The year 2023 is already proving to be a banner year for gender representation in tech. In February, 52% of all BairesDev applicants were women, showing an upward trend at the beginning of 2023.
Our landmark “Women in Tech 2022” report showed enormous growth in female applicants—400% between 2015 and 2021. Data from this report was published on Statista. We are delighted to see more positive news in terms of gender representation in the tech industry.
Diversity has always been a priority for BairesDev, and in recent years, we have ramped up our efforts to improve gender representation and be inclusive of other underrepresented minorities in tech. Publishing this report was one step toward this goal. Another example is our Giveback Program, through which we make donations to organizations that educate, train, and boost diverse individuals for careers in tech.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of work that still needs to be done. There are plenty of op-eds encouraging women to be their own advocates and conquer the tech world. Unfortunately, women themselves aren’t the gatekeepers of this highly lucrative, highly coveted industry. They are not the only ones holding themselves back. Decades-long systems, structures, and barriers—as well as individuals and business norms—have kept women in the margins.
Women in male-dominated industries have always faced obstacles, far more so than their male counterparts. Creating inclusive environments for women and other underrepresented groups will demand meaningful efforts from industry leaders, all businesses in the sector—small, medium, and large, across every niche—and each and every individual. Yes, that encompasses women, but it also includes allies.
We are—hopefully—looking toward a future where the gender divide is nonexistent in technology, one where women in technology are not a rarity but a norm.
With clear evidence that all diversity, including gender diversity, is correlated with improved financial performance, there is an obvious rationale for improving the gender balance—or, rather, correcting the gender imbalance in technology. Beyond that, tech companies, and the industry as a whole, are by now aware that brand reputation, employee satisfaction, and retention depend, in part, on their diversity awareness and initiatives.
Isn’t it time that we take a hard look at gender in the world of technology?
The Gender Gap in Technology
According to McKinsey & Company’s “Women in the Workplace 2021” report, women’s representation improved at all levels of corporate employment in 2020. However, at the same time, the report found that initial promotions to manager from individual contributor are not equitable. Just 28% of senior management roles across industries were held by women.
Women of color, meanwhile, lag well behind white women at every step, and by the C-suite level, representation of women of color has decreased by more than 75%.
The picture of women in technology is even bleaker. In IT, just 26% of computer science-related jobs are held by women.
This is not to say the technology industry is not making strides to improve gender diversity. The Deloitte report shows that “high-profile” tech companies are projected to continue to improve gender diversity. Smaller tech companies, however, have fewer resources at their disposal and are facing greater challenges when it comes to increasing diversity. Moreover, they often lack the means to establish targets and be as transparent as their larger counterparts.
BairesDev’s “Women in Tech” report does show some promising trends and insights when it comes to women in tech statistics. As we discussed, an analysis of our applicant data between 2015 and 2021 shows an upward trend in applications from women. During the 2020-2021 period, for example, 41% of all applications for tech positions were from women, a 400% increase from 5 years prior. And, of course, in January 2023 alone, more than half of all our applicants were women.
We’re also seeing more and more tech companies that are establishing programs and initiatives to move the needle on gender diversity and improve the imbalance in their organizations.
What Challenges Do Women Face in the Tech Industry?
There is no doubt that women in technology face greater challenges and obstacles than their male counterparts. According to the McKinsey study, across industries, “Women are often held to higher performance standards than men, and they may be more likely to take the blame for failure.”
The “likeability bias” may be partly to blame. “Likeability bias is rooted in age-old expectations,” according to LeanIn.org. “We expect men to be assertive, so when they lead, it feels natural. We expect women to be kind and communal, so when they assert themselves, we like them less.”
Caregiving Challenges
Of course, these double standards are not the only factor to blame when it comes to this issue.
A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey of nearly 1,200 leaders in tech, including both men and women, finds that 44% of female respondents spend more than 20 hours per week on caregiving activities, while only 33% of male respondents said the same. Meanwhile, 41% of women of color said this had a negative impact on their work-life balance, in contrast to just 28% of white women.
The challenges with work-life balance were exacerbated by the pandemic, during which satisfaction in this regard dropped by 38 points, according to Deloitte, while the ability to “switch off” work dropped by 19 points. And less than one-third of respondents said their employer had increased access to flexible work models and options in light of changing dynamics and structures.
In fact, more than half the women surveyed in the Deloitte study have been feeling less optimistic about their career prospects in light of the pandemic, with a full 57% expecting to leave their employer for a new role within two years, largely due to issues with work-life balance.
BCG research shows that diversity, equity, and inclusion progress often slows in the wake of economic crises, and in this case, challenges appear to be disproportionately affecting women.
Stagnancy at Work
“For entry-level positions, there are a lot of good initiatives that bring women into IT,” said Nandini Easwar, CTO and co-founder of Speakfully. “The challenge happens when it comes to growing up that ladder.”
This may hearken back to the idea that people of different genders are held to different standards in the tech industry and beyond.
Research shows that women are indeed trying to secure leadership roles, but they aren’t being promoted at the same rate as men in the tech sector.
Could Women Be the Solution to the Developer Shortage Problem?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the global talent shortage of software engineers could reach 85.2 million by 2030. Around the world, tech companies are coping with challenges with recruiting and retaining tech professionals—and losing revenue as a result. They are also facing stiff competition in the war for tech talent.
It is obvious that tech companies need new strategies when it comes to cultivating and nurturing tech talent. And while there is no one obvious solution, embracing diversity is an important step—one that will have myriad benefits.
Female voices have long been underrepresented in the tech industry. When tech companies change their recruitment practices and strategies to attract women and other underrepresented groups in the sector, they could very well find a wealth of untapped talent. Moreover, embracing these different backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions could also lead to greater innovation—a necessity in the tech field.
Case Studies
How are businesses in the tech sector boosting gender diversity? These are just a few of the tech companies that are making strides in this regard.
“We’ve made diversity, inclusion, and belonging our number one priority when it comes to the talent at LinkedIn,” said Rosanna Durruthy, LinkedIn’s Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Part of these efforts include releasing annual diversity data to the public, thereby holding themselves accountable. Recent data shows that the company is 45% female.
LinkedIn is continuing to make strides in improving gender diversity by partnering with outside organizations and nonprofits. Through one initiative, LinkedIn has worked with Melinda Gates and Pivotal Ventures, promoting and providing STEM education to young women of color.
In a 2021 report, LinkedIn stated that representation of women in leadership “remained stable at 41.8%” within the company and remains a focus across geographic areas. The report also shows progress in the representation of women in tech roles.
One way LinkedIn is promoting diversity—gender and otherwise—is through employee resources groups (ERGs). The company has more than 500 ERG leaders, whom it calls the “futures leaders of LinkedIn’s business.” To that end, LinkedIn introduced Distinguish, a program that recognizes the contributions of global ERG co-chairs.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite has introduced a number of programs, policies, and initiatives to improve gender diversity. In 2020, the social media management platform partnered with World Woman Foundation to launch the “Digital Gender Diversity Impact Report” and World Woman Hour, aimed at mentoring 1 million women by 2030.
Hootsuite also launched its first ERGs with the goal of building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for everyone. The company used feedback from employees to inform their strategy and has created 5 dedicated groups for Black employees, women employees, neurodiverse employees, LGBTQIA+ employees, and employees who are parents.
Additionally, Hootsuite has reviewed and restructured its policies and processes to make them more inclusive. For example, it has removed gendered language from job descriptions, standardized promotion procedures, and made unconscious bias training available to all employees. It has also expanded its benefits coverage to include gender affirmation surgery and fertility treatments for all Canadian and U.S. employees.
In recognition of its efforts, Hootsuite was awarded the title of GameChanger—Diversity & Inclusion by the BC Tech Association at its 29th annual BC Tech Impact Awards.
Bumble
Whitney Wolfe Herd originally founded Bumble as a woman-friendly dating app—one that would challenge common dating stereotypes and norms—so it’s no surprise that the company is majority women. The board is also 73% female. Bumble takes pride in its mission and growth and seeks to support its team members in multiple respects. Employees enjoy flexibility, generous parental leave, and fully paid healthcare.
Bumble also partnered with CodeOp, an international tech school for women, to establish Bumble Tech Academy. Through the program, women, trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming individuals have had the opportunity to receive 6 paid months of training in full-stack software development and Android mobile development—no technical experience required—and an offer for full-time employment as junior software developers at the program’s conclusion.
Women in Tech: Moving the Needle
The problems women in technology face are clear by the statistics. But what are the solutions? To achieve a truly diverse company that is inclusive and celebratory of all genders, it is critical to institute a variety of initiatives, programs, and operations.
This starts with taking a hard look at intersectionality. We must recognize that women who are members of other minority groups face even greater challenges and discrimination than those who are not.
According to the McKinsey report, for example, women of color “continue to lose ground at every step in the pipeline.” Between entry-level positions and the C-suite level, representation of women of color decreases by a dramatic 75%, and they account for just 4% of C-suite roles.
That means that global initiatives that target intersectionality will prove most effective in moving the needle. But how do we get there?
Mentorship and Career Pathing
Deloitte research shows that roughly half of tech’s female workers leave employment in the industry altogether by mid-career. Thus, tech companies need to focus on incentivizing women to stay early on in their careers, when they are still at the entry level.
Mentorship is one way to help women in tech feel a greater sense of belonging. Having a mentor with a shared identity in 1 or more respects allows individuals to see how someone like them can succeed in an industry in which they are underrepresented. It also instills in them the knowledge of a potential path forward.
While mentoring relationships do happen organically, tech companies can also play a role in bringing mentors and mentees together, such as by establishing a formal role in pairing professionals at different stages in their careers.
Separately but relatedly, organizations should play a greater role in the career development of all employees but especially those who see less representation in technology. Career pathing, in particular, is useful in showing female talent the kind of opportunities and paths that are available to them. With an illuminated path forward, these professionals can envision a potential career journey for themselves and have access to the appropriate resources to help them get there.
Equitable Promotion
Tech organizations need to take a harder look at their policies and procedures when it comes to advancement into leadership positions. Given the challenges we have underscored, women face significant barriers when it comes to moving into higher-level positions. It’s important to account for these differences, such as the fact that more women than men are responsible for the majority of family caregiving duties.
Because of this, businesses should offer multiple pathways to leadership roles. The road to high-level positions is not necessarily linear, and it’s critical to recognize that when filling these roles. Businesses can facilitate trajectories into leadership by, for example, offering coaching programs targeting underrepresented groups at their companies.
There are also smaller steps they can take such as providing forums for delivering actionable feedback.
Who Supports Women in Tech? Organizations, Programs, and Initiatives
Many other organizations and initiatives support women in technolog. These are some examples of women in tech scholarships, programs, committees, and nonprofits.
AnitaB.org
In 1987, computer scientist Anita Borg founded this organization to serve as a community for women in technology. Today, AnitaB.org connects and supports women and nonbinary technologists in more than 80 countries, offering programs, local events, and social networks. The goal of the organization is not only to increase the influence of women in tech but also to promote the creation of technology that positively impacts women globally.
Women Who Code
Women Who Code seeks to level the playing field for women in or looking to enter top tech positions, including founders, venture capitalists, board members, software engineers, and executives. The organization offers coding resources, global events, communal job boards, scholarships, and more.
Girls Who Code
Founded by Reshma Saujani in 2012, Girls Who Code has the mission of solving the gender gap in technology from the bottom up, by “building the world’s largest pipeline of future female engineers.” The nonprofit organization offers a range of programs for girls from the 3rd to the 12th grade, such as after-school clubs, summer courses, and more.
Society of Women Engineers
SWE supports students who identify as female and are pursuing engineering and technology disciplines at the undergraduate or graduate level. It is one of the largest providers of scholarships in this niche annually and offers additional opportunities to female technologists and engineers.
Diversity Drives Results
The presence of and opportunities for women in technology aren’t just “nice to have” qualities. They are instrumental in bringing a higher level of talent to businesses, improving their brand, and innovating for growth.
To continue to move the needle in terms of female representation, players in the tech industry will need to continue to put forth real effort and track their results. They must not rely on intuition but must take a hard look at their policies, procedures, and projects, establishing goals and benchmarks and ensuring they are achieving them or changing direction to improve further.
Women in the tech industry face extensive challenges, and they cannot be the only ones who are working toward change—it is a collective effort and responsibility.
