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Oracle is one of the best places in the Bay Area for women to work, according to the Professional BusinessWomen of California (PBWC).
Oracle received the PBWC's PaceSetter Award at the 18th Annual PBWC San Francisco Conference, held in May 2007 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The award recognizes Bay Area companies that support the advancement of women in the workplace.
"Through its corporate practices and programs, Oracle has shown its exemplary commitment to supporting the progress of women in the workplace," says Ruth Stergiou, Executive Producer of the PBWC Conference.
The PBWC uses a number of criteria to determine the top ten Bay Area companies for businesswomen, including the percentage of women employees; the percentage of women and female minorities in management; the strength of programs that support women in the workplace (such as mentoring, internal women's networks, advancement, benefits, leadership, and community outreach), and flexible work arrangement opportunities (including part-time work, job sharing, and flexible schedules).
Oracle "received a solid score overall in all of the categories," says Laura Deck, PBWC Program Manager.
Oracle was particularly recognized for its Oracle Women's Leadership (OWL) program, which offers women managers the opportunity to enhance their skills and develop their leadership potential through professional development activities, including conferences and Webcasts.
Oracle has been a partner with the PBWC since 2000. It sponsors the yearly conferences in both San Francisco and Sacramento; in 2007, Oracle provided $28,000 in attendance and sponsorship fees for the San Francisco conference. The majority of the 200 Oracle attendees have registration fees paid for by Oracle Human Resources. Oracle is also a sponsor of the PBWC Young Womens Program, which reaches out to female students in local high schools.
As part of the Young Women's Program, Aneldy Hwang, a Product Support Manager at Oracle, spoke to high-school students at the conference at a seminar on how to prepare for professional careers. She says Oracle attracts and retains female employees by offering numerous opportunities for networking and mentorship.
"We find that a lot of positions are filled by talented engineers, managers, and directors who all happen to be women," says Hwang. "Also, many departments offer flexible work arrangements, and extend leadership opportunities to men and women equally. In fact, sometimes, the women outnumber the men."
Oracle also partners externally with leading women's organizations, including the Alliance of Women and Technology, the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives, the League of Black Women, the Women of Color Action Network, and the Anita Borg Institute. Through OWL, Oracle has also begun to partner with other companies that have a shared vision of their women's initiatives, including Deloitte and Cisco.
Patricia Cureton, Human Resources Director at Oracle, says she feels Oracle really values its female employees. "Oracle is dedicated to advancing the professional and personal development of women through our employment initiatives, programs, policies, benefits, foundation work, giving, community efforts, and outreach, all of which promote equality for women in the workplace," she says.
Oracle Diversity spokesperson Jane Robertson adds that Oracle is committed to continuing corporate practices that advance women in the workplace.
"By offering flexible work options and sponsoring programs that support women, we strive to provide our female employees with the necessary resources to fulfull their potential in an exciting and dynamic work environment," says Robertson.
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