Women in HR

Why do women continue to dominate the HR world?

By our Chief Human Resource Officer: Marina Shvoeva

HR is the only professional field which requires leadership qualities and is also dominated by women. In fact, a recent study from Zippia has shown that women continue to be underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, including IT. The world of HR, however, is still populated with a greater number of women than in other more technical roles. In fact, 70% of human resources managers in the United States today are female, with a total of just under 210 thousand in the country alone, compared to just under 90 thousand men in HR leadership roles – that’s a remarkable 17% increase on the previous year.

Skills & Qualifications: Women tend to possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, which are crucial for success in HR.

Empathy: Women are known for their ability to understand and empathise with employees – a key attribute for any HR professional worth their salt.

Networking: Women tend to enjoy a robust network of support in the HR community, helping them to advance quicker than their male counterparts and succeed in their careers.

Focused on diversity and inclusion: HR teams are often tasked with promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Women bring a valuable perspective to these initiatives.

Work-life balance: HR positions often offer flexible work arrangements along with the option to work from home, which may appeal to those women who are balancing their career and family obligations.

Nurturing nature: HR professionals are often perceived as being the ‘caretakers’ of an organisation, and their innate tendencies towards nurturing align with HR roles.

When it comes to the IT sector, women have always been grossly underrepresented, but we can see that the sector’s natural lean towards reforming and innovating presents a huge opportunity to reimagine the status quo. For women in IT, their professional trajectory has never been easy. They have faced countless challenges – from the preconceived notions of society that technology is a man's domain, to unwelcoming and hostile environments that sometimes still persist within the industry. But the women I know who have forged ahead, undaunted, have done so by banding together and forming networks, support systems, and communities to help each other overcome these hurdles. And the impact that these women have had on the IT world cannot be overstated. We bring a new perspective, a fresh outlook, and a diversity in our ways of thinking that has the potential to transform the industry. We have created innovative solutions, developed cutting-edge technologies, and have redefined the role of women in the workplace.

And yet, we still see cases of gender pay gaps and bias in promotions and opportunities. As such, I am proud to be leading HR at Noventiq, a company which has shown itself to be committed to redressing this balance by actively working towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. In FY 2022 Noventiq hired 144% (!) more women than in FY 2021, a year which saw us take the decision to develop our diversity. In some of our subsidiaries (mostly in Europe) the ratio of men to women working for the company is now around 52% to 48% – a fantastic result! Beyond Europe, there is still work to be done. Our Indian operations, for example, are bringing our average down quite significantly. However, our efforts demonstrate that change is possible. In the MEA region, a society which is traditionally dominated by men, we now have more women than men in the company! And an IT company at that! I am immensely proud of the course that we have set with respect to diversity, and fully intend to help effect further change at Board level in FY 2023!