Gender diversity in tech is not a "nice to have" – it’s critical to solving today’s complex business issues

Technology matters – and it matters hugely because it can change our lives for the better. Technological innovations are reshaping everything from how we work, travel, spend and invest to how we look after our health, how we keep ourselves entertained and how we interact with others.

Yet, while the tech sector can celebrate many achievements, gender diversity is not one of them. Diversity, equity and inclusion are issues close to my heart, so a few weeks back I welcomed the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion about diversity in tech. I was glad to see that the sector increasingly acknowledges the scale of the challenge, but the discussion made me pause and reflect on the gap between realizing the challenge and acting on it in every sector, including our own.

If we are to succeed in driving change, we need to collectively take positive actions – and we need to take them now.

This say-do gap came through loud and clear in a recent EY survey too. According to EY Tech Horizon 2022, more than a quarter (26%) of technology transformation leaders acknowledge that insufficient progress in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is a significant challenge. Yet, less than half (44%) include diversity targets in their organization’s transformation strategies and initiatives.

Women continue to be significantly underrepresented in sectors that require disruptive technical skills. In cloud computing, they are estimated to make up only 14% of the workforce, for example. In engineering, they are estimated to make up 20% of the workforce, with that figure rising to just 32% in data and artificial intelligence. So, at present, we are all missing out by not giving women an equal opportunity to help reinvent our world through technology.

Action for diversity

If we are to succeed in driving change, we need to collectively take positive actions – and we need to take them now. Below, I am sharing some thoughts on the kinds of actions businesses can take, alongside examples of the steps we are taking at EY. While being acutely aware that as an organization we are on a journey similar to that of every other organization and that the road ahead is long, we have been laying the foundation and are slowly seeing results.

For the tech sector to succeed as an enabler of positive transformation, it cannot treat gender diversity as a "nice to have”, but as critical to solving today’s complex business issues.

1.??????Start at the top

There is currently a major shortage of senior female role models in tech. For example, research suggests that just 8% of chief technology officers globally are female. Women are more likely to join and remain in the tech industry, and rise through the ranks, if they can see female role models on the career ladder ahead of them. Boards and executive teams should therefore focus on ensuring that women have the opportunities to progress to the most senior tech roles within their organization and set strategies to make this happen.

To help nurture more female leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and role models in tech, both within EY and beyond, we have launched the EY Women in Technology (WiT) program. The program focuses on a wide range of activities including mentoring, education initiatives, encouraging female tech workers to register as role models and supporting female tech entrepreneurs through the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women? program. Going a step further, within certain areas of EMEIA, EY Women in Technology runs the Devi program, a case study-based program that helps to prepare high-potential managers and senior managers in Technology Consulting to progress their careers.

2.??????Provide proactive and intentional sponsorship

To get more female leaders, it is essential to support women at every level of the talent pipeline. Existing leaders should act as advocates for up-and-coming female talent and help to guide their career trajectories by opening doors and creating opportunities for them. That’s regardless of whether these women are transitioning into the organization as new recruits or are established employees trying to build their brands and networks.

To improve gender diversity at senior levels within our own Client Technology practice, we run a sponsorship program. Sponsors actively advocate for talented women, introduce them to their networks, suggest them for projects that boost their visibility and generally call out the great things they do.

3.??????Implement gender diversity targets and track progress against them

To change organizational behaviors and culture, it is crucial to set targets that specify the proportion of women who will hold roles at each level of the organization by a certain date. The organization should then monitor its performance against those targets over time, actively intervene in response to data that highlights inequity, work to ensure the proportionate promotion and progression of women, and review systems and processes to support equitable access and outcomes, regardless of gender.

EY has developed its own road map for committing to building the highest-performing teams through the power of diversity and to providing equitable growth opportunities to people around the world.

4.??????Promote tech careers to women at key life stages

Girls start to disengage from STEM at primary school for several reasons – one of which is gender stereotyping that portrays boys as better at science and math. We need to bust the stereotypes before they take hold by encouraging girls to study STEM subjects in school and at university. To that effect, EY has launched the EY STEM App, a fun and interactive learning tool that aims to inspire girls and young women to build meaningful careers in STEM and is co-leading Her Digital Skills, an initiative aimed at eliminating gender bias in technology, while collaborating with Girls Who Code, a non-profit organization that equips girls with computing skills.

A tech career should also be a real option for women who are returning to the workplace having taken time out to have a family. To close the gap between male and female hires in our Global Delivery Services in India that support Technology Consulting teams, EY is piloting a successful program called “Re-instate”. This initiative retrains women returning to work after a gap of between five and seven years by hiring them as interns and equipping them with tech skills. What we have seen is that the women hired in this way have been highly motivated and engaged and the retention rate is strong.

The diversity imperative

Innovation is the life blood of the tech sector. Yet, a lack of diversity is compromising the sector’s own capacity to innovate. For the tech sector to succeed as an enabler of positive transformation, it cannot treat gender diversity as a “nice to have”, but as critical to solving today’s complex business issues. We are all on a journey when it comes to gender equality – and neither EY, nor probably any other large organization, has reached the final destination. But it is our shared duty to do everything we can to close the digital gender divide. Starting today.