It’s a great time to be a woman in tech. More women are going into the field now than ever before, and you can find female representation at all levels of the industry.
But if you’re not working as a developer or engineer, it might seem like there’s not much else that you can do. This article will explore five ways that anyone – from students to those working in tech for decades – can get involved with supporting women in tech.
Key findings
Females are hesitant to pursue tech professions due to a lack of knowledge about what working in the sector entails and because no one is proposing it as an alternative to them. The lack of women role models is also helping to cement the idea that a tech profession isn’t for them.
Only 22% of students can name a prominent woman working in tech, according to a study. In contrast, two-thirds can point to a famous computer scientist.
This study shows that a quarter of female computer science students have been deterred from pursuing a career in technology because it is too male-dominated.
However, if you want to entice more female teens into the tech industry, show how tech is a force for good. Half of the women surveyed (49 percent) responded that feeling like their work helps make the world a better place is the most critical factor in choosing their future careers.
Three reasons why more women are needed in tech industry
Diversity generates more revenue
When compared to their counterparts, high-gender-diversity firms have delivered somewhat greater returns and outperformed less diversified businesses, on average, over the previous five years.
Hiring and retaining more women puts an organization at the forefront, giving it a competitive advantage to all stakeholders.
Hiring and retaining more women puts an organization at the forefront, giving it a competitive advantage to all stakeholders.
Women think differently
By nature, interacting with many teams necessitates people to think more clearly and prepare for other viewpoints. The presence of ladies sparks thoughts of variation in thinking and perspective, implying that they’ll have to work harder to re-establish a consensus.
Differently than males, women approach situations differently and contribute different views. This allows for enhanced problem solving and performance at the business unit level directly.
Female teens need role models
When women celebrate their female tech leaders, more young girls will be inspired to pursue their passions and professions in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and computer science, which will help to diversify the pool of job applicants.
Being a woman in the tech industry is not always easy, and being the only woman at the table may put an unexpected strain on you.
When you promote women in tech to senior positions, you’re telling the world that other females out there have a chance at succeeding.
How many women are working in tech?
In the US, women occupy less than 28% of technology jobs. This percentage is frightening, mainly since the tech industry is essential than ever today when companies and society rely more on technology (computer based-system).
Women in tech
The future of technology is limitless, and it offers endless possibilities to expand and develop. It’s a broad industry with many potentials for you to learn, modify, design, and specialize into your passion.
So why is there so much scarcity of resources and competence in the market when it comes to keeping up with this growth?
You can address a substantial portion of the competence gap by working harder to get more women into technology careers by looking at how many females work in technology-related jobs.
Women who already work in the profession are more likely to pursue jobs with your firm if you can identify and appeal to their interests.
What keeps female talents from the technology industry?
The following are some of the most significant reasons that women avoid working in the technology industry:
Glass ceiling
It should be fine without saying that everyone, regardless of gender, has the same opportunity for promotion. If you’re unfamiliar with the term “glass ceiling,” it’s a reference to a continuous barrier that prevents women from advancing in their careers.
The main barrier that many women confront when attempting to advance to manager status is why so many women in technical jobs leave their present workplace.
Although many companies value having more females in higher positions, women face difficulties obtaining innovative technical jobs and senior roles. According to a recent poll by Women in tech, women have fewer chances for advancement, and as much as 78% of respondents felt that men receive greater pay.
The male stereotype
The tech industry has a distinct gender identity, with the male archetype in the middle; there is still this idea of the typical computer geek who sits in his basement and coding.
This image and the notion that boys are superior in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) inhibit young women from studying or developing an interest in STEM-related courses.
The notion that boys are good at STEM-related courses than girls has yet to be debunked. Female teens think they must be exceptional at “masculine” jobs, underestimating their careers.
However, hearing that both genders are equally competent in STEM courses has improved girls’ test performance. As a result, the distinctions in performance between both genders disappear.
Gender pay gap
You could believe that industries have made significant progress in narrowing the gender pay gap, but that is not the case. According to several women in the tech industry, males appear to make more money than females. It revealed in research of US-based enterprises that women earn far less in certain technical positions:
- Business development – 27%
- Project Management 15%
- Software development – 13%
- Data science – 9%
According to a recent LinkedIn salary survey, women in the United States were paid 88 cents for every dollar men made. However, Hired claims that while the gender pay gap is narrowing, men are more frequently offered larger salaries for the same position at the same company 60% of the time.
5 ways to get more women into tech
The following are the top 5 ways to get women in tech to pursue a career in technology:
1. Build a recruitment brand
This affects everyone, not just women. Consider a firm you’d like to work for as their work environment, work-life balance, and financial and non-financial benefits. Do you recall where you learned about these factors?
The business may receive its information from a third party, but it’s more likely an excellent inbound recruitment brand. Make your company known for more than just the goods or services it offers, but also for its corporate culture, initiatives, and benefits.
Use your marketing strategies to help you enhance your recruitment plan by improving SEO and producing high-quality content online. You could start your conversations with the industry development and the most pleasing aspects of getting involved.
2. Training, mentorship and female networks
Women believe they have fewer chances for career advancement, which should not be the case. Companies that provide female mentorships and training to help women progress to senior management will attract women in their workplace while retaining existing employees.
Mentorship and training at companies may help alleviate feelings of inadequacy in their positions while improving their overall abilities.
3. Create an inclusive language and culture—in your company and in your hiring process
Women in tech have long complained about the use of language and bro culture (also known as boys club) in job descriptions that may make them feel excluded from job opportunities.
Females might get the impression that they should look for work elsewhere if their job descriptions include words like “mankind” or say things like “he” rather than “they.”
Females might get the impression that they should look for work elsewhere if their job descriptions include words like “mankind” or say things like “he” rather than “they.”
You might be wondering to learn that recent research found that only 38% of job descriptions use gender-neutral language. However, the decision to do so paid off when you attracted more candidates and lowered per-appeal expenses.
Also, you can set up a team-building activity that may include families and teams. It’s a great way to start fostering a sense of community at your company and not simply a group of coworkers. Team members will be more likely to help and support one another in the future.
4. Hire women for technical positions
There’s a general scarcity of women working in tech firms, particularly in technical roles. According to research, women only fill 1 of 4 technical jobs at America’s biggest tech companies.
On the other hand, female candidates may be discouraged if they visit your company and see all their coworkers in receptionist or office management roles.
This perception is fueled when employees believe they are being overlooked in favor of non-technical personnel. Begin by examining your hiring records to determine how many women hold technical jobs at the company.
There may be terrible findings, but first acknowledging them is the first step in resolving them. Consider what you can do if you discover that something is wrong.
For example, beginning a female mentorship program could make women feel more comfortable taking on and excelling in these roles, knowing that they will be given continuing assistance.
5. Encourage women to apply
To attract more women into a tech company, make sure your job postings are written in an appropriate language. According to research conducted by LinkedIn, women are less likely to apply for a job unless they have all of the necessary skills.
Men will apply if they possess six or more of the desired talent. Thus, having a gender-neutral language is critical to minimize prejudice. Only by separating the must-have abilities and nice-to-have skills could it hope to affect women’s decisions to apply for a job.
Another approach to attracting more women into tech is that female applications are much appreciated in job advertisements. According to the study, having a diverse team has improved creativity, innovation, and performance.
Furthermore, the most talented individuals are drawn to companies that care and work with diversity. Thus, assisting women returning to the workplace will also appeal to a diverse pool of candidates since they want to continue their careers.
The future of women in the tech industry
Several of the industry’s leading companies have established distinct graduate programs to address these problems. KPMG, for example, has launched a program called “IT’s Her Future” to increase the number of women in company technology jobs.
The initiative’s objective was to increase the talent pool by hiring grads from non-IT and non-STEM disciplines. From 2015 to 2018, the initiative increased the proportion of women in technical jobs from roughly 30% to more than 50%.
Thus, the tech industry still has a long way ahead to encourage more women into technology, which is critical in today’s fast-paced technological world.
