Jarle Gjerde, Department Manager, has been committed from the start to increasing the representation of women in the office. 

“My philosophy is that we perform best when all genders are well represented. Through my work with clients, I've seen firsthand the impact gender balance has in different workplaces. When I was given the opportunity to establish a department in Bergen, diversity was a priority from the very beginning.” 

Gjerde believes that a balanced team benefits both collaboration and overall performance.

“Women bring a high level of conscientiousness and dedication to their work. They tend to take great pride in what they do. At the same time, having a more diverse team leads to broader conversations around the lunch table, with less focus on football and ‘guy stuff,’ which adds value to the workplace.” 

Addressing the gender gap in IT 

At the same time, he acknowledges a major challenge in recruiting female developers. 

“We employ student workers from IT engineering programs, where the gender ratio is highly uneven—out of an entire class, only eleven are women, while over a hundred are men. Since all companies are sourcing talent from the same disproportionately distributed pool, shifting this imbalance in the workforce remains a challenge.” 

Despite this challenge, Gjerde is pleased with the progress at the Bergen office. 

“Right now, we have eleven women out of 45 employees. That’s about 20%, but we aim to increase this further.” 

One of their successful recruitment initiatives was Camp Adam, a summer program in 2024 where nine IT students combined summer jobs with intensive training and exams. The program provided some unexpected insights. 

“At the start, we ranked participants based on who we thought would perform best. After six weeks, our initial impressions were proven wrong. Some candidates who stood out at the end were not the ones we expected at the beginning.” 

One of the top performers was a student in the later stages of pregnancy who excelled in exams and demonstrated exceptional skills. She will join the department as a developer in September after her maternity leave. Gjerde acknowledges that biases still exist when hiring women in the industry, particularly regarding pregnancy and extended leave.

“A year goes by quickly. Caregiving responsibilities offer valuable knowledge and insights that can be applied at work. My goal is for women in the workplace to have the same opportunities as men.” 

Jarle Gjerde, Department Manager at Omega 365 Solutions in Bergen.

Small adjustments, big impact 

The department has not made specific changes to job postings or marketing strategies to attract more women. 

“We rely on our strong reputation and close relationships with educational institutions. Our talented employees recommend Omega 365 as a great workplace, which naturally attracts more female applicants.” 

However, retaining team members is just as important as recruiting them. 

“We also make small adjustments to improve the workplace, such as providing feminine products in restrooms. These details matter.” 

Gjerde also sees potential in establishing a women’s network. 

“It could strengthen the entire organization. There’s a lot that we older men can learn from the younger women entering the field. These initiatives should not be viewed as a burden but as value creation. Networks can also provide crucial support for women in their careers.” 

Gjerde has noticed certain challenges that female employees frequently face. 

“Women are more likely to be overshadowed by their male colleagues. Even when they have the same competence and value, they don’t always take up space in the same way. Additionally, we see that women in general tend to take more sick leave when their children are unwell.” 

He also points out that women often feel the need to deliver 100% at all times while undervaluing their own work, which can become a barrier to career growth. 

“We must be considerate, but we also need to avoid reinforcing stereotypes. As employers, we have a responsibility to create opportunities for women to develop in their roles, take on leadership positions, and feel confident in their contributions. At Omega 365, our philosophy of 'big enough to deliver, small enough to care' applies to all genders.” 

Thriving in the IT industry 

Leni Margrethe Skotte was the first female employee at the Bergen office. She now works as a systems developer, primarily with a client and Document Management, while also leading the Task Force Performance, specializing in SQL performance and optimization. However, IT was not her initial career choice. 

“I was curious about IT right after high school, but the thought of pursuing a science-heavy degree and my lack of experience in computers made me dismiss it.” 

Instead, she studied social work and spent three years working in child protection services. Her partner, who worked in IT, eventually led her to reconsider her career path. 

“He had a good salary and great benefits. It was frustrating to see the stark differences in our work situations. Women often accept low-paying jobs and settle for them. I wasn’t happy in social work and wanted a change." 

From the left: Ida Herabakka and Leni Margrethe Skotte, System Developers at Omega 365 Solutions in Bergen.

Becoming a role model 

After having a daughter, she made an active career decision. 

“I wanted to set an example by pursuing work that truly interested me, rather than following a conventional path.” 

She enrolled in information science at the University of Bergen. 

“The learning curve was steep, and the workload was intense. We had three assignments per week, and the material was tough—but I loved it from day one. Even though it was challenging, I found it rewarding to work in a field where answers were clear-cut.” 

Skotte is happy to see more women joining the industry. 

“I recommended Ida, Ingrid, and Ragnhild for positions here. I’ve done my part in recruitment,” she laughs. 

However, she notes that many women still choose traditional career paths. 

“Women tend to gravitate towards caregiving roles. We need to stop thinking in terms of ‘this is what I’ve done, so this is all I can do.’ Coding was originally a female-dominated field, but few people know that. We need to take on bigger challenges, even in unfamiliar areas.” 

She praises the IT industry and the work environment in Bergen. 

“The conditions are excellent, and I feel valued. Plus, you can really develop expertise in something. It’s especially satisfying when you become better than the guys! The great work culture at our Bergen office is a key reason we stay. I hope we can maintain that.” 

A passion for technology from an early age  

Ida Herabakka, a systems developer from Suldal, first joined the Bergen office as a student employee before writing her master’s thesis with Omega 365 and securing a permanent position. 

“I grew up reading 'Teknisk Ukeblad' at home and chose information technology as an elective in high school. I loved it so much that I decided to study information science at UiB.”  

After three years of undergraduate studies, she pursued a master’s degree in software development. 

“It sounded exciting and offered flexibility in choosing a thesis topic. That’s when Jarle suggested I write about Omega 365. I ended up researching Monte Carlo simulations in the estimation product, which was both interesting and fun.” 

Today, she enjoys her work and encourages others to consider IT as a career. 

“If you have logical thinking skills and a passion for learning, this is the right field. The work is dynamic—no two problems are the same. Even when developing similar solutions, there are always unique challenges to consider.” 

However, both she and Skotte acknowledge the challenges Gjerde highlighted regarding women in the industry. 

“It can be both a strength and a weakness to strive for perfection. If I develop something new and it’s not 100% foolproof, I start overthinking. But sometimes, ‘good enough’ really is good enough,” says Herabakka. 

Skotte adds, “In meetings, women often wait their turn, while men take the floor. Being asked for input and feeling heard is crucial for professional growth.” 

Both believe that networks are valuable in encouraging more women to pursue IT careers. 

“We’re seeing more women enter the field after us, and that’s a great sign,” says Skotte.