Claire Knight @ Beacon

How can we proactively make a change to achieve equality and inclusion in tech? It was International Women's Day in March and Orbis dedicated the entire month to celebrating the womxn of Tech and Design. Now, we’re continuing this series. If we want more women in tech, we have to do more than want. Our team felt we needed to share stories from the industry, told by voices with first-hand experience. All of the exposure International Women's Day kicks up is critical, not just for our own education as a business, but also to support the exposure of gender equality and inclusion in tech. These stories are not told by a company or PR, or any other bias perspective. These are the real women of tech shaking up the industry. 

Claire Knight
Head of Engineering
Beacon.com

What has your personal career journey in tech been like?

I started out as the sole female in my degree course of approximately 60 people. I then did a PhD but went into industry after a couple of years of postdoc research as I didn’t want to be a lecturer.

I’ve since spent the last 18 years working my way up from Junior Engineer to where I am now.

I’ve worked in many industries and with lots of different languages and frameworks. They are all useful to your overall experience, so don’t feel you have to stick in one area!

What’s next for you, have you got any career goals you’d like to achieve?

I’ve just moved into a Head of Engineering role at Beacon, so my goals right now are to do well at this!

We are scaling fast and doing that is not a simple task. I want to ensure culture is preserved while building out several teams, and of course, onboarding Engineers in a supportive way so that everyone can continue to build software for the business.

What does a typical day in your role look like, and what do you enjoy most about it?

Generally, I do a lot of varied things. 1-1s with my people which takes a lot of my focus. Alongside this I handle setting strategy, ensuring we deliver things the business and our customers need. Talking with the Product team, planning short and long term, hiring engineers and managers, and being involved in company-level initiatives.

I enjoy the fact that I get to help so many people have an impact and do a range of things.

I’m also on video calls for much of the day. As a remote engineering leader that’s to be expected as it replaces the meetings, you’d have if you worked in an office. With remote working, I get to easily have the privacy I need for a lot of conversations and never have to queue for the toilet!

What do you think tech leaders could do to help support gender equality within their teams and how can businesses support women with their careers? 

Follow up talk with action.

Ensure that unconscious bias training is something that everyone is able to take; whatever their gender, nationality, level, etc.

Ensure that instead of trying to lift women up, look to equalise expectations. Have equal parental leave policies for example. Make it normal that all genders may have caring responsibilities. Don’t just give benefits to people who identify as female - focus on them being available to all and acceptable for all to use.

Having said that, do look for sponsorship opportunities for those who have been disadvantaged as they will need more support and promotion to get to the same level. Advocate for people and provide opportunities where there is a discrepancy. Ask leaders to understand the difference between sponsorship and mentorship and to do more of the former, regardless of gender, and regardless of the “like me” feeling they get. Acknowledge that a mix is better for the business and individuals.

What are your top tips for women looking to break into tech or progress from their current position into a tech role?

It’s a field of constant learning, and be prepared for that, but also use that knowledge to know that while imposter syndrome may hit at times, everyone is always learning.

Don’t fall into the trap of doing all the glue work or focusing too heavily on external initiatives to the detriment of your focus on your actual tech role. These are all important skills, but you have to be selfish at times and ensure you keep up with the technical skills, despite what old gender norms may imply. It doesn’t matter if no one else picks it up. As you break into the field, it’s very much not your responsibility to ensure these other things happen.