When Kayla Harrington, then student now Legal Research Assistant at Thomson Reuters, wrote a blog about inherent gender bias in society, she was clearly hoping to raise the profile of the issue. But she didn’t anticipate that her blog would gain the attention of her father Jeff Harrington, whose eyes were opened to the issues she raised, or that it would eventually lead to a discussion on the ISG Women in Digital podcast. At college, Kayla took a very academic approach to the issue of sexism and developed the belief that the world was changing and gender equality was improving. Upon graduating and entering the world of work, she realized there was still a long way to go to overcome what she terms “ambivalent sexism.” This is the subtle and generally accepted sexism that permeates both the language we use to talk about women and the way we interact with women across all walks of life. Join host Jeanne Cuff as she talks to the father-daughter duo about gender inclusivity and how companies today must go further than just ensuring equal representation of women in the workplace. They discuss how the global pandemic of 2020 has highlighted the struggle for many women managing both family and work. Statistics indicate that one million people have left the workforce this year and that 80 percent of them were women who felt unable to juggle both work and family commitments under the unprecedented circumstances. According to Jeff, this creates a great opportunity for change. Because the pandemic has brought work and family life closer to each other for both men and women, many men can appreciate in a new way the challenges working women have faced for generations. He believes this appreciation will bring understanding, greater inclusivity – and hopefully less inherent gender bias in the workplace. Listen in to hear the discussion.

With any corporate investment, there is always a careful balance between the cost to the organization and the benefit it brings. Right now, budgets are under huge pressure because of the unprecedented challenges of the global COVID pandemic, forcing companies to make difficult decisions about where to make cuts. At the same time, we’ve seen a huge jump in the volume and frequency of cyber attacks due to the increased numbers of employees working from home and accessing corporate systems over external networks. This is not the time to cut corners on information security.  Barbara Guerin, Chief Information Security Officer at Renown Health, joins host Jeanne Cuff in this month’s podcast episode to share her insight into how organizations can avoid information security breaches. According to Guerin, an effective cyber security and risk mitigation approach must start by gaining board engagement and include focusing on third-party governance and recognizing that humans are usually the weakest link in a corporate system. The importance of information security will only grow with increasing digitization of businesses. Women entering the IT job market can anticipate a wealth of job opportunities opening in this area. Those with analytical mindsets and a head for psychology and forensics will do well to consider this field!

The concept of agile in the technology product development field is not new. It originates back in the 1990s and, by the mid-2000s, had started to replace the more linear waterfall methodology of software development, particularly in newer tech firms where large software development practices simply weren’t available or affordable. This has, of course, impacted quality assurance (QA) and testing functions, which are integral to the product development lifecycle. In this episode, ISG’s Jeanne Cuff talks to Francine Jackson, QA expert at JPMorgan Chase & Co., about her experience in software development. They discuss how QA and testing leaders have had to adapt to more agile forms of software development and – to find success – foster a cultural change that aligns business and product development teams. Today, the QA and testing role continues to evolve with the application of automation technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Listen in as they talk about how automation can drive enhanced results in this field and how agile skillsets and structures are helping women step up and find a voice in this environment.

Over the coming years, the gig economy is predicted to grow at an unprecedented rate. This year we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the numbers of people seeking new, more flexible working models. Against this backdrop, ISG’s Digital Dish host Jeanne Cuff talks to Felicia Jones, Director of HR Transformation at CapGemini, about how organizations must evolve the way they attract and retain talent, striking a new balance between the benefits they offer employees and the commitment they require.

Data is big and getting bigger, yet in some business areas it’s less well understood and used than in others. This seems to be the case for HR, where data is often viewed simply as a by-product of business activity rather than a valuable resource in its own right. Data can help us make sense of the world and drive business decisions, especially in times like now when our ability to understand the changing landscape of a pandemic is critical to survival. Getting a handle on data and what it’s telling us is often harder than people imagine, not least in the HR space where the data can be exceptionally complex. Human capital data holds a great deal of untapped potential, but it is rarely mined for its full value. The vision is to use data to change the way we work rather than just thinking about it as a tool to help us sell more products and services.  In this episode of the ISG Digital Dish podcast, host Jeanne Cuff talks to Caitlin Bigsby, Product Marketing Director at workforce analytics firm Visier Inc., about the need for a cultural shift when it comes to HR data analytics. According to Bigsby, HR leaders need to reframe the questions they are asking. Instead of asking “What are we collecting?” they should ask “What would it be valuable to know?”. Bigsby believes the gains will be great if HR organizations can focus on business outcomes rather than data inputs. Listen in to this much-needed conversation about all things “data”, from culture to skills to data’s role in helping drive strategic business decisions.

Despite what many people think, personality type is a more accurate indicator of how we handle change than age. Understanding our character and how we react to change is especially important right now. Tammie Pinkston, Director of Organizational Change Management at ISG, joins host Jeanne Cuff to explore the personal and professional change-related challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen in as they discuss what leading with self means and how doing so can help develop key leadership qualities.

Should you follow your heart or your head when it comes to career decisions?  In the latest episode of the ISG Digital Dish podcast co-hosts Jeanne Cuff, Julie Fernandez and Lois Coatney discuss valuable guidance that can be applied in both professional and personal ways. Their guest this week, Maria Pardee, Vice President and General Manager at DXC Technology, shares her ideas about where women should focus at the start of their careers.

In this special edition of the ISG Digital Dish, co-hosts Lois Coatney, Jeanne Cuff and Julie Fernandez, along with ISG colleague Catrin Podmore, discuss working from home under lockdown. Problems with technology and equipment, home-schooling and family pressure make for an often difficult environment. Jeanne also interviews Nichole Michaelson of performance coaching firm Vision Pursue, on how we can all use mindfulness to improve our concentration and focus at work – now more than ever.

Welcome to the first episode of the ISG Smartalks™ podcast series "The Digital Dish". Join co-hosts Lois Coatney, Julie Fernandez and Jeanne Cuff as they explore what it means to be a woman in the world of digital business. In this episode, they discuss the power of leveraging digital technology within our roles, regardless of our business function. Jeanne also interviews Bridgit McMullen from Upfront Work, who offers valuable tips on how to plan your career by acting now to avoid future pitfalls. Listen in to their conversation as they explore several factors influencing long-term career success for women, including the importance of skill development and establishing networks that build critical social capital.