Women in Tech: time to close the gap
Reading about the current gender gap in the UK workforce may make you think you grabbed a newspaper from a few decades’ past. Nope, it is the 21st century, but many industries are still struggling to close the gender gap within their companies.
But why? Women are more prevalent in the UK workforce than ever before, and yet, many businesses are struggling to hire and retain their female staff members.
Let’s break down the numbers
In a recent study conducted by Women in Tech Foundation, it confirmed only 11% of the engineering workforce is female. Not to mention, only 24% of computing positions are held by women. This figure gets even smaller for black and Hispanic women holding just 3% of tech positions and Asian women only holding 5% (shocking, we know).
Women leave the tech industry at a staggering 45% higher rate than men, but it’s no wonder when 20% of women over 35 in the industry are “held up” at junior level positions. A recent Tech Nation report investigated diversity in UK tech companies and revealed that 77% of tech director roles are filled by men.
Statistics like this not only make us question how we can encourage more women to enter the tech workforce, but what else needs to be done to attract women into senior and leadership positions, because both the workforce and board level have an under representation of females.
What can be done?
Closing the gender gap is a tough challenge to take on, but it’s a challenge to take on, and one that will benefit everyone immensely. For instance, many women in the workforce have experienced toxic work environments and have experienced harassment in the workplace. According to a new report from Women Who Tech, 50% of women founders and women working in tech have experienced harassment.
Another example: The application process has a considerable impact on whether women in technology apply for a role, with 66% of respondents being confident that they can spot a toxic work environment during the application process.
Something as simple as creating a positive work environment or changing the vernacular of a job application can make all the difference for your business inclusivity and productivity. But simple changes can be hard to achieve without predictive planning and thoughtful consideration.
How can an RPO Talent Partner make the difference?
Having a strategic partner in the hiring and team building process can give you the insight you need to create a more positive and inclusive workplace.
Would you like to find out what you can do to close the gender gap?
Get in touch with Procurex Talent Solutions to learn more! You can email our team specialists anytime at [email protected] or connect with us on LinkedIn @procurex-ts