Gender Diversity in the Spanish IT Sector: Why it Matters and How to Increase It

Over the last few decades, women have made major strides to close the gender gap in many industries. Despite this, we are still a far way off from gender equity in the workplace. This is particularly true in some countries and industries. In Spain, there are very few women working in the tech industry, despite a current skill shortage and demand for workers.

Here we’ll look at the state of gender diversity in Spain’s tech sector, why it matters, and what hiring managers can do about it.

Women in Tech: The Stats

Only 31% of information technology (IT) professionals in Spain are women. Compared to other European countries—Poland at 36%, Finland at 43%, and Romania at 45%, for example—this is a relatively low number.?

There are two main contributing factors:

1.??Low enrolment in STEM programs. Studies show that STEM programs are less popular with women than with men in Spain, where the percentage of women oriented in technical, engineering and computer science careers barely reaches 25%. This is despite the fact that women perform equally as well as men, both during STEM studies and later in their career.

2.??Persistent gender biases, stemming from recruitment initiatives. “These biases are present in the selection processes from the moment the job offer is posted, where a more open term in terms of gender is not used. An example would be the difference between “Technical staff wanted” and “Technicians wanted”. In the second case, it is specified indirectly or unconsciously that they are looking for men. They are also present in job interviews, which favour the appearance of stereotype threats and interviewers may not capture the potential and talent of potential female candidates.” - Gender biases in IT sector

Why it Matters

The low rates of women both enrolling in STEM programs and working in the IT industry in Spain is concerning, in spite of ongoing efforts to improve this situation. Given that there is a current skill shortage in the IT industry in Spain, companies need to start looking at hiring a more diverse workforce.

There are an estimated 11.000 open positions in the IT sector in Spain at the moment. This represents a great opportunity for both women interested in moving into IT and companies to prioritise diverse hiring practices.

A more inclusive workplace culture matters because it allows companies to bring in the best talent, regardless of their gender or other demographic features. It’s a logical business decision—when there are positions to fill, you need to fill them with the best! By encouraging women into STEM programs and then into the IT industry, companies will have a broader talent pool to draw from, boosting the diversity, creativity, and productivity of their operations.

How to Close the Tech Gender Gap

To start closing the gender gap in the Spanish IT sector, employers need to make a concerted effort to recruit and hire more women. There are a few ways to do so:

• Address gender biases in the workplace. Creating an open, inclusive culture where women feel welcome and safe will help with retention. Companies who employ in Spain may want to take inspiration from Eastern European countries and companies, where gender parity is nearly 50:50 and there is cultural pride in their diverse workplaces.
• Focus recruitment on schools and areas where there are more women in technology. Data shows that there are higher percentages of women studying in technological fields at the following schools: CEF Centro de Estudios Financieros, EAE Business School, Universitat de Barcelona and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. When it comes to geography, there are more women in IT in cities like Pineda de Mar, Madrid, Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastian. Launching initiatives that target these areas might help companies tap into existing talent pools of women in the IT sector.

Allen Recruitment has extensive knowledge and insights about the IT industry in Spain and how to target and recruit diverse talent. We provide a full range of recruitment solutions, bringing companies and hiring managers options tailored to their specific hiring needs.

In Spain, we can help you close the gender gap and bring in diverse talent that fits your requirements. Let’s get in touch!