What's the state of play for Women in Tech in 2023?
Lisa Schofield
Recruiter & Account Manager - client focused, with a passion for Inclusion and Diversity, Driving growth through effective business partnering, and tailored solutions.
There's no hiding from the fact the tech industry is thriving. Over 95% of placements Brookwood work are tech related.
According to Innovate Finance in 2022 total capital invested in FinTech globally reached $92 billion!
Yet, women are still massively underrepresented within this sector. Why?
Although there have been some changes and improvements when it comes to gender diversity in the technology sector the changes are often still too slow.
Data from 2022 revealed that if the pace of change continues at the same rate, a 50/50 gender split in the technology industry will not be achieved until 2060. But there are still several initiatives and groups pushing for change
Currently, just 19% of UK tech workers are women?and only one in ten women are currently taking A-Level computer studies.
A survey of 500 employees in the?UK tech sector?found that about?60%?think their companies could do more to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment.
Women in work: 2023 and beyond.
There has been significant improvement in the overall representation of women in two key areas: leadership (in a few key sectors, not all); and traditionally male-dominated roles like tech, logistics and construction.
Whilst improvements have been made, in some sectors there is not?enough?momentum, and work still needs to be done.
Are any industries outperforming others regarding female representation?
There are some silver linings, and the attention raising by consistently knocking on the gender pay gap door is starting to shift our workplace cultural brackets to the good.
Contemporary reports - such as?The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality?- shine a light on companies that are breaking the glass ceiling for their communities and their workers.
Enterprises such as MI5, Enterprise Rentals, Burges Salmon LLP, PepsiCo UK & Ireland, Lloyds Banking Group and Fujitsu are leading the line for better workplace representation.
The case for equality in finance sector
In an industry that we recruit in to - financial services, there are multiple reports on the state of gender parity that we urge everyone to read, such as the PwC Gender Pay Gap and Diversity report, The Gender Pay Gap in the UK Banking Industry 2022 report by TIC Finance, and ongoing reporting by Bloomberg.
In short - it’s better for business if there are equal opportunities in the workplace.
Research has shown that firms with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer higher-quality customer experiences.
The bottom line
It’s widely known that a more equal, representative workforce results in better business outcomes, better staff retention, better performance, and better recruitment pipeline management. It’s clear that visibility matters. The time has come for everyone to do what they can to erode legacy ways of thinking about gender-based impacts on work and help?everyone?equally.?
More businesses are trying to address gender imbalance, and a government backed initiative?Tech Talent Charter?invites companies to sign up and commits participants to adopt recruitment and retention practices to create a more diverse tech workforce, setting clear goals and being transparent about results. The charter now has 700 plus signatories, with big names including Capgemini, Vodafone and Lloyds Banking Group, as well as many medium-sized tech firms and start ups.
It's clear from the stats that we still have some way to go, however things are changing and companies are far more aware of the issues within the tech industry.
How can we help?
At Brookwood all our job adverts are fully optimised to avoid gender bias and make them fully inclusive, ensuring our clients reach the best and most diverse talent pool.
If you would like to see how we tailor your latest job advert for inclusion, diversity and SEO please just drop an email to?[email protected] and we'll send you a fully optimised advert to compare against current ads.
References;
https://hbr.org/2021/04/research-adding-women-to-the-c-suite-changes-how-companies-think#:~:text=Research%20has%20shown%20that%20firms,top%20management%20teams%20(TMTs).?
computerweekly.com
Thanks for sharing Lisa, interesting article!
HR Specialist I Recruitment Professional I Mental Health Advocate I Currently studying CIPD Level 5
1 年2060! Really insightful and a lot of progress to be made