The Tech industry continues to be male-dominated with the ratio of men to women within the engineering sector standing at 5:1 in 2022!

Unfortunately, further ‘women in tech’ statistics display the lack of female representation within the industry:

In 2020, around 23% of Google’s employees in the US were female.
Only 37% of Tech start-ups have at least one woman on the board of directors.
Women only hold about 14% of Software Engineering and 25% of Computer Science related jobs.
30% of women over the age of 35 are still in junior positions.

Although there has been a recent improvement in gender diversity across Tech organisations, with currently 25.5% of female Google leaders on a global scale, there is still a long way to go in closing the gender gap within STEM industries.

“It’s not totally the tech companies’ fault that women are underrepresented in technology. Yes, they absolutely hold a fair amount – if not most – of the responsibility. But women must be encouraged by the educational system and welcomed into computer science degree programs to land jobs in tech, and that isn’t currently happening.”

To read more of this article click here: Empowering Guide for Women in Tech

Below are a few ways to put your business on track to achieving gender diversity:

1. TACKLE UNCONSCIOUS BIAS

Often, we are guilty of being biased without even noticing. Imagine a CEO, is it a man? Imagine a Nurse, is it a woman? Well, imagine someone working in Tech, is it a man? There are several ways companies can tackle unconscious bias, such as through training programmes, blind screening in recruitment and providing support groups for those who have similar interests. Discrimination is a huge factor that puts women and underrepresented groups off entering the technology sector, so recognising it and removing it from your organisation will reinforce a positive working environment for those who are underrepresented.

2. ENSURE EQUAL PAY

Adjusting employee pay so women and men in similar roles are earning similar amounts will help to increase diversity in Tech. Therefore, assess your staff’s wages and make adjustments if and where necessary. Giving an equal number of bonuses to both women and men in an organisation can also help attract and retain diverse employees as it shows equal opportunity to grow.

3. SUPPORT RETURNERS

Individuals who return to the Tech sector tend to find it difficult to do so as they are always overlooked, this is especially the case with women. Therefore, hiring returnees can be a solution for employers when improving their gender diversity goals. Furthermore, hiring someone who has years of industry experience but maybe needs to brush up on their skills will be more cost and time-effective for an organisation than hiring someone new to the industry that needs to be trained from scratch.

4. SUPPORT APPRENTICES

Implementing on-the-job training is a great way of gaining a more broadened talent pool. With a lack of diversity in the Tech industry, employers should consider offering apprenticeships as a way to entice a more diverse crowd – females who are interested in Tech but don’t want to fully commit to a Tech role so soon.