Tackling Gender Inequality in Tech

The statistics speak for themselves; while women account for just under half of the entire workforce, they account for only 26% of all tech jobs. Sadly, this number has been declining over the past decade and has only accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To make matters worse, the turnover rate for women in tech is more than double (41% vs. 17%) of their male counterparts. Nearly 1 in 4 women who leave their tech job take a non-technical job at another company.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a female leader tell me about her experience attending a technical conference. She said she could literally count on both hands the number of women in attendance compared to the hundreds of men in attendance. For many women in the tech field, this has become “normal” or “just the way it is.”

Even if you are not convinced that we have a strong moral imperative to address this disparity, there is a business argument to be made for creating more opportunities for women in tech. In North America, for the first time beginning in 2019, women use the internet more than their male counterparts. They use their mobile phones more and are the quickest adopters and largest users of social media platforms. They are also the largest group of online shoppers (goods, services, healthcare, etc.) and interact more with online businesses than men. In addition, they own more tech devices than men do. 

With women being such a large consumer of tech, companies can make a strong business case that they can financially benefit by ensuring their workforce mirrors the gender makeup of those that utilize their products and services. 

While there are a variety of reasons why tech is struggling to attract and retain talent, there are several things we can all do to help be part of the solution. 

IT STARTS IN THE SCHOOLS

My son was recently pursuing a computer science degree in college. While taking his coding and computer network class, I asked him how many women were in his class. He answered and said, none. Not one single woman in his entire application coding or networking class in college. Clearly, this highlights the broader issue where women are not choosing to pursue a technology degree path.

Oftentimes, when I tell people I work in the technology field, they think of someone sitting in a dimly lit room (by choice), eating pizza, drinking caffeinated beverages and writing software code, or working on various infrastructure components. While that can be an accurate description of some, there is a lot more to the tech field than this. As business is transforming, IT needs to continue to evolve to meet those needs is changing as well. 

Tech jobs that did not exist in the 1990s, or even a decade ago, are now just a critical as the individuals doing the application coding or infrastructure support. 

Some of these roles include project management, cybersecurity, IT governance, business analyst, IT finance, mobile platform development, etc. 

As IT’s roles evolve, we need to promote the traditional tech roles and these new opportunities with school-age girls to understand how broad the tech field is. We also need to continue to find ways to promote STEM program opportunities in schools and allow girls/women to explore their interests in the tech field. 

REVISIT OUR HIRING PRACTICES

Hiring is a lot like fishing. If you fish in a spot that only has freshwater fish, you will only catch freshwater fish. If you want saltwater fish, you need to go where the fish are. One of the biggest complaints I hear is that women do not apply for tech job postings. I think some of this may result from how we are writing the job descriptions and where we are posting the jobs at. In our organization, we have told all of our recruiters that if they find a qualified female candidate, they must include them in the hiring pool. Additionally, we continually work with our local community colleges and universities, asking them to notify us of any female students in their classes that they recommend we speak with. 

Another good way to find qualified candidates is to work with organizations that promote women in tech. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is a big supporter of women in healthcare tech and has some great programs to encourage women to enter the tech field. Reaching out to a local or national organization is a great way to find qualified candidates searching for a career opportunity.

THE IMPORTANT ROLE MENTORING PLAYS

I have had numerous conversations with female leaders and read a lot about why we are failing to attract and retain women in tech. The theme I continue to hear is lack of mentoring. Nancy Wang, CEO and Co-founder of Advancing Women in Product (AWIP), said “she believes the lack of women in technical roles stems from the lack of mentors and skills-based training.” 

Knowing that mentoring is a critical success factor, organizations should provide active opportunities for both men and women to be both mentors and mentees. This can be done through the introduction of a formal mentoring program for current employees. Also, pairing new hires (specifically women) with a mentor when they join the organization can help them navigate tech’s nuances and give them someone they can go to for questions and support. 

PROVIDE AN EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT

As with any diversity initiative, if the desire to hire is to simply “check a box,” then the organization’s culture will never be inclusive and equitable to all. It is important for all involved that women be treated with equity on every level. 

This means they have equal access to advancement opportunities, an equal voice with everyone else in the room and on the team, and equal pay for their work. 

I would encourage every leader to partner with their HR department and go through the exercise of ensuring women are paid equally with their male counterparts. This allows any income disparity (whether unintentional or otherwise) to be addressed fairly and equitably to all. This partnership with HR is also important when hiring new employees to ensure the salary offered is equal pay for equal work, regardless of who the candidate is.

A WORD ABOUT #METOO

The #metoo movement has been a very impactful movement that brought to light many of the inequities and downright disturbing mistreatment of women in the workforce. Thankfully, some of the brave women who shared their stories have shined a light on these issues and led to some much-needed reform. This has also led to a change in the workforce training and, in many ways, corporate culture. 

As with any movement throughout history, there are unintended consequences that happen as well. One of these is the reluctance by some male colleagues to now mentor female colleagues. This came to light in a leadership session I attended from a national law firm seeking to educate leaders entitled “Managing in Light of #metoo.” The female attorney who was giving the course got the end of the presentation and opened things up for Q&A. A man from the back raised his hand and said, “What would you say to a male manager who is reluctant to now mentor female employees for fear of an accusation - now or in the future.” Several men in the room verbally supported that question, and the attorney went on to say that this is the top question she is getting from men across the country. We need to be careful that this is not an excuse to avoid mentoring and supporting women in technology or leadership roles. 

It is not enough for us to sit back and think someone else will address this issue. As tech leaders, we all have a responsibility to attract the best talent to our teams - this includes women. Part of our legacy will be judged on how well we paved the way for future generations, specifically women, to enter and succeed in the technology field.

Women have, and continue to make, outstanding contributions in tech. Their input, advice, and expertise have made a positive impact on my own career. I am thankful to work with so many talented and strong women today. As an industry, now is the time to encourage, promote, and support women entering the field and those who work alongside us every day.