Letting women be ‘leaders of their own calendar’ will keep more women in tech

[Brianna White]

Better flexible working practices could solve many of the challenges around recruiting and retaining women in technology, according to an expert panel speaking at a recent Levelling Up Women event hosted by Supermums.
There is also a disconnect between what attracts women to technology careers initially, and their subsequent experiences working in the sector that needs to be overcome. This became clear to Alana Karen, Director of Search Platforms at Google, during the process of researching her book ‘Adventures of Women in Tech’.
One of the questions Karen asked the 80 women she interviewed was what they liked about working in tech. Their answers were broadly similar and fit into four themes:

• The opportunity to change the world and make a difference.
• The opportunity to grow, thrive and progress in their career.
• A culture that matched their values and how they wanted to experience the world.
• Financial circumstances, with jobs in tech tending to be more lucrative.

However, as the women progressed through their career, typically where they struggled was the jobs or organizations weren't supporting those things that drew them to tech in the first place. This was for various reasons - the jobs started to stagnate and the growth opportunities weren't there; managers didn’t foster a great culture leading to a bad experience; over time, the work didn’t give them a feeling they were making a difference; or some of the pay raises had stopped. Karen added:
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