IBM Lab Services uses highly collaborative video to engage employees for a #BalanceforBetter

 July 23, 2019

As a technical organization, IBM Lab Services knows gender balance in the technology sector needs improvement. So for International Women's Day, the company created an inspirational video showing the strides it is making to support and promote gender parity.

What was interesting about the video was the way it truly engaged so many employees.

IBM Lab Services has a female Vice President, a female CTO and distinguished engineer, two of three World Wide Business Unit Executives who are female, and several female managers and consultants. The video shows the organization's core priority in celebrating the influence of women.

Challenging men to pledge for gender equality

For International Women’s Day, IBM Lab Services challenged men in the organization to pledge to promoting women, building a more balanced organization, challenging stereotypes and bias, and celebrating IBM women. IBM Lab Services challenged its women to step up and lead. In participating in this campaign, some of IBM Lab Services' most prominent leaders led by example in the push for gender parity pledges.

Pushing for more gender balance in the world

"In IBM Systems Lab Services, we know our business is better when we have the contributions of women. Our Vice President, CTO, Business Unit Executives and numerous consultants are all women. This year, we join with the rest of the world to salute them and to push for more gender balance in the world. We'll all be better for it," said Maria McDade, IBM Lab Services Business Unit Executive.

Significant employee engagement was evident

The worldwide aspect of IBM’s organization makes it unique. IBM Lab Services had people from its organization contribute from Latin America, North America, China, Japan, India, Europe, Korea, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. Additionally, as a traditionally male-dominated industry, being able to highlight so many highly positioned women in the organization demonstrates its leadership in this area already and its advocacy and efforts for further gender parity.

Considerable engagement was achieved with individuals within the organization also socializing the video in their person channels across social media.