Gender diversity in the tech industry has been an issue for years, with women continuing to be underrepresented, especially in senior leadership roles. Now, as a major shortage of tech skills threatens the digital transformation plans of companies all over the world, and flexible hybrid working becomes the norm, the gender gap could be starting to close.
The stats around women in tech, generally, paint a pessimistic picture. Research from cloud-based talent creation firm Revolent found that less than 5% of Fortune 500 tech companies' CEOs are female, a decline of 14% decline between 2016 and 2021. The study also found that 73% of female tech professionals believe gender inequality exists in the industry, while 64% of female tech workers don’t believe their employer pays men and women equally.
The company identified barriers such as a lack of female role models, uncomfortable company culture, and tech’s reputation for poor work-life balance that deter women from pursuing a career in tech.
According to Anna Sutton, cofounder of business consultancy The Data Shed, there are also misconceptions about working in tech. “People seem to think that to be able to work in tech, you have to be able to code,” she says. “Tech has a language that gets wielded in an exclusive manner which can feel insurmountable. We need to bust these myths and remove these hurdles. Diversity is imperative. Tech serves us all and the industry needs to represent that.”
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2022/03/24/will-hybrid-working-bring-more-female-talent-into-tech/?sh=580930265be0
The stats around women in tech, generally, paint a pessimistic picture. Research from cloud-based talent creation firm Revolent found that less than 5% of Fortune 500 tech companies' CEOs are female, a decline of 14% decline between 2016 and 2021. The study also found that 73% of female tech professionals believe gender inequality exists in the industry, while 64% of female tech workers don’t believe their employer pays men and women equally.
The company identified barriers such as a lack of female role models, uncomfortable company culture, and tech’s reputation for poor work-life balance that deter women from pursuing a career in tech.
According to Anna Sutton, cofounder of business consultancy The Data Shed, there are also misconceptions about working in tech. “People seem to think that to be able to work in tech, you have to be able to code,” she says. “Tech has a language that gets wielded in an exclusive manner which can feel insurmountable. We need to bust these myths and remove these hurdles. Diversity is imperative. Tech serves us all and the industry needs to represent that.”
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2022/03/24/will-hybrid-working-bring-more-female-talent-into-tech/?sh=580930265be0
