovative and inspiring women have an input to the field. More and more companies are promoting top female talents, sharing their successes and development with the world. It can be the biggest inspiration for younger women to see these women and choose them as role models.
- What are the biggest challenges for women in the IT industry today?
In my opinion, the biggest challenge for women in the IT industry is the stereotype that excludes the possibility of being as good at technical things as a man. There are fewer women in this industry, which I assume is due to the lack of education in this field for girls. That’s why I appreciate that there are more and more campaigns encouraging schools and young girls to try this career path.
- What do you enjoy most about your job at DAC.Digital?
I love the people here! They are so supportive and welcome! Always open to new ideas. Additionally, the fact that my company cares about our physical and mental health, it’s something amazing.
- What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in IT recruitment?
I would say that you need to try and seek knowledge about the industry everywhere you can, for example, through blogs and podcasts. The most important: ask! Be not afraid to ask something that you don’t know or understand.
- Would you do anything differently if you could restart your career today?
I would be more confident about my skills and knowledge. This job can be overwhelming at first, but the most important thing is not to be afraid to ask, ask about everything.🙂
- That’s all from my side. Thank you for sharing your inspiring thoughts with us!
Thank you! 🙂
Joanna Smul
Junior Employer Branding Specialist
