• by Tobi Elkin , Staff Writer, February 2, 2017

With the furor over President Trump’s immigrant ban growing by the hour and then-candidate Trump’s distasteful comments about women still resonant, one ad tech company is focusing its efforts on finding more women to fill much-needed roles in ad tech/martech. Goodway Group, a managed services programmatic firm that works with local, regional, and Fortune 500 brands, said it’s ramping up hiring efforts for 2017 with a special focus on women.

In fact, through its Goodway Group Women in Tech Hiring Initiative, the company said it’s looking for qualified candidates to service its regional co-op business in the quick-service restaurant, auto and hospital sectors.

One notable fact: Goodway’s workforce is 100% remote, meaning all employees work from home. Most candidates have the ability to live in any location within the U.S. That’s a good thing for women with kids, and also those who serve as primary caregivers. It’s also a great thing for men.

Goodway provided testimonials from several female employees: "The benefits of a virtual environment have allowed me to cut 4+ driving hours out of my day (for work and childcare) and has allowed me to be only a room or two away from my son every day!  This was important for me when evaluating new job opportunities and with Goodway, I found everything I wanted… and more!" -- Anne Lehr, digital research and strategy specialist, Holly, Mich.

And, from Lindy Jones, VP media operations, Waco, Texas: "I think it’s pretty safe to say I am the only person working in digital or programmatic advertising for about a 100-mile radius from my city! I started my career in Austin, which has ample technology opportunities -- but with that came a 2x a day hour(ish) commute to central Austin and time lost with my loved ones, time lost for myself, which many times was a drain on my sanity.  Goodway has afforded me the opportunity to move back ‘home’ to the country which fits my pace of life with the luxuries of fields, farms, night skies, and family. I have a 10-month-old, 2.5-year-old, and a 6-year-old, and the flexibility of working remotely has increased my quality of life, which in turns allows me to be more productive at work."

Philadelphia-based Goodway said that in 2016, it added more than 100 employees to its workforce, increasing its total headcount by 30%. And here’s a notable fact: Goodway is 75% female, with employees based in over 40 states. Yes, a 75% female workforce.

Goodway said its virtual workforce model enables it to grow quickly and nimbly, and to tap into a large pool of experts, many of them women, who live outside of the typical tech hubs such as, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. "It's no secret that in the ad-tech world, the gender ratio is out of balance. Our aim is to hire who's best for the job, and thanks to the distributed nature of Goodway Group, our employees can be based anywhere,” Jay Friedman, COO, Goodway Group, told RTBlog by email.

Goodway said it’s maintained a consistent 10:1 sales to support ratio.  Only about 10% of Goodway is directly in sales, while 75% is direct client support: media traders, account managers, campaign coordinators, strategists and planners, etc. The remaining 15% of the workforce is administrative.

Goodway Group was honored by Glassdoor as one of the Best Places to Work in 2017.

Have you heard about any companies in the ad tech, martech, or agency tech space actively recruiting women for mid- to advanced jobs? Let us know.