Amber Hickman |
Creating a diverse and inclusive work environment is a key commitment for audio solution provider Shure. Therefore, gender equality is a top priority. In fact, Shure has been led by women since 1995, when the late Rose Shure became chairman of the board.
Christine Schyvinck, who has been with the firm for 34 years, became president and CEO in 2016. “You will not find many global CEOs who have been with their companies that long,” she says. “I started at Shure as a quality engineer and was quickly exposed to the types of issues that sound professionals would encounter daily.
“Eventually, I moved from vice president of quality to vice president of operations, and then into a role leading global marketing and sales. Having diverse experience within different parts of our company means I can thoroughly understand the type of work that happens at various levels of the organisation and understand what both our employees and customers expect from us.”
Shure provides a range of audio products and software, including solutions designed to work seamlessly with Microsoft Teams for use in conferences and meetings.
Platforms such as Teams are ideal for supporting hybrid and remote work, which have become more commonplace in recent years and created more opportunities for women in the workplace. This is highlighted in International Workplace Group’s 2023 survey, Empowering Women in the Hybrid Workplace, which reported that 75 per cent of women had a better work-life balance thanks to hybrid working.
Shure’s solutions for Teams supports hybrid and remote work
For Schyvinck, being able to work remotely is beneficial for all Shure’s employees. “As a global organisation, it is essential for us to operate with colleagues all over the world each day,” she explains. “We sometimes have meetings early in the morning or late in the evenings and so the ability to work from home provides some added flexibility for our workforce and their work-life balance.”
To ensure hybrid work is equitable, it is also important to have the right tools.
“Having the right conferencing technology means that more people can have a seat at the table and a clear voice in discussions,” says Schyvinck. “Teams, combined with Shure solutions, provides a platform that ensures employees are no longer excluded by factors such as location or time zone.”
Another significant part of Shure’s inclusion efforts involves providing new opportunities and platforms for workers to share ideas from, with the aim of not only supporting the women it employs but also encouraging more to get involved in the industry.
“Shure offers an employee resource group called WE VIBE, which stands for ‘women everywhere’ and ‘values, inclusion, belonging and equity’,” she explains. “This group has a global reach and meets weekly to discuss initiatives to encourage more women to get involved in the industry whilst also celebrating the ones who are already here.
“I have also served as the moderator of regular global panels hosted by Shure called Celebrating Women in Technology, which are available for free online. These panels feature the interesting stories of women working in various audio careers around the world. I believe that hearing from these women directly helps to encourage not only those wanting to join the industry, but also those currently in the industry.”
Community outreach is also an important endeavour for Shure, especially considering the women and girls around the world who may not have access to equal opportunities due to factors such as their location, race and economic background.
“One example is a programme in Latin America called Ella Suena, which spotlights Latina women as they pursue careers in the music industry,” says Schyvinck. “Shure also focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in diverse areas to inspire the next generation of technology leaders. We recently participated in the Museum of Science and Industry’s Black Creativity Showcase to demonstrate to young students how microphone technology works. Getting involved in the community is a great way for companies to expand their footprint to find new potential talent.”
When asked about how the technology business landscape has improved for women in the past five years, Schyvinck says “a little, but not enough”.
“However, there is movement in the right direction,” she explains. “For example, in the audio space, more women are discovering that this is a rewarding industry, and women can find their fit. Outdated perceptions are changing and we’re seeing an evolution.
“There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are committed to helping improve representation in the industry to better reflect the world in which we live.”
This article was originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of Technology Record. To get future issues delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for a free subscription.