Tech industry is one of the fastest growing businesses in this decade. Once known to be largely male-dominated, what is the state of gender equality in the tech industry today? To celebrate #IWD2022, HR in Asia is publishing a series of articles discussing women’s achievements and challenges in the workplace. In this article, we will discuss women in tech’s struggles when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder.
Women in Tech: Issues with Leadership and Growth
A joint survey by Pluralsight and Women Who Code was conducted in an effort to understand what challenges women in tech professions face in the workplace, and what changes need to be made. More than 1,500 women respondents said that having more female role models at the workplace would be beneficial for them. Further, when asked what the biggest challenges were in their careers, respondents listed:
The research revealed that more than twice as many women in leadership positions reported being held back by male-dominated work settings as women in mid-level or lower positions. Male coworkers are more likely to be promoted than female colleagues, according to nearly half of respondents aged 21 to 49.
Aaron Skonnard, CEO of Pluralsight, said that the study aimed to help shed light on what workplace obstacles women working in tech roles are currently facing. It has been proven that having more women in tech leads to greater corporate outcomes.
Matter of Confidence
When asked what issues were holding them back in their career, respondents indicated lack of confidence as the most concerning, followed by male-dominated work environments. This lack of confidence appears to have an influence on how women in their early careers (20s and 30s) handle workplace dynamics, such as asking for a raise or promotion. While more than 20% of respondents in this age category aspire to be a vice president or C-level executive, more than half of those surveyed said they were uncomfortable asking for a raise, and nearly half said they were uncomfortable asking for a promotion. Only 25% of people of all ages felt confident asking for a raise.
Read Also: Steps to Create a Women-Friendly Work Environment
Alaina Percival, CEO of Women Who Code, shared her take on this matter. She stated that it is critical for the industry as a whole to establish a more accepting and inclusive environment for women, who have traditionally been underrepresented. It is also essential to provide women with every chance and resource to succeed, both for their own well-being and for the economic stability of the country.
Tips for Companies to Retain Women in Tech
There needs to be actionable initiatives to keep women in the tech industry as well as giving them chances for leadership. Here are some tips for companies to retain women in tech:
Mentoring is one of the finest strategies to keep female top talents, as continuous upgrade of knowledge and skill sets assist such bright workers seek new challenging tasks inside a company for professional advancement chances.
Flexible work hours arrangement is an appealing concept and one of the top employee advantages for retaining top talent since most women seek to maintain a work-life balance.
Organizing events where female talent is allowed to share their opinions without being judged on their gender and is given equal opportunity for professional advancement in a company encourages women to stay with the business for a longer period of time.
HR managers should strive to nurture people on a personal level in addition to professional growth and upskilling talent, regardless of race or gender. When an employee is given every opportunity to achieve his or her own objectives while working for a company, it acts as a reason to keep women in the workplace, improve performance, and thus increase productivity.
Many HR managers are focusing on diversity and inclusion programs these days, and reputable companies are making genuine attempts to develop a workplace culture that manages multi-generational talent and encourages workforce diversity.
Pursuing equality in leadership for women in the tech industry is a long way to go, but it is surely worth the effort. Tech industry should not be perceived as a male-dominated industry, since women are just as capable in doing tech job functions. Employers need to be aware of this and take initiatives to pursue equality in this growing industry.
Read Also: Technology as an Equalizer for Women at Work: Q&A with Akansha Wahi from LARK
