Please use the seven$-$step case analysis methodology to evaluate the following case study:If you were the only female engineer at a start$-$up in San Francisco, you could work hard and hope more women are hired. Or you could do what Julie Lee did at the software company Gusto. She asked to meet with the company$$s cofounder and chief technology officer, Edward Kim. Kim was $$extraordinarily receptive$$ to Lee$$s explanation that she loIf you were the only female engineer at a start$-$up in San Francisco, you could work hard and hope more women are hired. Or you could do what Julie Lee did at the software company Gusto. She asked to meet with the company$$s cofounder and chief technology officer, Edward Kim. Kim was $$extraordinarily receptive$$ to Lee$$s explanation that she loved her work but struggled being the only woman on an $18-$person engineering team$\mathrm{.}106$Links to an external site. Kim saw solving this problem as an opportunity and as a source for a competitive advantage.

Gusto developed a plan to get more women engineers to apply for the company$$s job openings. The company changed phrases like $$Ninja rock star coder$$ in some of its job descriptions because they were unnecessary and masculine$\mathrm{.}107$Links to an external site. Lee also recruited women applicants by sending emails inviting them to have an initial talk with her about working at Gusto. Lee wrote a blog post that publicized Gusto$$s goal of hiring more women engineers. Her involvement was a way to signal to other women that Gusto was a place where women engineers want to work$\mathrm{.}108$Links to an external site.

Gusto also made gender diversity a priority in other parts of the company, including hiring on the executive team and beefing up benefits for working parents. In six months, Gusto exceeded its gender diversity hiring goals. Its work was not over, however. Gusto now sends a monthly workforce representation report to all employees as it focuses on hiring, progression, retention, and engagement of all employees. Its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative is called RISE $($Representation$,$ Inclusion, Social impact, and Equity$).$ Employees and managers are encouraged to talk about DEI, do the work of DEI, and recognize that DEI is a journey, not just one step. Bernard Coleman, Gusto$$s head of employee engagement, said, $$I$$ve been trying to get people to think about it more holistically as opposed to work from the D to the I to the E$$how you order the letters is up to you, but it$$s all of that.$$

Gusto has given people cultural signals and indicators to let them know the company is dedicated to diversity and inclusion. Employee resource groups at Gusto represent the needs of different constituencies within the company. A resource group member can talk with job candidates and have honest conversations about Gusto$$s core values. $$People might want to say, $$All right, I know I$$m going to be on X or Y team, what$$s it like to be a Black person at Gusto, or a veteran at Gusto, or a woman at Gusto?$$ Coleman said.$109$