The year 2014 gave rise to a number of interesting and talked about things: robo-advisors, drones, brain mapping, and mobile collaboration to name a few.

But you will be surprised to know that one of the most talked about subjects as we begin this new year came not from a revelation of new technology, but from an old industry conversation – a male-dominated workforce.

This debate comes along the heels of the major technology companies releasing data to the federal government that sheds light on the gender make-up that each company experiences. According to a recently published Wall Street Journal article you can see a comparison of these large firms including Apple, Ebay, Hewlett-Packard and Intel, and what their gender makeup is like. One thing is certain based on what you see – they are all pretty similar in the gender make-up with a dominance in leadership and in technology positions given to predominately white males.

So with the numbers of these very public technology firms being published, I thought I would show you how First Rate would stack up if you were, of course, evaluating only on the basis of male and female.

Why does this matter? Well actually I don’t think it does in total – it’s only a piece of the gender puzzle. Yes, you are seeing the evolution of an industry and the admission that the genders are not always equally represented.  However are aspects like education, qualifications, and experience being evaluated in the Silicon Valley study? Probably not. Are they being evaluated in First Rate’s hiring process? You bet they are!

Does this mean First Rate is ahead of the curve because there are more women working here? No

Does this mean First Rate is doing better than other firms because more women are working here? No

But it does mean that First Rate is in the business of hiring dedicated, educated and highly motivated employees that want to make a difference every day they come to work. The gender conversation at First Rate continues as we learn to live and work side by side.  What matters is that First Rate knows that employees – whether male or female – who have a desire to grow and make a difference at the firm they work for are the kind of employees we want. Something all firms should be looking for in potential employees, not whether they are male or female.

Whether looking at gender percentages and dashboard data holds value will continue to be hotly debated.  While we are proud of our gender diversity, we believe our clients choose to partner with us based on our track record, our expertise and our ability to make them better stewards of their clients’ wealth.

Emily Traxler( Chief Marketing Officer, Director )

Emily Traxler, Chief Marketing Officer, Director, has been with First Rate since 2010. In her role she manages the Marketing team to expand awareness of the First Rate brand, fill a robust sales pipeline and maintain a positive image of First Rate and its products and services. Outside of First Rate Emily is an advocate for Jessica Glenn’s Special Spaces DFW changing lives one bedroom at a time.