Celebrating the Women of Klang!

Tomorrow marks an important day in our calendars: International Women’s Day! Now, you may be wondering why we are posting this article a day early. The answer: In Berlin, International Women’s Day is recognized as a public holiday, which means that our office will be empty and Klangers will be scattered around the city enjoying the day off! To celebrate, we decided to talk to five different women at Klang (Maria, Alexandra, Anastasia, Catherine, and Norma) about their experiences as women in the industry and at Klang specifically.

One thing that all five women agreed on was the fact that now is the best time to be a woman in the games industry. “When I started working in the games industry back in 2009 it wasn’t such a wonderful place for women,” explains Maria, our Studio Operations Director. “We didn’t have the tools, culture, or education around the topic of gender equality that we have now.” Maria says that she has seen a lot of positive change when it comes to being a woman in the games industry. “I feel much more comfortable and happy to be working as a woman in games today.” Alexandra, our Animation Director, agrees that a lot has changed for women in games. “In the past, when there were fewer women in the industry, I found it hard to stay truthful to myself,” she recalls. “I would try to be more like my male counterparts, changing myself to fit in.” She says that this is no longer the case. “I realized that what I needed was to find my own voice and come to terms with the fact that my differences are actually my strengths.” Now that we've heard about the broader landscape of being women in the games industry, let's take a closer look at what it's like to be a woman here at Klang. Our Office Manager, Norma, says that the culture at Klang feels different than that of other companies that she’s worked for in the past. “Everyone at Klang is very good at being inclusive, not just of women but of anyone who feels different,” she says. “On top of that, it is a very diverse workplace, which helps cultivate this atmosphere.” Anastasia, our Senior 3D animator says that she values how Klang helps women in the company work towards their career goals. “At Klang, we are encouraged to define our goals and are supported in our growth,” she says. This diversity drew our Development Director, Cathy, to Klang in the first place. “When I interviewed at Klang and realized that the Co-CEO and Executive Producer was a woman, I was excited,” she says. But it’s not just Klang’s high amount of female representation that makes it a great place to work as a woman, it’s also because of the different systems in place. “Klang makes sure that women and other minorities are supported,” Cathy explains. “For example, our People Team does a great job of ensuring that throughout our compensation cycles. hiring panels, and other processes, there are built-in measures to prevent the introduction of bias.” Something that each of these Klangers mentioned in our talks was that being a woman in the games industry (but really any male-dominated industry) can be intimidating. Because of this, we asked them what would be their main piece of advice for women who are feeling this way. Here is what they said: Maria: It is easy to doubt your capabilities and experience, especially when you are faced with a male-dominated environment. Don’t forget that you can do it! If you put your mind to it, nobody is going to stop you. Alexandra: Stay true to yourself and listen to your inner voice. Don’t shy away from expressing yourself just because you are afraid of being judged. Anastasia: Believe in yourself! If you believe that you deserve the opportunities and projects that you desire, people will feel that in return. Norma: Trust in yourself, your abilities, and your experience. The skills you learn at every job, even small part-time ones, are important. Catherine: Find your allies. In my experience, you gain a lot of agency and power when you find other women (and people of all genders actually) who can support you and normalize what good looks like. Here’s to all the amazing women at Klang and beyond, Happy International Women’s Day!