Good morning readers !
I want you to start the day with Earth, Wind & Fire’s song in mind. September is all about fresh starts, so what better time to spotlight inspiring journeys?
This month, I am excited to share Houra’s story, a passionate Frontend Developer at Resilience with an incredible path from Iran to Italy and now France. Her background in design and determination to break new ground in web and mobile development prove that innovation comes from diverse experiences.
Houra’s adventure into tech shows just how welcoming our industry can be when we open doors to different perspectives. Whether she’s building apps for schoolkids or tackling challenges healthcare, Houra never stops learning. Houra will definitely inspire you!
✅ The Allyance newsletter provides many useful references on recruitment, diversity and inclusion. Here are some articles about ageism, Linkedin removing the notion of deadnaming and misgendering, automation in recruitment, equality policies in the US and Europe and Adam, an Engineering Manager to hire.
🆘 Workplace Ageism Is Hurting Employees & Businesses Alike
This piece has been on my to-do list for a while. It's time to present the startling statistics that precisely capture what I see when assisting my candidates with their job searches:
“99% of workers over the age of 40 reported ageism in the workplace.”
According to this Forbes article by Liz Elting, workplace ageism is pervasive across all age groups, with 99% of workers over 40 reporting age discrimination and over half of women under 30 saying their age has negatively impacted them professionally.
The discrimination manifests through stereotypes, bullying, and pressure to hide one's age, with 88% of older workers changing their behavior to fit in with younger colleagues.
Job seekers face significant barriers, as 74% of people over 50 believe their age will hurt their hiring prospects, while executives are reluctant to hire recent graduates due to perceived soft skills deficits.
However, research shows that age-diverse teams actually boost business performance by combining complementary skills and perspectives, as demonstrated by successful multigenerational projects like Michigan Tech's open-source 3D printer development.
The OECD recommends fighting ageism through inclusive hiring practices, flexible work arrangements and career development opportunities for all.
✅ Automate This, Not That: The Recruiting Edition
According to an article by Hebba Youssef on "I Hate It Here" (one of the best HR newsletter I know) recruiting processes are failing candidates through poor communication, complicated scheduling, and outdated background check systems that create frustrating experiences.
The piece identifies three key automation opportunities: replacing generic, soulless communication templates with personalized, human-sounding automated messages that keep candidates informed; using scheduling tools like Calendly to eliminate endless email back-and-forth; and modernizing background checks with platforms that deliver results in minutes rather than weeks.
Youssef emphasizes that candidates don't hate automation itself, they hate feeling like an afterthought in impersonal, bureaucratic processes. The article argues that smart automation should free up recruiters' time to be more human, not turn them into "tone-deaf bots." The key is using technology to streamline logistics while maintaining thoughtful, personalized candidate experiences that protect your employer brand.
Here is an example with scheduling interviews :
“The Problem: Unnecessary Calendar Chaos
Scheduling interviews in 2025 shouldn’t be rocket science. Yet somehow, we’ve normalized:
Playing email tennis (“How’s Tuesday?” “No, Wednesday?” “Actually” )
Begging candidates to pick from a spreadsheet of 47 time slots
That one hiring manager who may as well only be free a few minutes out of each day
Newsflash: If your scheduling process requires a PhD in logistics, candidates will peace out before you even hit “send” on the third reschedule request!
The Fix: Let The Robots Make it Happen
Automate the scheduling, not the charm.
Drop a personalized note like: “Excited to chat about your [specific project]. Please pick a time that doesn’t ruin your week!”
Robots handle the clock and you handle the vibe!
Tools like Calendly or GoodTime exist so you can stop the back-and-forth emails, slash no-shows by 34% with automated reminders, and finally get some much-needed organization added to your recruiting process.”
🏳️🌈 LinkedIn quietly removed references to deadnaming and misgendering from its hateful content policy
While a LinkedIn spokesperson stated that the company's underlying policies haven't changed and that misgendering still violates their harassment policy, advocacy groups like GLAAD have denounced the move as "an overt anti-LGBTQ move."
Advocacy groups view this as part of a broader pattern of social media companies loosening protections for vulnerable users. Open Terms Archive first noted the modification, which was the only change made to LinkedIn's "hateful and derogatory content" policy. The change follows similar policy adjustments by other major tech platforms this year, including Meta and Youtube.
Earlier this year, Meta rewrote its rules to allow its users to claim LGBTQ people are mentally ill. YouTube also quietly updated its rules this year to remove a reference to "gender identity" from its hate speech policies.
📰 Une chronique à ne pas manquer dans Le Monde
En mai dernier, dans un article du Monde, la sociologue Dominique Méda s'inquiète d'un possible retour en arrière sur les droits des femmes, illustré par la suppression par SAP de ses mesures d'inclusion suite aux décrets de Donald Trump contre la "discrimination illégale". Elle souligne que le "Project 2025" américain prône la "restauration de la famille" et proscrit les termes "égalité des sexes", "diversité" et "inclusion", tout en promouvant des politiques anti-avortement.
Dominique Méda rappelle que les droits des femmes ont été conquis de haute lutte, citant l'incapacité juridique des Françaises jusqu'en 1938 et leur impossibilité d'ouvrir un compte bancaire sans autorisation maritale jusqu'en 1965. Malgré les progrès européens en matière d'égalité professionnelle, les stéréotypes de genre persistent, notamment dans l'orientation scolaire vers les filières scientifiques. La sociologue met en garde contre un "backlash" qui pourrait ramener les femmes à rechercher la "protection d'un mari" face à des emplois précaires. Elle plaide pour l'amélioration de l'accès aux emplois décents pour éviter ce retour au "code Napoléon".
“Même si la dynamique a ralenti dans certains Etats membres, des progrès remarquables ont été accomplis dans l’Union européenne en matière d’éducation et d’emploi des femmes ces dernières décennies. Dès le traité de Rome, l’UE avait fait figurer l’égalité hommes-femmes parmi ses valeurs fondamentales. En 1975, la première directive contre la discrimination salariale était adoptée.”
🤫 Backstage secrets
✨ Congratulations Lise for her new role in the MedTech industry !
✨ Congratulations Alexandre for his new role as a Head of Product !
🎙 I recorded 3 podcasts. They will be shared before the end of the year.
🎉 You will be invited soon to a very special event (not the Mayhem tour).
🛫 I am coaching a Head of Data (she is ready to interview), a hacker (!), a Senior Product Manager and a CTO.
🚀 Are you hiring ? I can recommend talented women. A Head of Data, 2 Senior Machine Learning Engineers, an Engineering Program Manager, Product Manager and Adam ⬇️
You can contact us : contact@theallyance.one
🎯 An Engineering Manager to hire !
Don’t miss your chance to hire Adam Solomon. Adam is an American citizen based in Paris, with a visa allowing him to work in France !
💚 What is Adam looking for ?
"I want to be a part of a team that is dedicated to having a positive impact on the world while enjoying what we do on a daily basis. I want to be a part of a company that wants to take on the world while not forgetting the neighborhood it came from. I want to be fully engaged by the people I work with on a daily basis."
😍 Why do I recommend Adam ?
Adam is humble, has worked on many projects and masters Frontend, Backend and Infra topics. He is adored as a manager.
⌛ Available ASAP
🐬 Adam speaks English and a little bit of French
Fun facts about Adam :
🌎 He has managed teams on four different continents.
🥷 Had a semi-pro Muay Thai fight in Thailand and has the pictures to prove it.
🎭 He published and produced multiple theater plays.
You can reach out to him directly or ask me to forward his CV.
🩷Hot jobs we are working on
🫵 Senior Software Engineer (Python, AWS, EduTech)
🫵 Account Executive (AI / GreenTech) - that’s a first !
🫵 Engineering Manager (MedTech)
🫵 CTO (FemTech)
🫵 Senior Machine Learning Engineer (GreenTech)
🫵 Senior AI Engineer (A2A Protocol, Model Context Protocol…etc)
More details here…
Stay tuned for big announcements next month 💘