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Knowledge, motivation and organizational influences impacting recruiting practices addressing the gender gap in the technology industry: an evaluation study

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Knowledge, motivation and organizational influences impacting recruiting practices addressing the gender gap in the technology industry: an evaluation study

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Content Running head: ADDRESSING THE GENDER GAP IN THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

1

KNOWLEDGE, MOTIVATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES IMPACTING
RECRUITING PRACTICES ADDRESSING THE GENDER GAP IN THE
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY: AN EVALUATION STUDY

by

Deborah Glynn

_____________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2017

Copyright 2017 Deborah Glynn

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DEDICATION
To my children, Colleen, Eileen and Kevin, who inspire me every day to dream big, embrace
change and live life to the fullest.
To my parents, for supporting me on this journey and teaching me to reach for the stars.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My heartfelt thank you to my dissertation chair, Dr. Melora Sundt, for her support,
guidance, insight, and brilliance. Thank you for your patience as I worked through difficult
concepts, submitted endless drafts, and sought your wisdom constantly.
Thank you to the other members of my committee, Dr. Jennifer Crawford and Dr. Robert
Filback. You began this journey with me in my first semester of this program and it was an
honor to work with both of you through to the end.
Thank you to Dr. Kathy Hanson and Dr. Ilda Jimenez y West for your help in propelling
me towards the finish line.
And finally, thank you to all my colleagues in OCL Cohort 1. It has been inspiring to take
this journey with you. I am humbled to be a part of such a diverse and intelligent group of
scholars. Fight on!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
Chapter 1: Introduction of the Problem of Practice 9
Organizational Context and Mission of TekNet 10
Organizational Performance Goal 11
Related Literature 11
Importance of the Evaluation 14
Description of Stakeholder Groups 14
Stakeholder Group for the Study 15
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions 15
Methodology/Framework for the Project 16
Organization of the Dissertation 16
Chapter 2: Literature Review 17
Context of Technology Hiring: The Pipeline 18
Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Factors 23
Summary 37
Chapter 3: Methodology 41
Purpose of the Project and Questions 41
Conceptual and Methodological Framework 41
Assessment of Performance Influences 42
Participating Stakeholders and Data Collection 47
Data Analysis 50
Limitations and Delimitations 52
Summary 53
Chapter 4: Results and Findings 54
Results and Findings for Knowledge Gaps 55
Results and Findings for Motivation Gaps 76
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences 81
Summary 86
Chapter 5: Solutions, Implementation and Evaluation 87
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 88
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 98
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Chapter Summary 111
Strengths and Weaknesses of Approach 111
Limitations 111
Future Research 112
Conclusion 115
References 117
Appendices 130
Appendix A: Invitation to Participate in Study 130
Appendix B: Survey Questions 132
Appendix C: Interview Questions 135
Appendix D: Email Invitation to Participate in Survey 136

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Gender Composition of TekNet Employees Versus Total US Employees 11
by Fiscal Year
Table 2. Poverty Composition by Gender and Ethnicity 13
Table 3. Background Factors Contributing to the Gender Gap 23
Table 4. Knowledge Factors 30
Table 5. Motivation Factors 33
Table 6. Organizational Theories 38
Table 7. Factors Addressed in the Study 39
Table 8. Assessment Tools to Address Performance Indicators 44
Table 9. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 90
Table 10. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 94
Table 11. Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations 97
Table 12. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 102
Table 13. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation 104
Table 14. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 105
Table 15. Components of Learning for the Program 108
Table 16. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 109

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Results of survey question 1 57
Figure 2. Results of survey question 3 59
Figure 3. Results of survey question 13 60
Figure 4. Results of survey question 2 63
Figure 5. Results of survey question 4 64
Figure 6. Results of survey question 5 65
Figure 7. Results of survey question 9 66
Figure 8. Results of survey question 16 67
Figure 9. Results of survey question 12 71
Figure 10. Results of survey question 14 72
Figure 11. Results of survey question 7 74
Figure 12. Results of survey question 6 79
Figure 13. Results of survey question 15 83
Figure 14. Results of survey question 19 84
Figure 15. Kirkpatrick New World Model 100

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ABSTRACT
This study uses Clark and Estes’s gap analysis framework to examine recruiting practices
addressing the gender gap in the technology industry. The purpose of this study was to look at
the knowledge, motivation and organizational barriers and assets influencing recruiters’ ability,
in one large tech company, to impact the hiring pipeline and a company’s ability to hire women
for their organization as they work towards closing the gender gap in the technology industry.
The results and recommendations from this project provide a model for the development of
recruiting programs that can be used across the technology industry by companies working to
close the gender gap. The study design used a combination of literature review, surveys,
interviews and document analysis to evaluate recruiting practices. This study found several needs
relating to knowledge, motivation and organizational influences. The most notable findings
related to knowledge around employment branding, innovative sourcing techniques and
standardization of processes, along with motivation and organizational gaps around dedication of
resources, accountability for results, and the recruiters’ ability to impact change. A framework
for addressing these issues using the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World Model was
designed and implementation recommendations are presented.

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION OF THE PROBLEM OF PRACTICE
Technology is one of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy, growing at a rate of
22.8% in 2012 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [USBLS], 2012). This sector is on the list of
occupations with the highest projected job growth rate in the next decade. Software engineering
jobs are projected to increase over 22% in the next decade, compared with a national average of
projected jobs of 10.8% (USBLS, 2012). Engineering jobs command top pay rates nationally
with a mean income of $90,060, compared to the national average of all jobs of $34,750
(USBLS, 2012). Despite the current and projected growth in this industry, we are witnessing a
gender imbalance in both the number of women entering and working in the technology field and
the types of jobs that the women who do work in this industry hold, with women holding only
25% of computer related positions (USBLS, 2012).
The purpose of this study was to look at the recruiting practices at one large technology
company that impact that company’s hiring pipeline and ability to hire women for their
organization as they work towards closing the gender gap at their organization and in the
technology industry in general. The results and recommendations from this project provide a
model for development of recruiting programs that can be used across the technology industry by
companies working to close the gender gap. This chapter will look at the organizational context
and mission of the company that was studied, the organizational performance goal, related
literature, the importance of the evaluation, the stakeholder group, the purpose of the project, the
methodology that was used in this study and the overall organization of the dissertation.
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Organizational Context and Mission of TekNet
TekNet is a pseudonym for a technology company that has a diversity initiative aimed at
closing the gender gap. This project evaluated TekNet and their recruiting program. In order to
keep the company’s identity confidential this dissertation used the company name TekNet
throughout the project. TekNet is a multinational technology company headquartered in northern
California. They are a publicly traded networking company with over 71,000 employees in over
400 offices around the world and are an industry worldwide leader. They were founded in 1984
and had revenue of over $49 billion in 2015. The most recent diversity figures that the company
released were from their 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. This report shared a
snapshot of the diversity of the company’s workforce for Fiscal Year 12, FY13, FY14 and FY15.
Table 1 provides the gender breakdown of women at TekNet by fiscal year compared with
women in the non civilian US labor force. The overall gender breakdown of the company was
22% female employees globally in FY12 and 23% in FY13, FY14 and FY15. TekNet had a total
of 25% female employees in the United States in FY12 and 26% in the U.S. in FY13, FY14 and
FY 15 (TekNet website) compared with the US labor force which was 49.9% female in 2012,
46.8% female in 2013, 46.8% female in 2014 and 46.8% female in 2015 (USBLS, 2012).
The overall gender diversity both in the US and worldwide has been holding at 26%
female and 23% female respectively over the past 3 years with no increase. For the purpose of
this study, gender diversity will be examined, from the perspective of a cisgender framework.
According to information on the company’s website, when TekNet released these numbers, they
recognized that these are areas where they need to focus and improve (TekNet website).

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Table 1
Gender Composition of TekNet Employees Versus Total US Employees by Fiscal Year
Employees FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15
TekNet female employees globally 22% 23% 23% 23%
TekNet female employees in U.S. 25% 26% 26% 26%
Total female share of US labor force 46.9% 46.8% 46.8% 46.8%

Organizational Performance Goal
At TekNet, women make up just under a quarter of their global employees. They have a
goal of increasing the number of women working at TekNet by attracting more women to the
organization, providing an inclusive culture that encourages retention, and helping women move
into leadership roles within the company. The company does not have a specific goal that they
share publicly, but their total number of female employees has not increased in the past 3 years.
In November 2014 the company hired a new Chief Human Resources Officer who immediately
hired a Chief Inclusion and Collaboration Officer whose commission is, in part, to lead the
organization to promote opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities. TekNet
believes that a diverse workforce will help them to serve their customers and create innovative
solutions. They believe that every customer, employee and partner they work with should feel
respected, valued and heard (TekNet website).
Related Literature
Historically, women in the United States have generally earned less than men (Aiken,
Salmon, & Hanges, 2013). This is a problem that was originally addressed by the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, which was a landmark piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on
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race, color, religion, sex or national origin (Aiken et al., 2013; Hersch & Shinall, 2015).
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparable earnings data for men and women
was first made available in 1979. At that time, the earnings ratio between men and women was
roughly 63%. The ratio had improved slightly in 1998 to a ratio of 76%. However, the earnings
discrepancy between men and women continues to be a problem today, as the gap still exists. In
2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women still made only 82% of what male full-
time workers made (USBLS, 2014). Women had median weekly earnings of $706 with men
earning $860, according to a survey of approximately 60,000 households (USBLS, 2014).
The gender gap that currently exists in the United States is larger than in other countries
around the world. This discrepancy is due in part to the U.S. lagging behind other countries
around the world in family policies such as maternity and paternity leave and child care
(Cawthorne, 2008; Waldfogel, 1998). This problem is important to address because it reflects not
only issues of gender equality and fostering diverse perspective in business organizations, but
also an issue that has long-term socioeconomic ramifications (Aizer, 2010; Gelles, 1976).
Woman who perceive themselves as part of a group or class that is being highly discriminated
against in their work environment have a higher level of health related problems such as anxiety,
depression, cancer and heart disease than women who do not feel exposed to the problem
(Eliezer, Major, & Mendes, 2010; Harrell, Hall, & Taliaferro, 2003; Paradies, 2006). In a
pioneering domestic violence study by Richard Gelles, the research found that the relationship
between women’s income and violence found that the fewer resources that a woman had when in
an abusive relationship, the less likely she was to leave (1976). In addition to redistributing
resources, policies that aim to help narrow the male-female wage gap also help reduce domestic
violence (Aizer, 2010; Gelles, 1976).
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Women in America are poorer than men in America across all ethnic groups. According
to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau data, 23.6% of Hispanic women fall below the poverty line
compared with 19.6% of Hispanic men; 26.5% of African-American women fall below the
poverty line compared with 22.3% of African American men; 10.7% of Asian women fall below
the poverty line to only 9.7% of Asian men; and 11.6% of white women fall below the poverty
line compared with 9.4% of white men (Cawthorne, 2008). Table 2 shows the breakdown of
women and men living in poverty by ethnicity.

Table 2
Poverty Composition by Gender and Ethnicity
Ethnicity Men living in poverty Women living in poverty
Hispanic 19.6% 23.6%
African American 22.3% 26.5%
Asian 9.7% 10.7%
White 9.4% 11.6%

The economic problems faced by women are reinforced by the gender wage gap. This
gap is one that needs to be addressed in order to end economic poverty for women (Cawthorne,
2008; Pearce, 1978). The U.S. attempted to address this discrepancy, with the enactment of the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This act amended the Civil Rights Act and reinforced the
importance addressing the earnings gap between men and women in this country, when it ruled
that the 180 day statute of limitations surrounding the long-term effects of past pay
discrimination, resets every time a pay check is issued, that is affected by the original
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discrimination (Aiken et al., 2013; Hersch & Shinall, 2015). The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
provides greater historical contact to the problem of the gender gap in technology companies.
Importance of the Evaluation
It is important to evaluate TekNet’s performance in relationship to their goal of
increasing the number of women working at TekNet. The company has committed significant
personnel and resources toward this goal and evaluating the knowledge, motivation and
organizational components that impact the company goal of hiring more women will help the
company identify the strengths and weaknesses in their initiative and allow them to adjust
accordingly and work towards closing the gender gap in their organization (TekNet website).
Description of Stakeholder Groups
The TekNet performance goal of attracting more women to the organization is impacted
by numerous groups which provide an inclusive culture that encourages retention, and helps
women move into leadership roles within the company. Initially there are five primary
stakeholder groups. The first stakeholder group is the hiring managers that are responsible for
hiring new employees to the company. The second stakeholder group is the managers that
encourage retention of employees on their teams. The third stakeholder group is the recruiters
that are responsible for identifying the potential candidates that will be in the candidate pool for
potential hire. The fourth stakeholder group is the leadership team at TekNet. They set the
policy, lead the culture and distribute resources to the organization. In addition, the fifth
stakeholder group is the actual candidates that are applying for positions and moving through the
interview process.
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Stakeholder Group for the Study
Although an analysis of all stakeholder groups would give a more robust and
comprehensive picture of the problem, for practical purposes, this project focuses on the
stakeholder group of the internal recruiting team at TekNet. Recruiters are the individuals that
are on the front line of the problem. They identify the potential pool of applicants and present
them to the hiring managers. The way they do their jobs, what they know, what motivates them
and how they interact with their organizations directly influence the candidate pools that are
developed and hired (Chapman & Rowe, 2002; Kroeck & Magnusen, 1997). The stakeholder
group of focus for this study is the internal TekNet recruiting team.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The purpose of this project is to study TekNet’s recruiting practices as they relate to the
hiring pipeline and the company’s ability to hire women for the organization and work toward
closing the gender gap at their organization and the larger problem of practice of the gender gap
in the technology industry in the United States. The analysis focuses on the assets and needs of
successful recruiters, per the research literature, in the areas of knowledge, motivation, and
organizational resources. As such, the questions that guided the evaluation study are the
following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation and organizational barriers/assets related to the
TekNet recruiting team achieving the organizational goal of closing the gender gap?
2. What recommendations, based on the current knowledge, motivational and
organizational resources of the recruiters, could help the organization close the hiring
gap?
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Methodology/Framework for the Project
Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis, a systematic, analytical method that helps to
understand organizational goal achievement, was adapted to the study and implemented as the
conceptual framework. This project used methods for data collection. The study looked at the
recruiting team’s assets and needs in the areas of knowledge, motivation and organizational
resources. The recruiters’ assets were studied by conducting surveys, document analysis, and
interviews.
Organization of the Dissertation
This dissertation consists of five chapters. This first chapter provided the reader with an
overview of the problem and roadmap of what the study addressed. The chapter introduced
TekNet and their performance goal of increasing the number of women that work at the company
as it relates to the larger problem of practice of the gender gap in the technology industry was
introduced. Chapter 2 provides a review of the current literature on the possible causes for the
problem of the gender gap. This chapter also looks at the knowledge, motivation and
organizational influence related to the problem. Chapter 3 details the interview protocols that
were used for the project and the data collection and analysis process. Chapter 4 presents the
results of the data that was collected and Chapter 5 presents proposed solutions and a plan for
implementation and evaluation.

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter provides a review of the literature that identifies some of the contributing
factors that impact recruiters’ ability to attract and hire female employees at TekNet. The
purpose of this study was to look at recruiting practices as they relate to TekNet’s ability to build
a pipeline and hire women for the organization. The first section briefly focuses on the
background of the problem to provide context as to the underlying challenges that the recruiting
team face as they try to recruit female talent. The following sections look at the knowledge,
motivation and organizational factors that relate to recruiting women at TekNet, which occur in a
context of the hiring pipeline. The hiring pipeline is made up of the group of candidates that the
recruiting team has identified and evaluated as potentially having the knowledge; skills and
background that the company needs to fill both current and future open positions (Moore, 2000).
Much of what happens in that pipeline before the recruiter gets involved is due to complex
socialization impacts.
This chapter looks at the literature’s discussion of factors contributing to gender
inequality in the technology industry, specifically identifying the knowledge, skills and
organizational factors that impact recruiters in attracting the limited number of qualified female
candidates in the applicant pool for positions in the technology industry (Crombie, Abarbanel, &
Anderson, 2000; Naizer, Hawthorne, & Henley, 2014). The choices, decisions and behaviors of
recruiters are part of the longer pipeline of hiring women into technology companies. The second
section focuses on organizational recruiting and retention challenges companies face in hiring
women (Barnes, 2015; Brown & Yoshioka, 2003; Duvivier & Narcy, 2015; Gafni & Siniver,
2015). The first section describes, briefly, the hiring pipeline, including effects of socialization
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and a small or limited candidate pool. The next section describes the recruiting and retention
challenges influencing the recruiters at TekNet, examined through the lens of the Clark and Estes
(2008) knowledge, motivation and organization model.
Context of Technology Hiring: The Pipeline
The under-representation of women in tech fields is a complex problem that has many
contributing factors. This section looks at the hiring pipeline and gender-based socialization as
they relate to the knowledge motivation and organizational challenges recruiters face in hiring
women in technology companies. The effects of gender socialization, gender stereotyping, and a
hostile environment in the classroom and workplace (Hall & Sandler, 1984) all contribute to the
small number of women that have the skills recruiters are looking for (Sadler, Sonnert, Hazari, &
Tai, 2012) when trying to fill their pipelines and hire for open positions in the technology
industry.
Gender-Based Socialization
Gender based socialization is the idea that society has differing attitudes and expectations
for boys and girls. It is the idea that society expects boys to take on masculine characteristics and
roles society expects girls to take on female characteristics and roles. Gender based socialization
is thought to affect the types of activities they participate in and ultimately the types of jobs they
gravitate towards. Socialization is part of a lifelong process of one generation passing on, or
socializing the next generation (Bornstein, Mortimer, Lutfey, & Bradley, 2011). The context of
early socialization relies heavily on the family unit where parents act as role models for children.
Beginning in childhood and encompassing everything from style of play to selection of work
activities as an adolescent (Lawson, Crouter, & McHale, 2015), every aspect of a child’s life is
influenced by gender based socialization that typically begins in the home (Bornstein et al.,
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2011; Lawson et al., 2015; Lever, 1978). Studies suggest that a mother’s career choice has a
significant impact on her children’s career choices later in life. Particularly with girls, the level
of a mother’s career has a significant impact on a child’s development of self and view on their
ability to be successful in non-traditional female careers and roles (Fiebig & Beauregard, 2011).
Gender based socialization has a direct impact on career and educational choices that girls make.
Gender stereotyping. Educational and career choices are in many cases impacted by
gender stereotyping at a young age in relation to the types of toys children are encouraged to
play with, and behaviors that are encouraged and rewarded (Lever, 1978; Robinson & Morris,
1986). Studies suggest that gender stereotypes play a significant role in educational and
occupational choices and that gender stereotypes influence women more than they do men
(Gadassi & Gati, 2009). Children tend to classify occupations into masculine and feminine
categories at a very young age and the classifications tend to fall into the same basic categories
that adults associate with each gender (Gadassi & Gati, 2009; Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek,
2008). During the socialization process, parents, school, and the media tend to steer children
towards gender appropriate roles and careers (Fitzgerald, Fassinger, & Betz, 1995; Gadassi &
Gati, 2009; Zide, Elman, & Shahani-Denning, 2014).
Career and educational choices. For recruiters to recruit and hire more women into tech
positions they need a pool of qualified female applicants. That pool is limited due to the lack of
women with the technical skills and knowledge for the jobs. One factor contributing to the
problem of the small female candidate pool is that female students enroll in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) courses at a lower rate than male students, making
them less prepared for jobs in the technology sector than their male counterparts (Crombie et al.,
2000; Naizer et al., 2014; Sadler et al., 2012). There are a variety of reasons why we see fewer
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girls and women enrolling in STEM programs, such as gender stereotyping, stereotyping and the
classroom climate, gender socialization and career priorities and stereotype threat which will be
discussed in the next section.
Stereotyping and classroom climate. Stereotyping plays a significant role in the climate
girls face in the classroom (Hall & Sandler, 1984; Sandler & Hall, 1986). Research indicates
that female students are treated differently than their male counterparts at every level of
education, beginning in elementary school and carrying through college, graduate and all
professional schools. The seminal study by Hall and Sandler (1984) on the chilly climate female
students experience in school identified several concepts and suggested that men tend to favor
male students over female students. This bias is significant because currently there are
disproportionately more male professors than female professors at the upper levels of education
(Newman, 2014). The chilly climate study also uncovered the premise that instructors tend to
talk more to male students and ask higher-level questions of boys than girls in the classroom
environment. They tend to make eye contact with male students more than female students as
well. Teachers tend to call on boys more than girls and call on them by name. The study also
identified that teachers tended to praise boys for intellectual quality while praising girls for the
neatness of their work (Hall & Sandler, 1984). The authors assert that small inequities that begin
in the school environment transfer unconsciously to the work environment (Hall & Sandler,
1984; Sandler & Hall, 1986).
Traditional female dominated fields include secretaries and administrative assistants,
elementary school teachers, registered nurses and customer service representatives (USBLS,
2012). Women today earn less than men do across virtually all job categories and female
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dominated occupations have overall lower total earnings that male dominated fields (Hegewisch
& Hudiburg, 2014).
In a study of 6,000 students from 34 colleges, males showed a greater interest in
engineering and women showed greater interest in healthcare. In this study, males’ interest in
STEM programs remained relatively constant throughout high school with an interest rate of
39.5% in the first year and 39.7% upon graduation. However, female interest declined from
15.7% to 12.7% during that same time period (Sadler et al., 2012). The low interest shown by
female students leading to lower numbers of females enrolling in STEM courses is one of the
factors that contribute to the problem of the gender gap in hiring and earnings in technology
companies, because this leads to fewer women having the skills needed to secure employment in
the technology field. This directly impacts the candidate pipeline recruiters must pull from when
hiring.
Gender socialization and career priorities. Career related behavior demonstrates the
impact of gender socialization. Women and men tend to develop different career priorities, make
different educational and career choices and have different pre-career salary expectations. The
choice and expectation gap is significant because individuals make career choices and negotiate
salaries based on expectations and these impacts long term earning potential (Schweitzer, Lyons,
Kuron, & Ng, 2014; Zafar, 2013). The social incentives and rewards women target are different
than those targeted by men. It is not that women inherently choose anything different but rather
is the effect of gender socialization, which begins in childhood that impacts their decisions and
choices (Lever, 1978; Robinson & Morris, 1986).
Stereotype threat. One of the factors that speak to women’s difference in career choice
as compared to men could tie to the concept of stereotype threat. Stereotype threat addresses the
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concept that individuals that are a part of a group that has common stereotypes associated with it
often buy into those stereotypes without realizing it and question their own abilities in the areas
that are negatively related to the stereotype (Appel, Kronberger, & Aronson, 2011; Schmader,
2002; Steele & Aronson, 1995). The possibility of contributing to a negative stereotype of a
group that one is a member of can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The hypothesis of
stereotype threat identified by Steele and Aronson suggests that performance suffers when
members of a group feel performance anxiety around contributing to the negative stereotype of
that group (1995). This study provided evidence that social identity and individual performance
are linked. It is important to note that the fear of contributing to a stereotype is as problematic as
the fear of self-confirmation of the stereotype (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Under this theory,
stereotypes about women’s interests and abilities perpetuate the shortage of women entering the
technology field.
The combination of the various factors discussed above all contribute to the shortage of
women that recruiters have access to in their pipelines of candidates for jobs in the technology
industry. The purpose of this study will be to identify what recruiters need to know, believe, and
have in place at their organization in order to recruit women and to help close the gender gap at
their company.
Table 3 summarizes key literature on career and educational choices, and gender
stereotypes discussed thus far in this chapter. The literature provides general background
information on the possible causes for the gender gap in the technology industry which impact
the candidate pipeline recruiters must work with when hiring. Having a general understanding of
the contributing factors provide context around the deep-rooted challenges faced by recruiters in
closing this gap.
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Table 3
Background Factors Contributing to the Gender Gap
Factor Selected Citations
Gender based socialization Bornstein et al. (2011), Fiebig and Beauregard
(2011), Lawson et al. (2015), Lever (1978)
Career & educational choices
Female students tend to enroll in STEM
programs at a lower rate than their male
counterparts
Crombie et al. (2000), Naizer et al. (2014),
Sadler et al. (2012)
Gender stereotyping in educational
choices
Gadassi and Gati (2009), Hartung et al. (2008),
Lever (1978)
The impact gender socialization has on
the shortage of women in the candidate
pipeline for technology jobs
Fitzgerald et al. (1995), Gadassi and Gati (2009),
Zide et al. (2014)
Gender stereotyping and classroom
climate
Hall and Sandler (1984), Sandler and Hall (1986)
Differences in career priorities Schweitzer et al. (2014), Zafar (2013)
Stereotype threat Appel et al. (2011), Schmader (2002), Steele and
Aronson (1995)

Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Factors
This second section will focus on the organizational challenges related to hiring and
retaining women in technology companies, through the lens of the Clark and Estes gap analysis
components of knowledge, motivation and organization (2008).
Knowledge
This section focuses on knowledge related influences. It first defines the four types of
knowledge and then looks at how each type relates to stakeholder goal of hiring a diverse
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workforce. The stakeholders are the recruiters and there are numerous tools and procedures that
they need knowledge of to attract candidates in general and specifically women. Krathwohl
(2002) identified four types of knowledge that will be addressed in this chapter: factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Factual knowledge and conceptual knowledge are
usually discussed together as declarative knowledge, or what someone needs to know. Factual
knowledge is the actual knowledge that individuals need to know to do the job, the terminology,
specific details and elements. Conceptual knowledge is the relationship between the various
components. Conceptual knowledge uses the relationships between concepts and information to
organize them in a way that makes the information usable. Procedural knowledge is an
understanding of how to do something or how to get something accomplished. Furthermore,
metacognitive knowledge is a self awareness and understanding of the role every recruiter plays
in the process recruiting a diverse workforce (Krathwohl, 2002).
Factual knowledge influences.
Recruiters need the factual knowledge of the various elements that contribute to a strong
employment brand, the business goals and hiring priorities of their organization and of what
innovative sourcing techniques are that help build candidate pools.
Recruiters need to know what employment branding is and the different components
that contribute to a strong female friendly brand. A company’s strategic efforts to position
itself as an appealing place to work and to shape the perceptions of both potential and current
employees is known as employment branding. It is usually an effort that is a combination of
human recourse management and marketing (Batta, 2016). Company websites and electronic
bulletin boards and social media convey an organization’s reputation. Key components of a
strong employment brand are showcasing the important differentiators of the organizations and
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25
positively depicting what it is like to work for a particular company (Kumudha & Priyadarshini,
2016). Employer brand and employer attractiveness are key elements that potential employees
look at when evaluating companies (Gatewood, Gowan & Lautenschlager, 1993; Wilden,
Gudergan, & Lings, 2010). Female candidates look for flexibility and paid leave, female role
models and mentors, opportunities for advancement and meaningful work (Lockwood & Ansari,
1999). Showcasing these types of programs and initiatives help build a female friendly
employment brand. The knowledge of employment branding elements are an important tool that
recruiters need to know about in order to effectively hire women for the organization.
Recruiters need to know the business goals and hiring priorities of their organization.
TekNet has a publicly stated goal of hiring more women for the organization (TekNet website)
and although they have not stated publicly the specific numbers they are aiming for, it is
important for the recruiters to know the company goal. Recruiters should be aware that the hiring
priorities of the company are to hire a diverse workforce and that includes hiring more women
(Teknet website).
Recruiters need to know innovative sourcing techniques in order to build candidate pools
of women. Recruiting women in the technology industry can be more difficult than recruiting
men because recruiting is more labor intensive when applicant pools are limited (Gibson, 2015).
The use of innovative sourcing techniques such as social media and diversity messaging both
contribute to efficiently and effectively recruiting diverse talent (Cable & Yu, 2006; Uggerslev,
Fassina, & Kraichy, 2012). Mobile apps and video interviewing also give companies an edge in
competitive job markets (Chapman & Rowe, 2002). Recruiters need to have up to date
knowledge of the latest trends in order to be relevant and attract the best talent.
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Conceptual knowledge influences. In additional to factual knowledge of the company’s
business goals and components of employment branding, recruiters need the conceptual
knowledge of the relationship between the company’s business goals and the steps they need to
take to reach those goals. They need to know that the relationship between the candidate and the
experience they have during the recruitment process impacts the likelihood that the candidate
will accept a position if one is offered. Recruiters also need an understanding that strong female
friendly employment brand and can have a positive impact on building a pipeline of female
candidates.
Recruiters need the knowledge of the impact candidate experience has on hiring.
Multiple candidate touch points during the recruitment process increase the candidate level of
engagement and increase the overall candidate hiring experience. Candidates view competence
and trustworthiness of the recruiting team as important factors in choosing a company (Barber &
Roehling, 1993). Candidates tend to attribute the treatment they experience during the
recruitment process as an indication of what it will be like to work for a company. If they have
the perceptions of fair treatment in the interview process that translates to their perception of
potential fair treatment as an employee (Chapman & Rowe, 2002).
Recruiters need the knowledge of the importance of a strong female focused
employment brand in building a talent pipeline. Companies with a media rich social presence
have a stronger candidate response to recruiter outreach (Allen, Mahto, & Otondo, 2007; Cable
& Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015; Uggerslev et al., 2012). Companies with a strong employment brand
tend to have lower employee turnover, lower cost per hire and a shorter time to fill open
positions than companies with negative or absent employment reputations (Batta, 2016;
Kumudha & Priyadarshini, 2016).
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Procedural knowledge influences. Recruiters need to know how to organize things and
follow processes in order to accomplish their goals (Krathwohl, 2002). The knowledge of the
most effective processes on how to attract, evaluate, and hire for gender diversity is important to
the success of the company goal. When applicant pools are scarce and competition for candidates
is steep, recruiting and outreach become incredibly important (Cable & Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015).
Fostering a perception of the right job and the right fit, recruitment communication by recruiters
and hiring managers, and promoting positive attributes of the company are key ingredients in the
recruitment and hiring of candidates (Allen et al., 2007; Uggerslev et al., 2012). Standardization
of processes, use of recruiting tools, innovative sourcing such as online networking and gender
focused job fairs, are all key to recruitment success.
Recruiters need to know best practices for candidate outreach, interviewing and
candidate management, and use them consistently during the recruitment process. The
coordination of front and back end processes that make for a seamless execution of recruiting
and hiring candidates is imperative when trying to attract hard to find talent (Cable & Yu, 2006;
Gibson, 2015).
Recruiters need to know proper procedures for using recruiting tools. Recruiters need
to know procedures for how to use applicant tracking systems to manage candidates. Business
standardization, applicant tracking systems, and interview scheduling software are tools that are
commonly used for recruiting employees in a timely and cost effective manner (Laumer, Maier,
& Eckhardt, 2015; Lee & Bruvold, 2003). The use of tracking and scheduling tools, result in
shorter recruitment cycle time and lower cost per hire (Kraichy & Chapman, 2014; Lee &
Bruvold, 2003).
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Recruiters need to know how to leverage online social networks such as LinkedIn,
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Social media platforms are key components in most
recruiting campaigns (Ollington, Gibb, & Harcourt, 2013). Employee and professional referrals
garnered through online networking sites offer links to potential candidates and also have the
added benefit of community governance, which puts referring individuals own reputation and
credibility on the line for the candidate they are endorsing (Ollington et al., 2013; Vicknair,
Elkersh, Yancey, & Budden, 2010). LinkedIn is currently considered the dominant player in the
employee recruitment space. Other sites such as Facebook, Glassdoor and niche-specific sites
and blogs provide both companies and individuals greater transparency and provide vast amounts
of data on key stakeholder groups (Ollington et al., 2013).
Recruiters need to know how to participate in gender specific recruiting events.
Participation in gender specific recruiting events demonstrate a commitment on the part of the
company to their diversity initiative and also give the potential employer access to members or
candidates they might not otherwise have access to in the recruiting process (Avery et al., 2013).
This relates to the factors that impact the TekNet recruiter’s ability to build a gender diverse
pipeline.
Metacognitive knowledge. Recruiters need to reflect on their role and evaluate their own
thinking as it relates to challenges in developing candidate pools (Krathwohl, 2002). The
subjective nature of the interview process used in recruiting and hiring opens the door for both
conscious and unconscious bias in the interview process (Gill, 2004; Luzadis, Wesolowski, &
Snavely, 2008).
Recruiters need an awareness of the role their own biases play in building applicant
pools. Are recruiters aware of conscious and unconscious bias and the roles both play in the
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recruiting processes? Do they actively act to counter balance those in the recruitment and
interview process? The perception of how a particular gender should act is prescriptive bias. It is
believed that candidates whose sex is incongruent with the sex-type of a position are not going to
be as successful in that role (Demuijnck, 2009; Gill, 2004). In a well-known series of related
studies, groups of people were asked to evaluate particular items such as resumes and paintings
and gender specific names were arbitrarily attached to each in one group and were switched for
the other group. Individuals consistently evaluated items attached to male names higher than
when attached to female names (Hall & Sandler, 1984). In another study, among board members
at Fortune 500 companies, women tended to view the problem of inequity of gender diversity as
one of stereotyping while men tended to view the problem as a lack of qualified female
candidates applying for open positions (Bear, Rahman, & Post, 2010). These disconnects are
examples of the gap in metacognitive knowledge that can be a problem in hiring a gender diverse
workforce.
Each one of these knowledge types, factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive,
has an influence on the stakeholder goal of hiring more women in the organization.
Table 4 summarizes the knowledge literature discussed in this section.

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Table 4
Knowledge Factors
Factor Selected Citations
Knowledge types Krathwohl (2002)
Factual Knowledge Krathwohl (2002)
Recruiters need to know what employment branding is
and the different components that contribute to a
strong female friendly brand
Batta (2016), Gatewood et al. (1993), Wilden et al.
(2010), Lockwood and Ansari (1999)
Recruiters need to know innovative sourcing
techniques in order to build candidate pools of women
Gibson (2015), Cable and Yu (2006), Uggerslev et
al. (2012), Chapman and Rowe (2002)
Conceptual Knowledge Krathwohl (2002)
Recruiters need to know the impact that candidate
experience has on hiring
Barber and Roehling (1993), Chapman and Rowe
(2002)
Recruiters need the knowledge of the importance of a
strong female friendly employment branding in
building a talent pipeline
Allen et al. (2007), Cable and Yu (2006), Gibson
(2015), Uggerslev et al. (2012), Batta (2016),
Kumudha and Priyadarshini (2016)
Procedural Knowledge Krathwohl (2002)
Recruiters need to know best practices for candidate
outreach, interviewing and candidate management,
and use them consistently during the recruitment
process
Cable and Yu (2006), Gibson (2015)
Recruiters need to know proper procedures for using
recruiting tools
Laumer et al. (2015), Lee and Bruvold (2003),
Kraichy and Chapman (2014)
Recruiters need to know how to leverage online social
networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter
Ollington et al. (2013), Vicknair et al. (2010)
Recruiters need to know how to participate in gender
specific recruiting events
Avery et al. (2013)
Metacognitive Knowledge Krathwohl (2002)
Recruiters need an awareness of the role their own
biases play in building applicant pools
Gill (2004), Luzadis et al. (2008), Demuijnck
(2009)
Awareness of conscious and unconscious biases
around gender roles
Demuijnck (2009), Gill (2004), Luzadis et al.
(2008)
Awareness of the potential impact of gender
stereotyping on the hiring and decision-making
process
Demuijnck (2009), Gill (2004), Hall and Sandler
(1984)
Awareness of conscious and unconscious stereotyping Bear et al. (2010)
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Motivation Types
This section focuses on motivation related influences. It first looks at the motivation
types and then examine how each type relates to stakeholder goal.
There are three types of motivation that are discussed in this chapter; interest, self-
efficacy theory and expectancy value theory. According to Bandura’s social cognitive theory, an
individual’s belief that they can do something, also known as self-efficacy belief, directly
impacts their motivation (Bandura, 1986; Pajares, 2006). Interest, both in terms of situational
and personal interest impact motivation (Bandura, 1986; Pajares, 2006) as does expectancy value
theory in terms of attainment value, intrinsic value, utility value and cost (Eccles, Wigfield, &
Schiefele, 1997). These three types of motivation will be addressed for the stakeholder company.
Self-efficacy theory. An individual’s belief that their actions will have an impact on the
outcome of a situation directly correlates with the effort they put forth (Bandura, 1986).
It is important for the recruiters to feel like they have the ability and tools to recruit
and hire women for TekNet. From a recruiter’s perspective, the belief that they have the ability
to recruit women and help close the gender gap can act as a strong motivation for making the
effort to address gender diversity a priority. Motivated individuals have strong self-efficacy
(Bandura, 1986). The recruiters need to believe that they have the tools and ability to contribute
to the success of their team and the overall success of the company, if they are going to be
motivated to put in the work that is required to find women for open positions when they have a
narrow female candidate pipeline.
Interest. The role of interest in motivation is broken into two types of interest, situation
and personal. Situational interest is what generally catches someone’s attention and personal
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32
interest tends to be what keeps their attention and ultimately motivates them to do something
(Bandura, 1986; Dysvik & Kuvaas, 2008; Pajares, 2006).
Recruiters need to have both situational and personal interest in hiring a gender
diverse workforce. Every hire makes a difference and it is important for recruiters to believe that
they have the ability to hire women for hard to fill roles within the organization. Recruiters also
and need to have the interest and belief that every time they do work to recruit gender diverse
candidates it helps move the needle on the path toward gender diversity in the technology
industry (Gibson, 2015; Knouse, 2009; Nakagawa & Schreiber, 2014; Uggerslev et al., 2012).
Expectancy value theory. There are two basic questions associated with expectancy
value theory, can someone do the task and do they want to do the task? (Eccles et al., 1997).
Recruiters need to believe they have the ability to impact change. The question here is,
do the recruiters believe that executing the recruiting strategies they currently have in place will
enable them to hire more women for the company? Expectancy value theory is related to whether
individuals feel that their effort will control the outcome (Eccles et al., 1997). The best results
are achieved when one is working at something they are interested in, they enjoy what they are
doing, and have positive expectations for the outcome or results.
Table 5 summarizes the motivation theories discussed in this section. The next section
discusses the organizational influence.

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Table 5
Motivation Factors
Factor Selected Citations
Self Efficacy Theory Bandura (1986), Pajares (2006), Eccles et al.
(1997)
Recruiters believe that they have the ability
and tools to hire women for TekNet
Bandura (1986), Pajares (2006), Pintrich
(2003)
Interest Bandura (1986)
Recruiters are interested in hiring women Dysvik and Kuvaas (2008), Pajares (2006),
Gibson (2015), Knouse (2009), Nakagawa
and Schreiber (2014), Uggerslev et al. (2012)
Expectancy Value Theory Eccles et al. (1997)
Recruiters believe that the effort put forth
will bring about the desired outcomes
Eccles et al. (1997)

Organizational Influences
This section focuses on organizational related influences. Organizational influences that
impact a company’s ability to sustain change include effective and efficient processes and
organizational culture and recourses that are aligned with the company’s business goals (Clark &
Estes, 2008). The influences of organizational culture, equal opportunity for advancement,
interesting work, financial security and benefit, strong leadership and communication will be
discussed.
Recruiters need to work in a female friendly organizational culture, that is
accepting and empowering of women, to attract female candidates. Culture is presented to
candidates at various times during the recruitment process. Organizational culture is made up of
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the shared experiences and assumptions within an organization. These common assumptions are
often taken for granted but they are important to understand in order to lead and improve an
organization (Schein, 2010). Organizational culture is the process employees in a company use
to work together to accomplish the company goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). There are three levels
of culture identified by Schein (2010) visible, exposed and underlying.
Recruiters need female-targeted job descriptions and employment branding. The
visible part of an organization’s culture is the first thing that a candidate for employment sees
when evaluating an organization. This level encompasses structure, process and procedures. If
one is external to the organization, much of this information can be surmised from the
company’s media presence. Employment branding which is found on company web pages, and
social media are the first tools that candidates use in making initial crucial decisions in their job
search (Cable & Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015; Uggerslev et al., 2012). This visible level only
scratches the surface of what it is actually like to work for a company and when this is all that a
candidate sees, it is very difficult to get a real feel for the organization.
Recruiters need female-friendly interview teams. The exposed level of organizational
culture encompasses the goals, philosophies and strategies of the organization and leadership and
is demonstrated during the interview process. This level offers a brief insight into the deeper
constructs of the organization (Schein, 2010). This level is exposed to candidates as they move
through the interview process and is revealed through contact that candidates have with the
recruiting and interview teams (Cable & Yu, 2006; Kraichy & Chapman, 2014; Laumer et al.,
2015). The goals and philosophies of the company are tailored in the recruitment messaging to
candidates as part of the recruitment process. (Kraichy & Chapman, 2014).
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Recruiters need a positive work environment for women. The unconscious level of
the company culture is made up of the underlying assumptions of all of the company’s
stakeholders (Schein, 2010). The underlying assumptions level encompasses the deep feelings,
thoughts and assumptions. This level offers the most comprehensive understanding of a company
culture. Many companies today are not only struggling to recruit and hire more women, but they
are also faced with challenges that are calling on them to use imagination to change their
approach to current employees about how they are managed and organized (Dymond, 2014).
Companies need to recruit new employees by offering work environments and benefits that are
attractive to a diverse workforce. Many company programs and human resource development
programs are structured around traditional career models that were originally developed to
support male career progression in the 21
st
century. These traditional job progression models
tend not to align with the complex career patterns that continue to develop for women
(Quesenberry & Trauth, 2007). The type of training and development companies provide along
with the benefits they offer provide candidates an insight into the core commitment a company
has to diversity.
Recruiters need a company that provides equal opportunity for advancement for
women in order to attract female candidates. Women are attracted to companies that offer
interesting work and opportunity for advancement. Demonstrating a clear career path and a
commitment to equal opportunity is a key component in attracting women to organizations.
Women in leadership positions are important for not only the diverse perspective they offer but
also in attracting new employees (Eney, Lazowska, Martin, & Reges, 2013; Quesenberry &
Trauth, 2007). Female candidates tend to value interesting work, security and opportunity or
growth (Thatcher, Dinger, & George, 2012). The presence of female recruiters and females in
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36
executive positions and on the interview panel demonstrate to candidates the company
commitment to equal opportunity and growth within their organizations (Avner, Guastello, &
Aderman, 1982).
Recruiters need TekNet to offer competitive compensation and benefits packages in
order to attract and hire female candidates. Financial security in the form of compensation
and benefits are factors that women are looking for in employment opportunities. Financial
equity as it relates to compensation and flexible works schedules are drivers in attracting
candidates in the recruitment process (Quesenberry & Trauth, 2007).
Recruiters need TekNet to offer flexible work schedules to female candidates to
attract top women candidates. The use of telecommuting and flexible work schedules provide
employees opportunity for greater work life balance while offering companies the positive effect
of increased employee productivity and morale. Flexible schedules signify to employees a sense
of trust from their employer and are attractive to employees because they offer flexibility for
women and men that have complex family demands (Ahmad, 2013; Rau & Hyland, 2002).
Recruiters need a clear commitment from TekNet leadership that demonstrates the
importance they place on the organizational goal of hiring more women. Clear
organizational goals that are implemented by leaders set the tone and increase employee
motivation. Mission, vision and values, when clearly communicated to organizations by leaders,
enable growth and change (Clark & Estes, 2008; Coleman, 2013; Cloutier, Felusiak, Hill, &
Pemberton-Jones, 2015; Schein, 2010). Cultural trust of leadership by organizations creates a
corporate culture that attracts highly motivated employees (Clark & Estes, 2008; Coleman, 2013;
Willard, 2012).
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Studies show that companies with strong corporate cultures that offer employee friendly
fringe benefits such as flexible sick leave, help with child care expenses, and employee
development programs see a reduced rate of turnover and are more successful in recruiting
gender diverse workforce (Baughman, DiNardi, & Holtz-Eakin, 2003; Coleman, 2013; Willard,
2012). Companies that offer paternity leave for employees are attractive to female employees
because this benefits shows a commitment on the part of the employer to family friendly policies
(Rege & Solli, 2013; Rehel, 2014). Additionally, the presence of women in senior level positions
within a company demonstrates the company commitment to the advancement of women within
the organization. It also provides a roadmap for advancement as women enter the company
(Avery & McKay, 2006; Lee & Bruvold, 2003).
Table 6 summarizes the organizational theories discussed. Table 7 summarizes the key
knowledge, motivation and organizational factors, discussed above, that were addressed in the
study.
Summary
Chapter 2 identified the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that impact
TekNet recruiter’s ability to build pipelines and ultimately hire women for the organization. The
relationship between the knowledge, motivation and organizational components identified, open
the door to potential tensions between competing forces in the recruitment process. Chapter 3
will explain the conceptual framework of the study, identify key participating stakeholders and
lay out the data collection process. The interview procedures and questions will be discussed and
analysis of the data collection will be explained.

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Table 6
Organizational Theories
Factor Selected Citation
Organizational Influences Clark and Estes (2008)
Recruiters need a female-friendly organizational
culture in order to recruit women
Clark and Estes (2008), Schein (2010)
The role of visible beliefs and messaging provided
by the company
Cable and Yu (2006), Gibson (2015), Schein
(2010), Uggerslev et al. (2012)
The role of exposed beliefs Cable and Yu (2006), Dymond (2014),
Kraichy and Chapman (2014), Schein (2010)
Underlying belief and policies and procedures Dymond (2014), Schein (2010), Quesenberry
and Trauth (2007)
Disconnect between the traditional career model
structure and women’s current day complex career
trajectory
Quesenberry and Trauth (2007)
Recruiters need a company that provides equal
opportunity for women
Eney et al. (2013), Quesenberry and Trauth
(2007)
Recruiters need TekNet to provide competitive
compensation for women
Quesenberry and Trauth (2007)
Recruiters need TekNet to provide flexible work
schedules
Ahmad (2013), Rau and Hyland (2002)
Recruiters need a clear commitment from TekNet
leadership
Clark and Estes (2008), Cloutier et al. (2015),
Schein (2010)
Corporate culture, employees friendly benefits and
employee development programs demonstrate
commitment by company leadership to employees
Baughman et al. (2003), Coleman (2013),
Willard (2012)
Paternity leave demonstrates commitment to
family friendly policies
Rege and Solli (2013), Rehel (2014)
The presence in senior level positions demonstrate
leadership opportunities for women and provide a
roadmap for female growth opportunities
Avery and McKay (2006), Lee and Bruvold
(2003)

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Table 7
Factors Addressed in the Study
Factor Selected Citations
Knowledge Factors (Recruiter’s knowledge of:)
Factual Knowledge
Employment branding Batta (2016), Gatewood et al. (1993), Wilden et al.
(2010), Lockwood and Ansari (1999)
Innovative sourcing techniques Gibson (2015), Cable and Yu (2006), Uggerslev et
al. (2012), Chapman and Rowe (2002)
Conceptual Knowledge
Importance positive candidate experience Barber and Roehling (1993), Chapman and Rowe
(2002)
Importance of female friendly employment branding Allen et al. (2007), Cable and Yu (2006), Gibson
(2015), Uggerslev et al. (2012), Batta (2016),
Kumudha and Priyadarshini (2016)
Procedural Knowledge
Standardization of processes Cable and Yu (2006), Gibson (2015)
Proper use of recruiting tools Laumer et al. (2015), Lee and Bruvold (2003),
Kraichy and Chapman (2014)
Procedures for online networking and data
transparency
Ollington et al. (2013), Vicknair et al. (2010)
Use of job fairs and recruiting events in building a
talent pipeline
Avery et al. (2013)
Metacognitive Knowledge
Conscious and unconscious bias Gill (2004), Luzadis et al. (2008), Demuijnck (2009)
Awareness of one’s biases around gender roles Demuijnck (2009), Gill (2004), Luzadis et al. (2008)
Awareness of the potential impact of gender
stereotyping in the hiring and decision-making
process
Demuijnck (2009), Gill (2004), Hall and Sandler
(1984)

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Table 7, continued
Motivation Factors (Do Recruiters have:)
Self Efficacy
Belief that they have the ability to recruit diverse talent? Bandura (1986), Pajares (2006), Pintrich (2003)
Interest
Interest in hiring women for TekNet? Dysvik and Kuvaas (2008), Pajares (2006),
Gibson (2015), Knouse (2009), Nakagawa and
Schreiber (2014), Uggerslev et al. (2012)
Expectancy Value
Belief that the effort put forth will bring about the
desired outcomes?
Eccles et al. (1997)
Organizational Factors
Culture
Does the company have a female friendly organizational
culture recruiters need in order to recruit women?
Clark and Estes (2008), Dymond (2014), Schein
(2010), Quesenberry and Trauth (2007)
Are there programs in place to address the disconnect
between the traditional career model structure and
women’s current day complex career trajectory?
Quesenberry and Trauth (2007)
Does the company provide equal opportunity for
women?
Eney et al. (2013), Quesenberry and Trauth
(2007)
Does the company provide indicators of the company’s
commitment to equal opportunity and growth?
Avner et al. (1982)
Does the company offer competitive compensation for
women?
Quesenberry and Trauth (2007)
Doe the company provide flexible work schedules? Ahmad (2013), Rau and Hyland (2002)
Do recruiters have a clear commitment from leadership
that hiring women is a priority?
Clark and Estes (2008), Cloutier et al. (2015),
Schein (2010)
Does TekNet have a corporate culture that provides
employees friendly benefits and employee development
programs demonstrate commitment by company
leadership to employees?
Baughman et al. (2003), Coleman (2013), Willard
(2012)
Does TekNet offer paternity leave which demonstrates
commitment to family friendly policies?
Rege and Solli (2013), Rehel (2014)
Does TekNet have women in senior level positions
which demonstrate leadership opportunities for women
and provide a roadmap for female growth opportunities?
Avery and McKay (2006), Lee and Bruvold
(2003)

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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this evaluation study was to look at knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences on recruiters that impact the gender gap at TekNet (Clark & Estes,
2008). The researcher examined the problem from the perspective of the recruiting team and the
challenges they face in recruiting and hiring women into the company. The questions that guided
this study are the following:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation and organizational assets/barriers related to the
TekNet recruiting team achieving the organizational goal of closing the gender gap?
2. What recommendations, based on the current knowledge, skills, motivational and
organizational resources of the recruiters, could help the organization close the hiring
gap?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
A conceptual framework outlines or explains a proposed theory of how relevant elements
support and inform research and include background that is grounded in research, coupled with
one’s own experience and assumptions and which when stitched together, provide a scaffolding
that guides a research project (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The problem for this
project is the gender gap in the technology industry and specifically at TekNet. The stakeholder
group that is being addressed is the recruiters at TekNet. Recruiters are the individuals that are
on the front line of the problem. They identify the potential pool of applicants that will ultimately
be hired. The way they do their job, what they know, what motivates them, and how they interact
with their organization, directly influences the candidate pools that are developed and ultimately
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hired at TekNet. This knowledge the individual recruiters have, their motivation and
organizational programs and influences at TekNet work together in influencing the recruiting
practices, of the stakeholder group. If the recruiters have the proper motivation, along with the
tools and knowledge they need to attract women, they should be able to hire more women into
the company and begin to close the gender gap at TekNet.
The various knowledge and organizational influences identified, and the potential gaps in
each, may impact recruiter’s motivation. The tension between competing priorities and
organizational resources directly impact the building of candidate hiring pools.
Assessment of Performance Influences
A combination of knowledge, motivation and organizational influences affecting the
recruiting team were identified in the literature. Factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge
factors were identified (Krathwohl, 2002), as were motivation factors that were related to self-
efficacy, interest and expectancy value (Bandura, 1986; Eccles et al., 1997). The literature also
discussed organizational factors that are related to culture, leadership and communication (Clark
& Estes, 2008).
Knowledge Assessment
The literature identified twelve different possible knowledge types that impact the
recruiter’s ability to recruit and hire candidates for TekNet. These are all displayed in Table 4.
Due to the limitations on time and resources of this study, eight factors have been chosen as most
important to evaluate. These are displayed in Table 8. There were two types that represent the
factual knowledge: employment branding (Batta, 2016), and knowledge of innovative sourcing
techniques (Boudreau & Lawler, 2014; Dhamija, 2012; Thatcher et al., 2012) along with two that
represent conceptual knowledge factors, that the importance of positive candidate experience
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(Barber & Roehling, 1993; Chapman & Rowe, 2002), and the importance of female friendly
employment branding (Allen et al., 2007; Cable and Yu, 2006, Gibson, 2015). These were
assessed through survey questions, interviews and document analysis by asking participants via
survey and interviews to describe how they go about utilizing employment branding, analytics,
sourcing techniques, candidate experience and technology in attracting candidates. The job
postings and job descriptions listed on the TekNet website were evaluated for employment
branding and messaging.
Two types of conceptual knowledge were identified in the literature and addressed
through surveys and interviews: importance of a positive candidate experience (Barber &
Roehling, 1993; Chapman and Rowe, 2001), and the importance of female friendly employment
branding (Allen et al., 2007, Cable & Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015, Uggerslev et al., 2011). The four
procedural knowledge factors that were identified in the literature include: proper use of
recruiting tools (Cable & Yu, 2006; Laumer et al., 2015; Lee, 2011), standardization of processes
(Kraichy & Chapman, 2014; Laumer et al., 2015; Lee, 2011), procedures for using online
networking and transparency (Ollington et al., 2013; Vicknair et al., 2010), and the procedures
for use of job fairs and recruiting events in the recruitment process (Avery et al., 2013). These
were addressed through surveys and interviews by asking participants to describe the type of
recruiting tools they use, the format of their interview process and the make up of the hiring and
interview panels and teams.
The four types of metacognitive knowledge influences that were identified in the
literature were not addressed in this study due to limitations on time and resources. These are all
influences that should be addressed in future studies.

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Table 8
Assessment Tools to Address Performance Indicators
Assumed Influence Assessment Tool
Knowledge
Factual Knowledge
Recruiters need to know what employment branding is and the
different components that contribute to a strong female friendly brand
Surveys, interviews and
document analysis
Recruiters need to know innovative sourcing techniques in order to
build candidate pools of women
Surveys and interviews
Conceptual Knowledge
Recruiters need to know the impact that candidate experience has on
hiring
Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need the knowledge of the importance of a strong female
friendly employment branding in building a talent pipeline
Survey and interviews
Procedural Knowledge
Recruiters need to know best practices for candidate outreach,
interviewing and candidate management, and use them consistently
during the recruitment process
Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need to know proper procedures for using recruiting tools Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need to know how to leverage online social networks such
as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need to know how to participate in gender specific
recruiting events
Surveys and interviews
Motivation
Self Efficacy Motivation
Recruiters believe that they have the ability and tools to hire women
for TekNet
Interviews
Interest Motivation
Recruiters are interested in hiring women Interviews
Expectance Value
Recruiters believe that the effort put forth will bring about the desired
outcomes
Interviews
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Table 8, continued
Organizational factors
Culture
Recruiters need to work in a female friendly organizational culture,
that is accepting and empowering of women, to attract female
candidates
Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need female-targeted job descriptions and employment
branding
Surveys, interviews &
document analysis
Recruiters need female-friendly interview teams Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need a positive work environment for women Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need a company that provides equal opportunity for
advancement for women in order to attract female candidates
Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need TekNet to offer competitive compensation and
benefits packages in order to attract and hire female candidates
Surveys and interviews
Leadership and Communication
Recruiters need TekNet to offer flexible work schedules to female
candidates to attract top women candidates
Surveys and interviews
Recruiters need a clear commitment from TekNet leadership that
demonstrates the importance they place on the organizational goal of
hiring more women
Surveys and interviews

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Motivation Assessments
The literature identified three motivation influences, which are listed in Table 8. One
influence identified represents an issue of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986): do recruiters believe
have the ability to recruit and hire women? (Cable & Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015; Uggerslev et al.,
2012). One issue addressed interest (Bandura, 1986): do the recruiters have an interest in making
a difference (Gibson, 2015; Knouse, 2009; Nakagawa & Schreiber, 2014) and one issue
addressed expectancy value (Eccles et al., 1997): do the recruiters believe that the effort they put
forth will bring about the desired outcomes? (Cable & Yu, 2006; Eccles et al., 1997; Gibson,
2015; Uggerslev et al., 2012). These were addressed through interviews with the TekNet
recruiting team in which questions about the recruiter’s belief in the importance of recruiting a
diverse workforce, their belief in their ability to attract diverse candidates, their interest in
making a difference and their belief in their ability to impact change. These are displayed in
Table 8.
Organization Influences
The literature identified eight organizational influences which may impact TekNet’s
ability to recruit and hire women at their organization. These influences represent organizational
culture issues: underlying belief/policies and procedures needed to attract women (Dymond,
2014; Schein, 2010; Quesenberry & Trauth, 2007), programs to address the disconnect between
traditional career structure and women’s current complex career trajectory (Quesenberry &
Trauth, 2007), indicators of the company’s commitment to equal opportunity and growth for
women (Eney et al., 2013; Quesenberry & Trauth, 2007), interesting work and security for
women (Thatcher et al., 2012), equal pay for equal work (Quesenberry & Trauth, 2007), and
flexible work schedules (Ahmad, 2013; Rau & Hyland, 2002). These were addressed through
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surveys and interviews with questions asking about the company culture and the programs and
initiatives the company offers, specifically around the issues of career trajectory, commitment to
equal opportunity and growth for women, interesting work and security for employees, equal pay
and flexible schedules. Three influences represent organizational leadership and communication:
corporate culture and the type of benefits and development programs the company offers
(Baughman et al., 2003; Coleman, 2013; Willard, 2012), policies that demonstrate a commitment
to family friendly policies (Rege & Solli, 2013; Rehel, 2014), and women in senior level
positions demonstrating leadership opportunities and a roadmap within the company (Avery &
McKay, 2006, Lee & Bruvold, 2003). These were also addressed through surveys and interviews
with questions asking about the company benefits, development programs offered, family
friendly policies and women in leadership at TekNet. These are displayed in Table 8.
The recruiter’s knowledge and motivation along with the organizational influences all
overlap and influence the recruiting of women in this conceptual framework.
Participating Stakeholders and Data Collection
For the purposes of this project, the stakeholder group consists of recruiters at TekNet.
Three types of data collection were utilized, surveys, interviews, and document analysis. Surveys
were sent to the recruiting team at TekNet and were used to measure the knowledge that the
recruiting team has in relation to the industry best recruiting practices for attracting and hiring
candidates. A copy of the survey is attached in this document as Appendix B. Surveys provide a
quantitative analysis of the information that was gathered from the recruiting team and help to
guide the interview questions that were used (Creswell, 2014; Fink, 2015). Interviews were
conducted with members of the recruiting team to seek to understand the motivational factors
that influence the recruiting team at TekNet in working to attract and hire women. A copy of the
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interview questions is attached in this document at Appendix C. Interviews are a tool that is used
to gain information on feelings and worldview (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).
Finally, document analysis was utilized in the form of evaluating Job Descriptions found on the
company website and on the recruiting platform LinkedIn. These types of public records provide
ready-made data points that will add to the richness of the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015;
Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2013). Using three different types of data collection allowed the
researcher to triangulate emerging data and substantiate findings (Miles et al., 2013).
Recruitment
The participants that were recruited for this study are members of the internal TekNet
recruiting team. These individuals are located around the county in various on-site and virtual
offices. There are approximately 100 members of the recruiting team and all were invited to
participate in the study.
Surveys. For this study surveys were sent to all of the recruiters on the internal TekNet
recruiting team. By inviting the full team to participate in the survey the researcher adds
credibility to the data and can be confident that the study is representative of the team (Fink,
2015). A request to participate was sent via email and included a link to a questionnaire in
Survey Monkey, an online tool, which enables participants to take the survey anonymously. A
link to the survey, developed in Survey Monkey, was included in the email to make it easy for
the participants to respond and participate. The email conformed to USC’s IRB guidelines (UP-
16-00693) and two email requests were used as necessary. An initial email was sent including a
link to the survey and since the participation rate was low, two weeks after the initial email was
sent, a second email, also containing a link to the survey, was sent to all of the recruiters on the
team.
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Interviews. A follow up email was sent to all of the 100 TekNet recruiters asking them to
participate in a one hour interview. Eight recruiters agreed to participate in phone interviews.
Instrumentation
Surveys. The questions for the survey focused on the knowledge and organizational
factors that were identified and discussed earlier in the chapter and are listed in Appendix B.
The survey consisted of 20 questions and was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
at the University of Southern California (USC) prior to the survey being administered (UP-16-
0093). The survey was confidential and no identifiable demographic items were asked. The
survey was also completely voluntary. A copy of the survey protocol is attached in Appendix B.
As stated, an email with a link to the survey was sent to each participant. Each survey
was filled out by the participating recruiter on their personal computer and the survey took
approximately 10 to 20 minutes to complete.
Interviews. For this study, qualitative interviews were conducted with a random sample
of 8 recruiters on the TekNet recruiting team. The questions focused on motivational influences
and issues, identified from the literature discussed in Chapter 2 and enumerated in Appendix C,
of the internal TekNet recruiting team around attracting and hiring female candidates at TekNet.
The only way to get good data is to ask good questions (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).
The format of the interviews was semi-structured using a mix of structured and
unstructured questions (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The interviewer had a list of
detailed questions that they used to guide the semi-structured interview. The interview protocol
is provided in Appendix C. The interviews were conducted by phone and person-to-person,
which is one common type of interview (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The interviews took place
by phone and the interviewer used a conference call line to record the interviews and also took
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notes during the interviews. The researcher asked each recruiter at the beginning of the interview
for permission to record the interview. If the recruiter agreed, the researcher recorded each
interview and transcribe the data after the interview. The researcher also took notes on her
computer during the interview. These notes included observations on tone of voice and other
details that weren’t necessarily picked up in the recording.
Document Analysis. As part of this study, document analysis was conducted. The
researcher evaluated TekNet job descriptions that were available in public online records from
the TekNet website and LinkedIn (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015; Miles et al., 2013).
Job descriptions. A random sample of 50 job descriptions that were posted on the
company website and 25 that were posted on LinkedIn at the time of this study were coded to
evaluate the TekNet employment brand and the types of message they provide candidates about
family friendly benefits, and other issues identified in the literature as important to female
candidates. This document analysis provided an alternate view into the issues of knowledge and
organization that the researcher studied from the recruiter’s perspective. The purpose of
collecting date from various perspectives is to ensure validity and reliability through
triangulation (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015; Miles et al., 2013).
Data Analysis
The data from each survey tool was transcribed when appropriate and coded. Once the
initial coding was done, a code book was created and then the data was cross referenced against
each knowledge, motivation and organizational influence that was identified in the literature
review (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015; Miles et al., 2013). From there, each influence
was either validated, not validated or categorized as needs additional research.
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Credibility and Trustworthiness of Data
Trustworthiness of data and of the entire study is directly tied to the trustworthiness of
the individuals that design and execute a study. The approach to the research, how the data is
collected and how the results are analyzed are directly tied to the overall credibility and
trustworthiness of the project (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). It was extremely important for the
overall success of the TekNet recruiting study that the approach, design, data collection and
analysis all followed USC protocols and that the upmost of integrity was applied to insure the
credibility and trustworthiness of the project. For the purposes of this study, every step was taken
to ensure the credibility of the data that was collected in order to ensure confidence in the
findings. Collecting data from multiple sources and angles was one step that was used in order to
ensure the credibility of the findings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The use of different data offered
the opportunity for triangulation and to collect rich data and assist with ensuring validity of the
study (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell, 2015; Miles et al., 2013).
Compiling an audit trail is another factor that the researcher used to ensure reliability of
the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Audio recordings of all interviews and transcribing them
along with IRB review and approval prior to interviews are steps that established a strong audit
trail for this study. Informed consent was used for this study. The researcher sent an email to the
full TekNet recruiting team inviting them to participate in the surveys and interviews and telling
them about the confidential nature of the data collection and what the data would be used for
moving forward. When recruiters opted into the study this was an act as informed consent.
Role of the Researcher
This is an academic study whose purpose was to evaluate the knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences that impact recruiter’s ability to build a pipeline and hire women for
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the organization. The researcher was an outside evaluator and none of the information gathered
will be used in any way as an evaluation of individual recruiters or the recruiting team’s
performance. Everything that the individuals that were interviewed shared has been and will be
kept in possession of the researcher. General themes and findings that may help the company
improve their performance may be shared with the company, however the recruiters that were
being interviewed will be given the opportunity to review the final report prior to the researcher
sharing it with TekNet.
Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations
Due to the limited time and resources for this study only the total number or women
working at TekNet was studied. In reality the types of jobs women hold, the rate at which they
are promoted, the company climate and other factors are all opportunities for additional studies.
Additionally, only a subset of the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences were
addressed due to the limited time and resources for this study. There are a number of knowledge
and organizational factors that were addressed in the research but not in this study that could be
looked at in future studies to compose a broader picture of the challenges TekNet faces in closing
he gender gap.
Delimitations
The design of this study was to look at the stakeholder group of the recruiting team at
TekNet. There are many stakeholder groups that contribute to the hiring decisions and are
impacted by the recruiting process that ultimately impact the gender gap at TekNet. Looking at
this stakeholder group was one component that affects closing the gap. This study will provide
an indication of where strengths and weaknesses in the recruiting strategy and execution exist.
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Summary
Chapter 3 outlined the procedures and methodology used for this study which included
using surveys, interviews and document analysis. Chapter 4 will present the data that was
collected and discuss the validation process.

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CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge, motivation and organizational
elements as they relate to recruiting practices addressing the gender gap in a technology firm.
This chapter presents data collected that validate or do not validate the assumed causes identified
in Chapter 3 that relate to TekNet closing the gender gap. A combination of qualitative and
quantitative data was collected and analyzed in this study (Maxwell, 2013; Merriam & Tisdell,
2015; Miles et al., 2013). Recruiters at TekNet were surveyed and interviewed and a document
analysis was conducted. Emails with a link to an online survey consisting of 20 questions were
sent to 100 recruiters at TekNet. The survey received a 20% response rate.
The data collection for this project was impacted by industry tensions around gender
diverse recruiting in the technology industry. Just as invitations to participate in the study were
being sent, one very large technology company was sued over wage discrimination. The US
Department of Labor filed a lawsuit in January, 2017 against Oracle, the technology giant,
alleging a “systemic practice” of paying white men more than non-white men and female
employees with the same job titles. The suit also claimed that the company favors Asian
workers in its recruiting and hiring practices for technical roles, which resulted in hiring
discrimination against non-Asian applicants (Fiegerman, 2017). This development had a
chilling effect on recruiters’ willingness to participate in both surveys and interviews. Several
of the individuals that did participate in the study confirmed multiple times that participation
was anonymous (IRB# UP-16-00693).
Eight, one hour long, phone interviews were conducted with TekNet recruiters. Each
interview was recorded and notes were taken by the interviewer during the calls. Once the
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interviews were completed, each recording was transcribed and then coded and analyzed
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Recruiters are referred to using pseudonyms for confidentiality.
Document analysis was conducted on 50 job descriptions posted on the TekNet website and on
25 job descriptions posted on LinkedIn. The results are presented below.
The data presented below are organized by knowledge, motivation and organizational
influence type and, within those categories, by influence, whether a gap was validated or not and
then by instrument. In analyzing the data, influences were considered validated if over 50% of
the data confirmed the gap and it was confirmed by more than one instrument, or if it was
confirmed by over 80% of the data from one instrument. Each influence is categorized as gap
validated, no gap or unable to validate. A validated gap in one of the influences is an indication
that a gap has been found and that the influence should be address in order to enable TekNet to
move towards its goal of hiring a gender diverse workforce. No gap is when the data collected
indicated that things are working and no changes need to be made. Unable to validate is an
indication that not enough data was collected in order to validate or invalidate a gap and that
further study is needed.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Gaps
Validated Knowledge Gaps
Factual knowledge. Data on factual knowledge influences identified in the literature
review were collected and analyzed (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Below are influences where
validated gaps were found.
Employment branding. Gap validated. A combination of data from survey questions,
interviews and document analysis were used to validate the factual gap (Merriam & Tisdell,
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2015) in recruiter knowledge of employment branding that was identified as a knowledge
influence.
Survey results. Three of the survey questions impacted this issue. Question number one
asked, “How often do you use job postings on your company website to attract candidates?”
Question number two asked, “Who writes the job descriptions used for recruiting?” And question
number 13 asked, “How often do you use LinkedIn job posts to attract candidates all relate to
employment branding?”
The data showed that 90% of the respondents said they use job postings on the company
website to attract candidates as part of their recruiting process (survey question 1). Of those
surveyed, 80% use job postings on the company website daily and the other 10% that use them
regularly reported doing so on a weekly basis. Ten percent responded “almost never” on the
survey.
See Figure 1 for values and a visual presentation of results.

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Figure 1. Results of survey question 1

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The surveys found that 57.9% of recruiters write their own job descriptions which are
used to attract candidates (question 3). Additionally, 84.2% of the recruiters surveyed use
LinkedIn job postings to attract candidates on a regular basis (question 13). Of those surveyed
52.6% reported using LinkedIn job posts daily, 5.3% reported using them on a weekly basis and
26.3% monthly. The data show that most recruiters write their own job descriptions and post
them on the TekNet company website and LinkedIn. The fact that recruiters write their own job
descriptions, is important because according to the Academy of Management, job descriptions
are a critical element of employment branding. Employer brand and employer attractiveness are
key elements potential employees consider when deciding to pursue contact with organizations
(Gatewood et al., 1993). Because recruiters write the job descriptions they are in the position to
directly impact TekNet’s recruiting and employment brand. Document analysis of the language
in the job postings provide insight into the type of employment branding used in outreach by the
recruiting team.
See Figures 2 and 3 for values and a visual presentation of the results.

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Figure 2. Results of survey question 3

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Figure 3. Results of survey question 13

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Document analysis. A random sample of 50 job descriptions for software engineer
positions found on the TekNet company website were reviewed and analyzed. Of the job
descriptions reviewed, none included language specifically targeting women. All of the job
descriptions used the same generic boilerplate language about the company. Additionally, 25 job
descriptions for technical positions at TekNet, which were posted on LinkedIn, were reviewed.
None of the job description included language specifically targeting women. Everyone used the
same generic boilerplate language about the company.
Interview results. Eight interviews were conducted and 7 out of the 8 recruiters
interviewed indicated that the job descriptions that they use for recruiting purposes use generic
outreach language and do not target individual groups (female or diversity candidates). One
recruiter explained that, “When I reach out to candidates, I use the same job descriptions when
reaching out to male and female candidates. I don’t know, I just guess that executives are
executives.” She stated that she “treats everyone equally” so she uses the same tools and
outreach copy. Another recruiter explained that job descriptions are evolving. “It used to be a
mess and they are working on organizing them.”
We’ve had a lot of legacy descriptions and things that have been created. A lot of time
they were first created by the hiring manger and then we had somebody come in a couple
of years ago and scrub them. Now what we do is a lot of copying and pasting. We
highlight the technology areas that we are targeting and then use boiler plate info for the
rest of the job posting.
One recruiter seemed frustrated by the branding materials and stated:
Rather than trying to create all this internal documentation to prove to yourselves that you
love various genders and minorities and want them to work with the organization, I think
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that we need to do more gender specific outreach. Recruiters are not necessarily talking
about diversity.
By triangulating the data and looking at the survey results, interview transcripts and
analysis of job descriptions, a gap in recruiter knowledge of employment branding was found.
Innovative sourcing techniques. Gap validated. A combination of data from survey
questions and interviews were used to validate the knowledge gap in this identified influence of
sourcing techniques.
Survey results. Five survey questions addressed innovative and traditional sourcing
techniques. Question number two asked, “How often do you use Snapchat as a recruiting tool?”
Question number five asked, “How often do you participate in speaking engagements and
industry events as part of your recruiting process?” Question number nine asked, “How often do
you blog about company culture and the benefits of working at your company?” And question
number 16 asked, “How often recruiters use Facebook and Twitter as a recruiting tool?” All of
these are considered innovative sourcing techniques. The survey also asked recruiters about the
traditional sourcing method of direct candidate outreach using email. Responses indicated that
84% of the recruiters surveyed almost never use Snapchat as a recruiting tool (question number
2). The data showed 84% of the recruiters participate in speaking engagements and industry
events as part of the recruiting process infrequently (only once or twice a year) or never
(question number 5). The more mainstream social platforms of Facebook and Twitter were
utilized by only 42.1% of those surveyed, monthly or more frequently (question number 16).
Conversely, the traditional recruiting tools of email and LinkedIn InMail outreach were used by
94.8% of those surveyed on a monthly or more frequent basis (survey question number 4).
See Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 for values and a visual presentation of the results.
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Figure 4. Results of survey question 2

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Figure 5. Results of survey question 4

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Figure 6. Results of survey question 5

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Figure 7. Results of survey question 9

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Figure 8. Results of survey question 16

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Interview results. Of the eight interviews conducted with TekNet recruiters, six out of the
eight recruiters indicated that they primarily use email and LinkedIn InMail to contact
candidates. Similar themes emerged across the interviews. One recruiter stated “We rely very
heavily on LinkedIn. Occasionally I will use Google and our internal CRM, but LinkedIn is my
primary tool for sourcing.” Another recruiter stated, “I just like to use email.” Several recruiters
talked about the use of social media in the recruiting process, but did not seem confident in its
use:
Yes, TekNet does have a social media presence but there are so many different areas of
the business and Twitter and Facebook — they are used for so many different things in
the business. That is not something that I personally do in my role.
He also stated “TekNet does have several marketing blogs and social media streams that they use
to attract talent and business, I am not sure what the content looks like and I am not sure if it is
really effective.” Several of the recruiters interviewed mentioned a companywide, one time
social media training that the company provided last year.
The data collected through both the interviews and survey questions revealed that the
majority of recruiters have knowledge of and use traditional recruitment techniques and
platforms such as email outreach and LinkedIn when searching for candidates. Very few have
the knowledge of, or use, innovative sourcing techniques such as outreach using newer social
media platforms like snapchat and twitter.
Procedural knowledge. Data on procedural knowledge influences identified in the
literature review were collected and analyzed. Below are influences where validated gaps were
found (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).
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Standardization of processes. Gap validated. A combination of data from surveys and
interviews were used to validate the procedural knowledge gap in the standardization of
recruiting processes that were identified and discussed in the literature review.
Survey results. Two survey questions applied to this issue. Question number three asked,
“Who writes job descriptions used for recruiting?” And question 16 asked, “How often do you
use Facebook and Twitter as a recruiting tool?” The results of each of these survey questions
varied greatly indicating inconsistent procedures across recruiting teams. Both question three and
question 16 data were discussed earlier in this chapter as they related to employment branding.
The data revealed that there is no standard process, multiple stakeholders write job descriptions:
recruiters, hiring managers, marketing managers and others. The data also indicated that 20% of
recruiters use Facebook and Twitter as a recruiting tool daily and 42.11% almost never use those
tools.
Interview results. Of the eight interviews conducted, 100%, 8 out of 8 talked about and
referenced the lack of standardization across recruiting teams. One recruiter interviewed stated:
As much as I can, I try to push for a diverse hiring panel, which I think is important.
However, you can’t always do that if your hiring manager is pushing you to just get
people in for interviews. Sometimes you just go on a hunch. The process has been a kind
of an amalgamation of sourcing, utilizing market intelligence and doing phone screens. It
is a bit of testing and exploration right now and seeing what works.
Another recruiter stated:
We do have KPIs [key performance indicators] that we are measured against, one being,
did the recruiter present a diverse slate? But the real reason TekNet is so successful is that
even though they are a huge company, they behave like a startup. It really is kind of the
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Wild West in terms of how people get selected at TekNet. It depends on the manager and
how they want it done.
The data from both the interviews and the surveys indicated that there is no standard
process that is used in recruiting for the organization. There is a big variance from one recruiter
to the next and from team to team within TekNet.
Mixed interview panels (female representation) to help offset unconscious bias. Gap
validated. A combination of data from survey questions and interviews were used to validate the
gap in this process of ensuring that candidates are interviewed by a gender diverse panel in order
to help offset unconscious bias in the recruiting process. Two survey questions addressed female
representation to help offset unconscious bias. Question number 12 asked, “What does the
gender make up of your typical interview team look like?” Question 14 asked, “What percentage
of the hiring managers that you have worked with in the past 6 months have been men?” Results
showed that 47.4% of interview teams were primarily male, none were primarily female and
52.6% were mixed (question number 12). Results also showed that, 57.9% of recruiters have
worked with primarily male hiring managers (over ¾) in the past six months (question number
14). See Figures 9 and 10 for values and a visual presentation of the results.

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Figure 9. Results of survey question 12

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Figure 10. Results of survey question 14

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Of the interviews conducted, 6 out of 8 recruiters talked about the lack of diversity on the
interview panels in contrast to the belief that gender diverse panels are important:
I think that people know that it is important to have a diverse interview panel but I can’t
say that we are at 100% on that that yet. But it is encouraged throughout the organization.
As much as I try to push for diverse interview panels, you can’t always do that.
One recruiter that works on the college recruiting team stated:
Interview panels for college recruiting are comprised of individuals that rotate in to make
up a 3-person panel. We have 10 or 12 people in the pool and 3 are women. It is just luck
of the draw who winds up on each panel. We don’t specifically put at least one woman on
each panel. When you get into professional level interviewing you could absolutely send
a female software engineer in and have an all-male interview experience because nobody
paid attention to that.
The data found that while there is some attention given to providing mixed interview
slates for positions, there is no priority placed on providing candidates with a diverse interview
panel. Both interviews and surveys revealed that balanced interview panels are not consistently
provided for male or female candidates interviewing for positions at TekNet.
Non-Validated Knowledge Influence Gaps
Factual knowledge. The following knowledge influences, which were identified in the
literature review, and were explored during data collection using surveys and interviews, were
not validated in these areas (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).
Use of big data and analytics. No gap. Surveys and interviews confirm the use of data
and tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs).
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Survey results. One survey question applied to this issue. Question number seven asked,
“What type of analytics do you track?” The results from this question (Figure 11) indicated that
all the recruiters surveyed track multiple types of analytics which can be used in informing
recruiting strategy. Over 90% of those surveyed track source of hire, 89.47% track time to fill,
78.95% track quality of hire, and 36.84% track cost per hire.

Figure 11. Results of survey question 7

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Interview results. Of the eight recruiters interviewed, six talked about recruiting metrics
and the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as benchmarks against which they are
measured. One recruiter stated “We do have KPIs that we are measured against and they are used
by all of our recruiting teams.”
The results of both the surveys and interviews confirmed the recruiter’s knowledge of
and use of data and analytics in the development and execution of their recruitment strategy. This
resulted in this influence being categorized as no gap.
Importance of positive candidate experience. No gap. Interviews were conducted and 7
out of 8 recruiters referenced the importance of a positive candidate experience in the interview
process. One recruiter stated “Providing candidates with a positive experience when they are
going through the interview process definitely makes a difference on whether they decide to
come to work with us, if we make an offer.” Another recruiter stated “It is important to give
them a positive experience when they are interviewing with us, if we want to hire these women,
as many of the candidates receive multiple offers.”
The recruiter’s knowledge that a positive candidate experience is an important part of the
interview process stands in contrast to the procedural gap that was validated in relation to failing
to consistently use mixed interview panels to help offset unconscious bias. The recruiters may
know about the importance of providing candidates with a positive experience, but they don’t
seem to know what a positive experience is from the point of view of female candidates.
Procedural knowledge. The following procedural knowledge influence, which was
identified in the literature review and explored during data collection, was not validated
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). No gap was found in relation to the use of recruiting tools and
technology. Six out of eight recruiters interviewed referenced applicant tracking systems (ATS)
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and document automation and scheduling tools used by recruiting teams to automate and
streamline the recruiting process.
Knowledge Findings
Knowledge influences identified in the literature review provide a framework for
evaluating recruiting practices at TekNet. There seems to be a disconnect in overall thinking and
execution on the recruiting team. The validated gaps around employment branding, innovative
sourcing techniques and standardization of processes stand in contrast to some of the non-
validated influences. The recruiting team on one hand talked about the importance of candidate
experience, yet also indicated that they didn’t use standardized processes and to ensure that
candidates were interviewed by a gender diverse interview panel. Similarly, gaps in employment
branding and the under-use of innovative sourcing techniques were verified while
simultaneously interview data discussed the key performance indicators that recruiters were
measured against which included providing hiring managers with a diverse candidate slate. They
revealed a clear gap in knowledge. Many recruiters interviewed didn’t seem to know best
practices for targeting women and the procedures they do try to use are implemented
inconsistently across the organization. This disconnect seems present not only in the knowledge
influences, but run throughout the motivation and organizational influences as well.
Results and Findings for Motivation Gaps
Validated Motivation Gaps
Expectancy value. Data on expectancy value motivation influences identified in the
literature review was collected and analyzed. Below is the influence where a validated gap was
found (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).
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Belief that the effort put forth will bring about change. Gap validated. Interviews were
used to validate the gap in this identified motivation influence. The interviews revealed that
87.5% (7 out of 8) recruiters interviewed expressed uncertainty about the probability that their
effort will bring about change. One recruiter stated:
The reality is that it isn’t that we don’t want to hire women, there are just, you know, the
pool of women that are actually qualified for that job is so small. TekNet struggles to hire
women early in their careers (right out of school) and that is the only way to make a
change. That is where TekNet needs to start.
Another recruiter stated:
The challenge in hiring women at a senior level is that sometimes they don’t have a
technical background. And then once they come in, there is a sort of organ rejection.
Employees on their team think, ok, this woman who is my new boss doesn’t have a
comparable PhD from Stanford like I do, so I am not going to respect her. It gets a little
complicated, because I don’t necessarily think that we can bring about change if there
aren’t enough women with the skills that are needed for the positions.
Another challenge identified is:
Qualified woman candidates are in such high demand that they usually have multiple
offers and that is hard for us to compete with. It’s kind of a catch-22, until you have more
women working in the environment, how are things going to shift and how is it going to
change? You need more women so that girls have role models and women aren’t going to
choose to go into the field until they have role models to follow.
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Motivation Influence Gaps Not Validated
Self-efficacy motivation. Data on self-efficacy motivation influences identified in the
literature review was collected and analyzed. Below are the influences.
Skills needed to recruit diverse talent. No gap found. All the recruiters interviewed
stated that they have the skills needed to recruit diverse talent for their organization. One
recruiter stated “I recruit at the executive level and I think that I have the skills and that we have
a commitment from the executive team and that we are able to get the talent we need.” Another
recruiter stated “I took a workshop on how to target using social media, so I am in a really good
place to recruit women even if they are tough to find.” It is important to note the difference
between believing one has the skills (confidence) and actually having those skills. In this case
participants have the confidence but as discussed earlier, do not actually have the right skills.
Belief in the importance of recruiting diverse talent. No gap found. Both survey and
interview results indicated that all of the recruiters believe that recruiting diverse talent is
important.
Survey results. One survey question applied to this issue. Question number six asked “Is
recruiting a diverse workforce a priority for your organization?” All of the recruiters that
responded to the survey (Figure 12) indicated that they believed recruiting a diverse workforce
was a priority for their organization.

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Figure 12. Results of survey question 6

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Interview results. All of the recruiters interviewed stated that they believed that recruiting
a diverse workforce is important and that they believed it was a priority both personally and for
the organization. It should be noted that all participants in this study volunteered to participate
and may be predisposed to the belief that this is an important issue to address.
Belief in the ability to impact/influence change. No gap found. Six of the 8 recruiters
interviewed discussed and expressed belief in their ability to influence change at TekNet. One
recruiter stated “I try to work with my hiring managers and encourage them to consider female
candidates for every position we are looking to fill.” A second recruiter stated, “My hiring
managers usually look at all of the candidates I present, so as long as I have a qualified female
candidate, she will be considered.”
Recruiters demonstrated a belief in their ability to influence the interview teams and all
seemed to have confidence that their hiring managers valued their input.
Interest Motivation. Data on interest motivation was collected and analyzed. No gap
was found. All recruiters interviewed expressed an interest in making a difference and helping to
change the gender landscape in technology through recruiting. One recruiter stated “This is a
really important topic and I am really glad to hear that you are doing this study. Let me know if
there is anything else I can do to help.” Again, this study was voluntary, and by the very nature
of participation, they demonstrated a motivation in working to close the gender gap.
Motivation Findings
Correspondingly, there seems to be a disconnect in motivation findings. Recruiters
indicated a strong belief in the importance of recruiting diverse talent, interest in making a
difference and go as far as to report a belief in their skills and ability to influence change. Yet at
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the same time, there is a validated gap in expectancy value and recruiter’s belief that the effort
put forth will bring about change.
Results and Findings for Organizational Influences
Organizational Influence Gaps Not Validated
The following organizational influences, which were identified in the literature review,
were explored during data collection using surveys and interviews and were not validated in
these areas.
Culture
Policies needed to attract women. Unable validated gap. The interview results indicated
that 100% of recruiters interviewed believed that TekNet has policies designed to attract women.
However, the researcher did not have access to the company’s policies and could not validate the
data through document analysis. This was due to the shift in access to TekNet internal
information that occurred during the course of this project. As seen in the evaluation of the
employment branding materials, it is important to triangulate the data in order to validate a gap,
given the disconnect that has been found between what recruiters have said when asked about
issues and the results that have been found through observations and document analysis.
Programs to address disconnect in career Trajectory. Unable to validate gap.
Insufficient data – need for further study. The researcher did not have access to information on
career path and program information from TekNet that was needed in order to validate or
invalidate this gap. This was due to the shift in access to TekNet internal information that
occurred during the course of this project.
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Indicators of company’s commitment to equal opportunity for women. Unable to
validated gap. Contradictory information gathered during the data collection process made it
impossible to validate or invalidate this issue.
Survey results. 100% of those surveyed stated that recruiting a diverse workforce is a
priority for their company (question 6). See Figure 12 for values and a visual presentation of the
results.
Interview results. In contrast to the survey results, the interviews revealed that there were
not always processes in place to facilitate diversity hiring or clear expectations from the
company leadership that diversity hiring is a priority at TekNet. One recruiter stated “We are
encouraged to present a diverse slate; we should probably also have a diverse interview team”
Another recruiter stated:
Over the past year they have started to put some social media and sourcing initiatives in
place, but they are not universal across teams. Social Talent is a certification program that
has been rolled out but not standardized yet. They are still making course corrections as
they go, but it is a good start.
Interesting work and job security. Unable to validate gap. The researcher did not have
access to internal TekNet work product or turnover data that could have been used to evaluate
this influence.
Equal pay for equal work. Unable to validated gap. 100% of the recruiters surveyed
indicated that TekNet compensates men and women equally. Question 15 on the survey asked,
“When making a job offer, do you (your organization) tend to offer men and women equal
compensation for similar level positions?” However, this could not be confirmed through
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employment data at TekNet, due to a shift in access to TekNet internal information that occurred
during the course of this project.
See Figure 13 for values and a visual presentation of the results.

Figure 13. Results of survey question 15

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Flexible work schedule. No gap found. Results found that 94.74% of the recruiters
surveyed indicated that TekNet offer a flexible work schedule as an option. Question 19 asked
“Does your company offer employees a flexible work schedule as an option?” A total of 94.7%
of the recruiters surveyed indicated that yes TekNet does offer a flexible work schedule?” See
Figure 14 for values and a visual presentation of the results.

Figure 14. Results of survey question 19

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Leadership and Communication. Unable to validate gap. Not enough data was collected.
This was due to the shift in access to TekNet internal information that occurred during the course
of this project.
Corporate culture/benefits/development programs. Unable to validate gap. Not enough
data was collected due to the shift in access to TekNet internal information that occurred during
the course of this project.
Policies that demonstrate a commitment to family friendly policies. Unable to validate
gap. Not enough data was collected due to the shift in access to TekNet internal information that
occurred during the course of this project.
Women in senior leadership. Unable to validate gap. Not enough data was collected due
to the shift in access to TekNet internal information that occurred during the course of this
project.
Organizational Findings
Again, we see a disconnect in our findings. The recruiters surveyed and interviewed
unanimously indicated that they believed TekNet is committed to equal opportunity for women,
that they have policies needed to attract women and that they provide equal pay for equal work.
However, the knowledge and motivational verified gaps indicated that the company does not
ensure that their recruiters have the knowledge of employment branding or innovative sourcing
techniques required to attract female candidates, that they do not have consistent procedures in
place to ensure a positive candidate experience and that the recruiting team doesn’t believe that
the effort that they put forth will necessarily bring about change.
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Summary
A combination of data from surveys, interviews and document analysis were used to
validate the gaps in the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences identified through
the literature review (Clark & Estes, 2008). The factual knowledge gap of employment branding
was validated through surveys, interviews and document analysis (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015).
The knowledge gap in innovative sourcing techniques was validated through surveys and
interviews (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The procedural gap around standardization of processes
was validated through surveys and interviews. The expectancy value motivational influence gap
on the belief that the effort put forth will bring about change was validated through interviews
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). No organizational gaps were validated. The tension that was seen in
the findings between what the recruiters believe and what was validated through observation and
document analysis indicated that the data should not be taken at face value, in instances where
data could not be triangulated. As discussed, in the knowledge, motivation and organizational
findings sections, it is interesting to note that surveys and interviews around organizational
influences indicated the recruiters’ beliefs that recruiting a diverse workforce is important to
TekNet yet there were large knowledge and motivational gaps around exactly how to do that.
The disconnect between the perceived importance the organization places on recruiting a gender
diverse workforce and validated knowledge and motivational gaps provide content for
discussion. Chapter 5 will elaborate on these disconnects and present recommended solutions for
the causes of these validated gaps.

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CHAPTER 5
SOLUTIONS, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
In Chapter 4, the results and findings from data collection were presented in detail. A
combination of surveys, interviews and data analysis were used to answer Research Question 1,
what are the knowledge, motivation and organizational elements impacting the TekNet recruiting
team achieving the organizational goal of closing the gender gap? Five of the influences that
were initially identified in this project through a review a literature were found to have gaps that
could be contributing to TekNet’s shortfall in hiring more women and closing the gender gap in
the organization (TekNet website).
This chapter will answer Research Question 2, what recommendations, based on the
current knowledge, skills, motivation and organizational resources of the recruiters, could help
the organization close the hiring gap? The recommendations discussed in this chapter are based
on knowledge, motivation and organizational influences (Clark & Estes, 2008) that were first
identified in the literature review as impacting recruiting practices. Each of these influences were
evaluated during data collection using surveys, interviews and document analysis (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2015). Several validated gaps were found and recommendations on closing those gaps
are detailed below.
Similar, to the organization of Chapter 4, the recommendations are presented by
knowledge, motivation and organizational influence. The first section offers recommendations
around training, mentoring and the use of job aids. The second section discusses integrated
implementation and evaluation recommendations using the New World Kirkpatrick Model as a
framework (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The recommendations, implementation and
evaluation plans are all closely entwined and designed to work together to support recruiter
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knowledge acquisition, motivational inspiration and organizational alignment and support (Clark
& Estes, 2008; Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The final sections of this chapter will discuss
limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Two factual knowledge gaps were validated during data collection: TekNet recruiters’
knowledge of employment branding and knowledge of innovative sourcing techniques. The
procedural gap around standardization of processes was validated through surveys and
interviews as was the expectancy value motivational influence gap on the belief that the effort
put forth will bring about change. No organizational gaps were validated, however, as discussed
in Chapter 4, there were knowledge and motivational gaps that indicate that although recruiters
stated they believe that recruiting a diverse workforce is important to TekNet, the company
needs to dedicate additional resources and training in order to achieve organizational goal. The
disconnect between the perceived importance the organization places on recruiting a gender
diverse workforce and validated knowledge and motivational gaps move the organizational
influence into the category of needing attention even though a gap was not validated during data
collection.
Knowledge Recommendations
The four knowledge types identified by Krathwohl (2002) of factual, conceptual,
procedural and metacognitive knowledge were analyzed in relation to recruiting practices. Two
factual and one procedural knowledge gaps were validated and prioritized as having an impact
on the stakeholder goal of closing the gender gap. Factual knowledge is the actual knowledge,
the terminology, and specific details and elements, that an individual needs to know in order to
do the job. Procedural knowledge is an understanding of how to do something or how to get
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something accomplished (Krathwohl, 2002). Recommendations in Table 9 are based on
principles impacting those factual and procedural influences. Four types of support are suggested
by Clark and Estes (2008) to help close a knowledge gap: information, job aids, training and
education. Providing information is telling someone something that they need to know in order
to do their job. This is the simplest and most basic form of support. Job aids are slightly more
complex and can take the form of checklists, how-to and processes or formulas to follow to
accomplish a task. Job aids can be used as a supplement to training to remind individuals of
processes or information. Training is a more formal process than simply providing information
and using job tools. It often consists of a formal presentation coupled with opportunities for skills
practice and performance feedback. The most complex form of support is education which
provides learners theories and strategies that can be applied and used in new and complex
situations (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Table 9 provides a list of the knowledge and procedural influences that were first
identified through the literature review and then validated as having a gap through data collection
and analysis. The table provides the knowledge influence, knowledge type, principle related to
each need and a context specific recommendation for satisfying the need. A discussion of the
context specific recommendation based on learning theory and results from this inquiry follow
the table.

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Table 9
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Knowledge Influence
Knowledge
Type Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Lack of knowledge
around effective
employment branding
techniques and the
importance of gender
specific targeting in
the recruiting process.
Factual and
conceptual
knowledge
Managing Intrinsic load
by segmenting complex
material into simpler
parts enables learning to
be enhanced (Kirschner,
Kirschner, & Paas, 2006)
Training. Create one
hour recruitment
informational modules
that provide training for
recruiters on
employment branding
and how to use various
social media platforms.
These will allow
information to be
broken into manageable
chunks.
Job Aids. Develop job
aids to assist recruiters
with social media
content and outreach
processes.
Lack of knowledge
around innovative
recruitment strategies
and best practices
designed to increase
candidate pools.
Factual
knowledge
“Information learned
meaningfully and
connected with prior
knowledge is stored more
quickly and remembered
more accurately because
it is elaborated with prior
learning” (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006)
Training. Create
training exercises that
ask recruiters to link the
new strategies to their
own campaigns that
have been successful in
the past and teach them
how to utilize similar
campaigns on new
platforms for outreach
targeted at women.
Lack of knowledge
around standardized
recruiting processes
which include
consistently utilizing
gender balanced
interview panels.
Procedural
knowledge
“Self-regulatory
strategies, including goal
setting, enhance learning
and performance”
(Dembo & Eaton, 2000;
Denler, Wolters, &
Benzon, 2009)
Job Aids. Develop
check lists that help
recruiters easily follow
recruiting procedures
and track their own
progress.
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Factual and conceptual knowledge solutions. The results of surveys, interviews and
document analysis revealed two factual knowledge gaps. There is a lack of recruiter knowledge
around influences that were identified in the literature review that impact recruiters’ ability to
build a talent pool and hire female employees. The first was effective employment branding
techniques and the importance of gender specific targeting in the recruiting process (Batta, 2016;
Kumudha & Priyadarshini, 2016) and the second gap was around innovative recruitment
strategies and best practices designed to increase candidate pools (Allen et al., 2007; Cable &
Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015; Uggerslev et al., 2012). The surveys and interviews revealed that while
most recruiters write their own job descriptions, none of those surveyed and interviewed
customize their job descriptions to specifically target female candidates. Document analysis
confirmed that of the 75 job descriptions reviewed, none of the job descriptions posted on either
the TekNet website or LinkedIn job board contained language targeting female candidates
specifically. As discussed in the literature review, employer attractiveness and employer brand
are key elements that potential employees consider when deciding to engage with an
organization, with job descriptions being a critical element in establishing the brand (Gatewood
et al., 1993). Companies with strong employer brand tend to fill positions more quickly and key
components of a strong employer brand are showcasing important company differentiators, such
as a commitment to female initiatives (Batta, 2016; Kumudha & Priyadarshini, 2016).
Survey results and recruiter interviews revealed a lack of knowledge around innovative
sourcing techniques and best practices for targeting female candidates. Recruiters reported
minimal usage of innovative sourcing techniques, such as outreach on cutting edge social media
platforms like Snapchat and Twitter. The data revealed that most recruiters use more traditional
forms of outreach such as email and LinkedIn InMail. As discussed in the literature review,
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when applicant pools are scarce and competition for candidates is steep outreach becomes
incredibly important (Cable & Yu, 2006; Gibson, 2015).
These two, factual and conceptual knowledge influences, will be addressed through
recruiter training programs. One strategy for managing intrinsic load in training activities is to
segment complex material into small, simple parts to enable enhanced learning (Kirschner et al.,
2006). With this in mind, trainings will be created in one hour modules that provide information
on employment branding and how to use various social media platforms. One hour modules will
allow for information to be broken down into manageable chunks. Additionally, job aids will be
developed to assist recruiters with social media outreach and content creation. The training
modules which will be addressed in more detail later in this chapter will also contain exercises
that ask recruiters to look at successful campaigns that they have used in the past and teach them
how to utilize similar campaigns on new platforms and with language specifically targeting
women. Information learned meaningfully and connected with prior knowledge is stored more
quickly and remembered more accurately (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Using this approach
should set the stage for effective learning and implementation by the recruiting teams.
Procedural knowledge solution. Surveys and interviews found recruiters have a lack of
knowledge around standardizing recruiting processes which were identified in the literature
review as impacting their ability to build talent pools and hire female employees. One example
of this lack of procedural knowledge was revealed in interviews with recruiters when they were
asked about the use of gender balanced interview panels. According to two of the recruiters
interviewed, this is standard procedure and something that recruiters are measured on. Per four
other recruiters, balanced interview panels rarely happen. One recruiter that works on the college
recruiting team stated “When you get to professional level interviews you could absolutely send
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a female software engineer in and have an all-male interview team because nobody paid attention
to that.” Conversely all the recruiters interviewed talked about the importance of a positive
candidate experience.
As discussed in the literature review, candidates tend to attribute the treatment they
experience during the recruitment process as an indication of what it will be like to work for a
particular company (Chapman & Rowe, 2002; Kroeck & Magnusen, 1997). This disconnect
between the recruiters’ discussion of the importance of a positive candidate experience and lack
of follow through on details such as having an all-male interview panel for a female candidate
when providing a balanced interview panel is supposed to be a standard practice, demonstrates
that the procedures that the teams do have in place are implemented inconsistently across the
organization.
Companies need to have the procedural knowledge of how to organize and follow
processes in order to accomplish their goals (Krathwohl, 2002). The lack of procedural
knowledge will be addressed in both the training modules and through the development and use
of job aids in the form of check lists that will sit on each recruiter’s individual daily dashboard.
Self-regulatory strategies, like using check lists, tend to enhance learning and performance
(Dembo & Eaton, 2000; Denler et al., 2009). By providing recruiters with a job aid and a tool to
enable them to set their own goals and regulate their own performance, recruiters will be able to
easily refer to best practice and procedures and implement them in their everyday work process.
Motivation Recommendations
There are three types of motivation that were evaluated in this study; interest, self-
efficacy theory and expectancy value theory. One gap in expectancy value theory was validated
through data collection and analysis. There are two basic questions associated with expectancy
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value theory: can someone do the task and do they want to do the task? (Eccles et al., 1997). The
gap that was validated through interviews was around the recruiter’s belief that the effort put
forth will bring about change. Table 10 provides the motivation influence, motivation type,
principle related to the need and a context specific recommendation for satisfying the need. A
discussion of the context specific recommendation based on learning theory and results from this
inquiry follow the table.

Table 10
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Motivation
Influence
Motivation
Type Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Lack of belief by
the recruiting team
that the effort put
forth will bring
about change.
Expectancy
value
motivation
Feedback as well as
actual success on
challenging tasks
positively influence
people’s perceptions of
competence (Consiglio,
Borgogni, Tecco, &
Schaufeli, 2016)
Higher expectations for
success and perceptions
of confidence can
positively influence
learning and motivation
(Eccles, 2006)
Develop and implement a
mentoring program matching
junior recruiters with senior
level recruitment managers
that have demonstrated
success in targeting and
hiring female employees.
Set specific, measurable,
agreed upon, realistic and
time bound (SMART) goals
that allow recruiting teams to
experience early success in
the program and positively
influence overall confidence.
Communicating the
expectation and
implementing recruiting
reward and recognition
programs designed to
celebrate incremental
successes in the recruitment
process.
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Expectancy value motivation solutions. Motivation is an intangible construct that
relates to an individual’s willingness to start a task and continue with a task while exerting
enough effort to complete the task (Mayer, 2011; Rueda, 2011). Data from this study revealed
that 87.5% of the recruiters interviewed expressed uncertainty about the probability that their
effort will bring about change. One recruiter stated, “The reality is that it isn’t that we don’t want
to hire women, it’s just the pool of women that are qualified is so small.” This validated gap in
expectancy value motivation will be addressed through mentoring and goal setting initiatives.
Training about implicit bias that the pool is too small, which impacts the outreach and targeting
process, along with unconscious bias which impacts the interview and evaluation process, will be
conducted. These are difficult biases to address because by their very nature individuals are not
aware of having them. One step in counteracting both types of bias is to increase individual’s
knowledge that the biases exist and their potential effect (Kang, 2005; Kang et al., 2012;
Zimmer, 2012).
Since feedback as well as actual success on challenging tasks positively influence
people’s perceptions of competence (Consiglio et al., 2016), a mentoring program will be used to
address the recruiters’ uncertainty about their ability to bring about change. Junior recruiters will
be partnered with senior level recruiters and managers that have a history of demonstrated
success in targeting and hiring diverse candidates. Higher expectations for success and
perceptions of confidence can positively influence learning and motivation (Eccles, 2006). The
mentors will be asked to give recruiters constructive feedback and work with them to set
specific, measurable and attainable goals. As part of this mentoring initiative, a recruiting
recognition program will be implemented. The initiative will be designed to celebrate
incremental successes of individuals throughout the recruiting process.
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Organizational Recommendations
There are three types of organizational influences that were evaluated in this study;
effective and efficient processes, organizational culture, and resources that are aligned with the
company’s business goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). The organizational influences that were
identified in the literature review and evaluated through the research, revealed a disconnect
between what the recruiters said during interviews and the knowledge and motivational gaps
identified during data collection. This led to the suggestion of the following organizational
recommendations. Often times, according to Clark and Estes (2008) stakeholders do not achieve
their goals due to a lack of resources put towards reaching the goal. Resources most often consist
of time and money. Table 11 provides the organizational influence, organizational type, principle
related to the need and a context specific recommendation for satisfying the need. A discussion
of the context specific recommendation based on learning theory and results from this inquiry
follow the table.

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Table 11
Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations
Organizational
Influence
Organizational
Type Principle and Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Lack of commitment,
processes and
resources from
organization to ensure
initiative is successful
Resources and
processes
aligned with
company’s
business goals.
Organizational
culture.
Create an environment
that fosters desirable
behaviors (Tuckman,
2009).
Address the disconnect
by providing resources
to recruiting teams to
help close the
knowledge and
motivational gaps
contributing to the
performance shortfall.
Implement training and
mentoring programs.
Set performance goals
of presenting diverse
candidate pools for
every open position.
Incentivize and reward
results based initiatives
including goals of
presenting diverse
candidate pools and
diversity hiring.
Organizational
performance increases
when top management
is continually involved
in the improvement
process (Clark & Estes,
2008).
Schedule senior
managers and company
leaders to participate in
monthly recruiter
training sessions to
show support and
commitment.

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Organizational solutions. Companies with strong corporate cultures that offer employee
friendly benefits such as flexible sick leave, help with child care expenses, and employee
development programs see a reduced rate of turnover and are more successful in recruiting a
gender diverse workforce (Baughman et al., 2003; Coleman, 2013; Willard, 2012). The
disconnect that was found through data collection reflected a lack of commitment, process, and
resources from the organization to ensure that the TekNet diversity initiative is successful. The
company needs to be sure that resources and processes align with the company’s business goal.
If TekNet is serious about working to close the gender gap, they need to create an environment
that fosters desirable behaviors (Tuckman, 2009). TekNet will provide resource to the recruiting
team to help close the knowledge and motivational gap contributing to the performance shortfall.
The first step is to provide resources to implement training and mentoring programs to help close
the knowledge and motivational gaps identified. Organizational performance increases when top
management is continually involved in the improvement process (Clark & Estes, 2008). With
this in mind, senior managers and company leaders will participate in the lunch and learn
training sessions to show commitment and support. Where appropriate they will also participate
in the mentoring program.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was used as the
framework for creating the implementation and evaluation plan for this study. The original
Kirkpatrick’s four levels (reaction, learning, behavior and results) have been the industry
standard since the seminal publication of Evaluating Training Programs (Kirkpatrick, 1994).
The New World model was published by Kirkpatrick’s son and daughter-in-law in 2016 and
offers a flipped model in which “the end is the beginning” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
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This model suggests the four levels are approached in reverse order with results first and reaction
last (see Figure 15). Level 4 looks at the results of the program and the degree to which the
targeted business outcomes are being met through the initiative. Level 3 looks at behaviors of
participants and the degree to which participants apply what they have learned in the training
once they are back in the workplace. Leading indicators, are short-term observable behaviors that
can be measured and act as a bridge between Levels 3 and 4. Required drivers are identified and
implemented at this level as well and act as an organizational support behavior designed to
strengthen the program. There are four levels of support used in the New World Model:
monitoring, reinforcing, encouraging and rewarding. Learning is the focus of Level 2 and looks
at the degree to which participants acquire new skills and Level 1 evaluates the reaction or level
of engagement participants have to the actual training. The New World Model advocates
constructing the evaluation tools as the training is created in order look at the solutions and
evaluate how they align with the overall organizational goal. This allows for a cascading impact
on the development of the components in Levels 3, 2 and 1 (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Evaluating as programs are implemented, this allows for continuous improvement to be made
and contributes to the overall success of the initiative. Figure 15 provides a visual presentation of
the Kirkpatrick New World Model.

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Figure 15. Kirkpatrick New World Model

Organizational Purpose, Needs and Expectations
The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, motivation and organizational
influences that impact recruiters and their ability to source and hire female candidates at TekNet,
thereby working to close the gender gap that exists within the organization and the overall
technology industry. From the review of literature, the use of surveys, interviews and document
analysis, five key influences were identified as problem areas. The proposed solutions to closing
these gaps include the implementation and use of training programs, mentoring programs and
creation of job aids for the recruiting team. The desired outcome of this proposed solution is to
enable recruiters at TekNet to effectively source, interview, and hire more women into the
organization.
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The four levels of New World Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) and the plan for
implementation follow. We begin with Level 4: Results and Indicators, move to Level 3:
Behaviors, Level 2: Learning, and finally, Level 1: Reaction. This model suggests starting with
the goals of the organization and identifying leading indicators that will act as stepping stones
towards achieving that goal. These short-term observations and measurements indicate the
progress recruiters are making towards achieving the desired outcomes and reaching the overall
TekNet goal of hiring more women.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 12 shows the proposed Level 4 results and leading indicators and details the
desired outcome, metric that will be tracked, and method for collecting data, for both internal and
external outcomes. There are two external and two internal desired outcomes that will result
from the proposed training. The external outcomes are an improved employment brand and
increase in the use of innovative sourcing techniques by the recruiting team. If the external
outcomes are met as expected, this should contribute to TekNet reaching their goal of hiring
more women. The metric that will be used to track improved employment brand is the
company’s rating on great places to work for women surveys. The method for tracking this will
be Glass Door evaluations, Fortune Magazine’s top list and the Great Places to Work annual
survey. The metric that will be used to track an increase in the utilization of innovative sourcing
techniques by recruiting teams will be the number of sources utilized per open position and per
recruiter during the course of recruiting process. This will be tracked on each recruiter’s personal
dashboard.

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Table 12
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Improved Employment Brand Company rating as a great
place to work for women
1. Glass Door Evaluations
2. Fortune Magazine Top
Places to Work for
Women’s List
3. Great Places to Work
Annual Survey
Increase in utilization of
innovative sourcing techniques
by recruiting teams
Number of sources utilized
per position and per recruiter
Recruiter Dashboard
Internal Outcomes
Balanced interview panels Female representation on
100% of interview panels
Evaluation forms
Increase in the number of female
candidates in the talent pool
Number of female
candidates interviewed per
open position
Recruiter Dashboard

The internal outcomes are the consistent use of balanced interview panels and an increase
in the number of female candidates in the talent pool. The metric that will be used to track
female representation on interview panels is 100% representation and the method of tracking this
will be evaluation forms that are filled out by both the hiring manager and candidates after
interviews. These are electronic forms which will be automatically tracked on the recruiter’s
individual dashboard. The number of female candidates in the talent pool for each position will
be tracked through the recruiter dashboard as well.
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Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. Recruiters are the stakeholder group for this inquiry and there are
three critical behaviors that all recruiters will need to exhibit in order to reach to goal of helping
to close the validated gaps in knowledge and motivation that were found through data collection.
The first critical behavior is daily social media engagement; the second critical behavior is usage
of female targeted job descriptions and outreach copy; and the third critical behavior is
adherence to interview guidelines and recruiting procedures. Daily social media usage will be
measured by an increase in the number of followers across all social media sites and will be
monitored on a monthly basis via Hootsuite a social media tracking and scheduling platform.
Recruiter usage of female targeted job descriptions and outreach copy will be measured by the
number and quality of female specific job descriptions and outreach that are sent to candidates.
This usage measurement will be tracked through monthly outreach reports that can be pulled
from metrics available in the recruiting dashboard. Recruiter’s adherence to interview guidelines
and procedures will be tracked through improved scores on KPI evaluations that are filled out by
both hiring managers and candidates. The specifics for each of these outcomes appear in Table
13.

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Table 13
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. Daily social
media engagement
by recruiters.
Increased followers
across all social
media sites.
Use of social media
monitoring platform
Hootsuite to track and
monitor social media
engagement metrics
Monitor
engagement
metrics monthly
2. Recruiter usage of
female targeted job
descriptions and
outreach copy.
Number and quality
of female specific
job descriptions and
outreach sent to
candidates.
Tracking via outreach reports
available through recruiter
dashboard
Monitor
outreach reports
monthly
3. Recruiters
adherence to
interview guidelines
and procedures.
Improved scores on
Key Performance
Indicators around
following recruiting
processes.
Evaluation forms are filled
out by both hiring managers
and candidates and measure
Key Performance Indicators
including presentation of a
balanced slate and utilization
of balanced interview panels.
Review
evaluations as
open
requisitions are
filled and
closed.

Required drivers. Required drivers are an added dimension in the New World Model
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Required drivers offer an added level of support and
accountability to help ensure implementation of the solutions through reinforcing, monitoring
and encouraging participants. Recruiters do not have the knowledge of employment branding,
innovative sourcing techniques or the motivation and organizational support to close the gap on
their own. The required drivers identified will offer support for the recruiters and reinforce what
they have learned in training to encourage them to apply what they have learned. A series of
required drivers will be used to support recruiters and include job aids, weekly manger check in
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meetings, coaching and individual performance incentives. Table 14 details the recommended
drivers to support critical behaviors of the recruiting team along with the timing of each.

Table 14
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical
Behaviors
Supported
Reinforcing
Job Aids in the form of social media content ready to plug and
play (taglines of 140 characters for use on Twitter and stock
photo content appropriate for use on snapchat and Instagram
etc.).
Daily and
weekly
1,2
Updated job description library and outreach copy that is
gender specific for use in candidate outreach
Monthly 1,2
Lunch and Learn training sessions to review best practices Bi-Weekly 1,2,3
Job Aids in the form of an interview checklist that sits on the
recruiter’s dashboard
Ongoing 1,2,3
Encouraging
Weekly manger check in meetings to review workload and
help with project prioritization
Weekly 1,2,3
Feedback and coaching from employee mentor Ongoing 1,2,3
Rewarding
Public acknowledgement through Recruiter of the month
award
Monthly 1,2,3
Individual performance incentives Monthly or
quarterly
1,2
Team performance incentives in the form of team parties or
off-site events when team hits particular milestones
Monthly 1,2,3

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Monitoring. The New World model encourages monitoring after training to ensure
accountability for both the organization and the trainee (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). There
are three strategies for monitoring the success of the required drivers that should be utilized for
this program. The first process for monitoring is the use of the recruiting dashboard. This should
be looked at by the team manager on a weekly basis. This will provide an indication of the
number of total women candidates in the recruitment process. The second tool in place for
monitoring is Hootsuite which provides daily and weekly reports on social media usage broken
down by recruiter. And the last mechanism for monitoring that will be used is asking individual
recruiters to report out on individual successes during the monthly lunch and learn sessions.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Following completion of the recommended 6 hours of training which
are broken into four individual one hour face-to-face training sessions and two asynchronous e-
learning one hour modules, recruiters will be able to:
1. Draft female targeted job descriptions.
2. Personalize and customize candidate outreach aimed at targeted female candidates.
3. Craft dynamic 40-character Twitter taglines for use in promoting technical positions.
4. Utilize Hootsuite for scheduling social media outreach in advance and for tracking
metrics.
5. Maximize recruiter dashboard tools for efficiency in outreach, tracking and interview
scheduling.
6. Leverage Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms for recruitment and
employment branding.
7. Effectively choose blog topics that will help attract female candidates.
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8. Utilize advance Boolean search techniques to uncover unique diverse candidates for
technical positions at TekNet.
9. Leverage employee networks and LinkedIn Groups to broaden their recruiting
footprint.
10. Effectively and efficiently schedule candidate interviews with gender balanced teams.
Program. The learning goals listed above will be achieved through a blended training
program that will be presented using a combination of monthly Lunch and Learns sessions and
asynchronous e-learning sessions. The material will be presented in small chunks in order to
manage intrinsic load and maximize knowledge learning and retention (Kirschner et al., 2006).
The live training sessions will be held at lunchtime in order to facilitate learning without
overcrowding the participants already busy schedules. Lunch will be provided. The online
learning modules will be designed so that participants can take the trainings on-line or through a
mobile app. Providing both online and mobile options make the training accessible to recruiters
whenever and wherever they have time.
Components of learning. According to the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World
Model there are five components of learning: knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence and
commitment (2016). These five components are interwoven with the Clark and Estes (2008) gap
analysis framework. Recruiters must be able to show that they know how to do the task
(declarative knowledge), and that they know the proper procedures to complete the task
(procedural knowledge). Recruiters should demonstrate that they believe the task is worthwhile
and that they want to complete the task (attitude/motivation); that they feel as though they have
the ability to complete the task (confidence/motivation) and that they will do it on the job
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(commitment/motivation). Table 15 identifies the recommended evaluation method and timing
for each component of learning.

Table 15
Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks during the live sessions through pair and
share activities
During live training
Use of multiple choice questions during asynchronous
activities as knowledge checks
During and after videos
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Demonstration of use of recruiting dashboard and scheduling
tools.
During live training sessions
Use of multiple choice questions during asynchronous
activities
During and after videos
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile”
Instructor and mentor observations During live training session
Discussion of the impact that recruiters can make of the larger
problem of practice of the gender wage gap in the technology
industry
During live training sessions
Pre-and post-training assessments During and after both live and
asynchronous training activities
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Discussion during practice and feedback sessions During live training sessions
Surveys After each of the 6 training
sessions
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Have each participant create an individual action plan During live training sessions

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Level 1: Reaction
It is important to gage the reaction of participants to the training in order to evaluate how
the participant feels about the training, whether they are engaged, if they find the training
relevant to their job and if they find the information being presented useful. According to
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) reactions can be gaged by “pulse checks,” observations by
the leader or a dedicated observer or through use of evaluation tools such as surveys. Table 16
lists the methods that will be used to determine the reactions and level of engagement by
recruiters to the training that will be provided.

Table 16
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Completion of online learning modules monitored
thought platform analytics
Ongoing
Instructor observations Ongoing
Attendance at lunch and learn sessions (early
session and late session in the progression)
Ongoing
Evaluations with link to Survey Monkey
evaluation sent through email
Twice — once evaluation mid-way through
course and one evaluation one week after final
training class
Relevance
Evaluations with link to Survey Monkey
evaluation send through email
Twice — once evaluation mid-way through
course and one evaluation one week after final
training class
Customer Satisfaction
Evaluations with link to Survey Monkey
evaluation send through email
Twice — once evaluation mid-way through
course and one evaluation one week after final
training class

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Evaluation Tools
Three levels of evaluation will be done as part of this training process. One set of
evaluations will be conducted as the training is proceeding, one immediately after the initial
training is completed and one six weeks after the training. During the asynchronous training, the
analytics tool will be used to track start, duration and completion of modules by the participants.
Brief surveys will be administered at the completion of each module asking participants to rate
the relevance of course material to their actual jobs, along with their view of the overall course
content. Instructor observations about attendance and participation levels during the lunch and
learn sessions will be collected for the live sessions. These will serve to evaluate Level 1
reactions. Level 2 assessments will include instructors conducting knowledge checks during the
live sessions and short multiple choice questionnaires will be used during the asynchronous
modules to check for understanding. Surveys will be sent to all participants at the conclusion of
the training program and again six weeks after the final training session to gage participant’s
reaction to the training, knowledge and understanding of the content.
Data Analysis and Reporting
The Level 4 goal of this implementation plan is to provide recruiters at TekNet the
knowledge, motivation and organizational tools to effectively recruit more women to work at
TekNet and to move toward closing the gender gap that exists within the TekNet and the overall
technology industry. Recruiting metrics that include the total number of female candidates in the
talent pool as well as the number of women hired will be tracked and displayed on the recruiting
dashboard. Monthly and quarterly reports will be shared with TekNet executive team so they can
monitor the progress that is being made by the recruiting team.
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Chapter Summary
The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World Model (2016) was used as the framework
for designing, implementing and evaluating recommendations for TekNet to work towards their
stakeholder goal of hiring more women in an effort to close the gender gap within their
organization and the technology industry. The bundling of the implementation along with
evaluation enables TekNet to assess the program process during implementation and make
changes to the program in real time. This sets the program up to be responsive to those being
trained and to their unique needs. The ultimate value in this program will be seen when the
stakeholder goal of hiring more women at TekNet is met.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Approach
The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis model provided a strong framework for this
evaluation study. Breaking down this complex problem of the gender gap in the technology
industry into knowledge, motivation and organizational influences enabled a systematic analysis
of the problem. The use of the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World Model (2016) was a
strong compliment to the Gap analysis model. The New World Model provided a comprehensive
framework for recommended solutions for closing the knowledge, motivation and organizational
gaps found during the research process.
Limitations
The gender gap in the technology industry is a complex problem and this study had a
number of limitations, several of which were apparent from the outset, others developed over the
two-and-a-half years that this study was in progress. The stakeholder group for this study,
recruiters, was chosen for several reasons. One was, as stated earlier in this paper, because they
are the gatekeepers for building talent pools and finding talent for the organization. The second
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reason this population was chosen was because of access. The researcher for this project has a
talent acquisition background and at the beginning of the study, a senior recruiting leader at
TekNet agreed to participate in the study and to give the researcher access to his team of over
100 recruiters to survey and interview (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). As the study progressed, the
political landscape shifted as did the industry landscape. In the months and weeks prior to the
start of data collection a number of technology companies were sued for gender discrimination
and discriminatory hiring practices. Qualcomm settled a $19.5 million lawsuit that covered 3,300
women; Microsoft was hit with a class action gender discrimination law suit; Magic Leap and
Snapchat both lost discrimination suites and a female software engineer from Uber wrote a blog
post on the terrible sexual harassment she experienced while working at the company that went
viral weeks before data collection was to begin. As mentioned earlier in this paper just as the
invitations to participate in the study were being sent out, Oracle was sued by the Department of
Labor for discriminatory hiring and wage practices. The senior recruiting leader at TekNet pulled
out of the study and participation in both the surveys and interviews was limited. The
participants that did take the survey and participate in the interviews provided rich insights,
however, greater participation levels would have provided better data. Several of those
interviewed were guarded and seemed reluctant to talk negatively about the organizational
influences, thus most were not validated one way or the other in this study. While these lawsuits
made the data collection process more difficult, they also reinforced the need for this study and
for future research on this topic.
Future Research
Closing the gender gap at TekNet and in the technology industry as a whole is an
enormous problem of practice, one that this study barely begins to address. For the purpose of
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this project, a very narrow piece of the problem was identified, so as to keep the project
manageable in size and scope. This project looked specifically at the recruiting practices at one
organization and even with that narrow of a focus, there is a need for future research. The
limitations listed above gave way to incomplete data, insufficient data, ambiguous results and
conflicting data. While the validated gaps were sound, the complexity of the landscape made it
difficult to address all the influences found through research. This same study could be
conducted again with support from within the organization. Additional interviews and survey
results could address additional influences. If the study were conducted a second time, the survey
could be adjusted to focus more on the organizational influences, as many of those were the ones
for which not enough data was gathered on the first time around.
The study could be also be expanded and two additional studies could be conducted, one
on hiring managers and the role they play in the recruiting and hiring process. A second study
could look at the interview team and unconscious bias in the interview process and the role it
plays in candidate selection. This came up in several of the interviews and could realistically be a
study unto itself. This study looked at overall female hiring, additional studies could look at the
level and types of position that women are hired for and what the career trajectory and
compensation looks like for those roles. It would be interesting to look at the percentage of
women hired into technical versus not technical roles and what the long term earning potential is
for each.
Another area for study is, how do you move from a place of, “there are not enough
women in the field, so women don’t want to go into the field,” to a place of technology being a
growing field for women? If TekNet used the same forward thinking that they use when building
new and innovative technology solutions for their customers, what outside the box solutions
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might they develop? There has been some traction in the tech community with initiatives such as
“Girls that Code” which offers summer intensive immersion programs for girls to learn basic
coding with to goal of increasing the number of young women who become coders and software
engineers. Looking at the success rates of these types of programs and looking at other
industries that have been successful in attracting women and identifying how that shift occurred
and looking for opportunities to translate that into technology from a recruiting perspective is
one way of approaching this issue. This type of study could also look at the level of commitment
made in other industries and how closing the gender gap successfully was prioritized. If TekNet
is serious about closing the gap using a multi-pronged approach which includes a grow your own
component should be considered.
Another area for study is looking at the gender gap outside of the strictly cisgender realm.
Evaluating challenges faced by transgender and other groups on how conscious and unconscious
bias impact recruiting would provide important data on this group.
Recruiting and hiring women into TekNet and technology companies is one very small
part of the equation. As the technology industry continues to grow at an exponential pace, it is
important to hire women into technology companies if we are going to begin to close the gender
wage gap. Other areas for study at TekNet include looking at the culture of the organization and
the team’s dynamics within the organization. It includes looking at the types of roles that the
women who are being hired into TekNet are being hired into and what the career paths for
women look like. The types of benefits the company offers versus the benefits that their female
employees really want is an area for study. This study is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so
much more research to be done on this important topic. The recommendation for addressing the
validated gaps may also lead to other areas of study, once they are implemented and TekNet sees
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the results. The bottom line is that there is need for more research to address this important
problem.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to look at one organization in the context of the greater
problem of practice of the gender gap in the technology industry. TekNet, a large technology
company was selected and the problem was evaluated through the lens of the recruiting team at
TekNet. The Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis model was used as the framework for
dissecting one aspect of the problem. The knowledge, motivation and organizational influences
impacting the recruiting practices at TekNet were studied and evaluated through a review of
literature, surveys, interviews and document analysis. The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
New World Model was used to develop recommendations for addressing the gaps in knowledge,
motivation and organizational influences that act as barriers to TekNet closing this gap within
their organization and within the technology as a whole. The main takeaway from this project is
that the problem of the gender gap is not simple nor does it have a simple solution. For example,
while it will be possible to improve the skills and outcomes of the recruitment team, as described
in this dissertation, without systematic commitment and accountability throughout the
organization, the women hired will leave. The gender gap is a complex problem that needs to be
addressed on multiple levels. The disconnect that was found during the research process between
the perceived importance that TekNet places on closing the gender gap and the actual
commitment, resources and leadership that they dedicate to hiring more women, is a testament to
the need for this problem to be prioritized by organizations if it is to be solved.
This study is one small step in the direction of making changes towards closing the
gender gap at TekNet. With additional resources and commitment, this will lead to
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improvements that will positively impact TekNet’s goal of hiring more women and closing the
gender gap. The recommendations from this study can be used as a model for other organizations
in designing and implementing recruiting programs to address the gender gap. As these changes
begin to gain traction they will help close the gender gap across the technology industry as a
whole.

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APPENDIX A
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDY
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089

INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR EXEMPT NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational influences affecting the Gender Gap in
Technology Companies

You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Oracle Woman’s
Leadership (Owl) initiative and the impact is has on the company diversity goal.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study you will be asked to participate in a survey and/or 50
minute audio-taped interview. This interview may take place by phone, in-person or on a video
call. You do not have to answer any questions you don’t want to and if you don’t want to be
taped, handwritten notes will be taken.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
You will not be paid for this study.

Your alternative is to not participate. Your relationship with your employer will not be affected
whether you participate or not in this study.

CONFIDENTIALITY
This is a confidential study and no identifiable information will be obtained in connection with
this study. Your name, address or other identifiable information will not be collected.
Additionally your responses will be coded with a false name (pseudonym) and maintained
separately. Once the audiotapes have been transcribed, they will be destroyed by this researcher.

The members of the research team, and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research
studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used.
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INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator: Deborah Glynn, dglynn@usc.edu via email or 847-207-0178 via phone

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los
Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu

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APPENDIX B
SURVEY QUESTIONS
1. How often do you use Job postings on your company website to attract candidates?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

2. How often do you use Snapchat as a recruiting tool?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

3. Who writes the job descriptions used for recruiting?
Recruiter
Hiring Manger
Marketing representative
Other (please specify)

4. How often do you conduct direct candidate outreach via email and/or InMail when recruiting?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

5. How often do you participate in speaking engagements at industry events as part of your
recruiting process?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

6. Is recruiting a diverse workforce a priority for your company?
Yes
No
Please explain

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7. What type of Analytics do you track?
Time to fill
Cost per hire
Quality of hire
Source of hire
Other (please specify)

8. How often do you attend job fairs and recruiting events?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

9. How often do you blog about company culture and the benefits of working at your company?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

10. What type of positions are the most difficult to recruit for?

11. What type of candidates are the most difficult to attract?

12. What does the gender makeup of you typical interview team look like?
Primarily male
Primarily female
Mixed

13. How often do you use LinkedIn job posts to attract candidates?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

14. What % of the hiring managers that you have worked with in the past 6 months have been
men?
Less than 10%
25%
50%
75%
Over 90%

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15. When making a job offer do you (your organization) tend to offer men and women equal
compensation for similar level positions?
Yes
No
(please specify)

16. How often do you use Facebook and Twitter as a recruiting tool?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Once or twice a year
Almost never

17. How often do you talk to candidates about company culture and training and development
options as part of the recruitment process?
Less than 10% of the time
25% of the time
50% of the time
75% of the time
Over 90% of the time
Please explain

18. What percentage of senior management in your company is women?
Less than 10%
25%
50%
75%
Over 90%

19. Does your company offer employees a flexible work schedule as an option?
Yes
No
Please explain

20. Would you be willing to participate in a short phone or video interview focusing on
challenges recruiting teams face in addressing the gender gap in the technology industry?
Yes
No

If you are willing to participate, please provide your name and the email address and I will
contact you about scheduling a time.

ADDRESSING THE GENDER GAP IN THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

135
APPENDIX C
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are some of your greatest challenges as a recruiter in attracting talent at TekNet?
2. What type of positions are the most difficult to recruit for?
3. What are the most difficult types of candidates to find?
4. How do you go about searching for candidates?
5. What type of resources do you use in searching for candidates?
6. Do you feel like you have enough resources available to assist in your search?
a. If yes, what resources do you find the most valuable
b. If no, are there resources that you would like access to that you don’t currently have
right now?
7. What is your current requisition load?
a. Does that feel like a good requisition?
b. What would be your optimal requisition load?
8. What is your average time to fill?
9. What type of metrics does TekNet track?
10. How are you as a recruiter evaluated against those metrics?
11. Do you have quotas that you are measured against?
12. How is the recruiting team compensated?
a. Are recruiters incentivized for hard to fill positions?
b. Are recruiters incentivized for diversity hires?
13. What role do you play in recruiting diverse talent?
14. Does the recruiting team have the ability to impact substantial change in the organization? In
the industry?
15. How important is gender diversity? How important is it in Technology?
16. How long do you think it will be until technology is a balanced field?
17. What are some of the biggest challenges in recruiting a diverse workforce?
18. Is recruiting a diverse workforce a priority for the company? For your hiring mangers? For
your team?

ADDRESSING THE GENDER GAP IN THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

136
APPENDIX D
EMAIL INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN SURVEY
Email:

Hi ______(Recruiter at TekNet)___

I am a student working on my Doctorate in Organizational Change at the Univeristy of Southern
California and for my dissertation I am conducting a confidential academic study on the
knowledge, motivation and organizational influences that affect recruiting of female candidates
for technology companies. I am reaching out to you because I believe you have a unique
background that could help to contribute to the current body of knowledge around this important
issue. I am focusing this study on recruiters and the challenges they face in recruiting a diverse
population. As I mentioned this is a totally confidential academic study. I would greatly
appreciate you help in filling out the survey below.

Link to survey:xxxx.xxxxx

Thank you for your participation.

Best,

Deborah Glynn

Abstract (if available)

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Asset Metadata

Creator Glynn, Deborah (author)

Core Title Knowledge, motivation and organizational influences impacting recruiting practices addressing the gender gap in the technology industry: an evaluation study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 06/13/2017

Defense Date 05/05/2017

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag gender gap,OAI-PMH Harvest,recruiting practices,technology industry

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Sundt, Melora (committee chair), Crawford, Jennifer (committee member), Filback, Robert (committee member)

Creator Email debglynn11@gmail.com,dglynn@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-381238

Unique identifier UC11255846

Identifier etd-GlynnDebor-5390.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-381238 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-GlynnDebor-5390.pdf

Dmrecord 381238

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Glynn, Deborah

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA