Let's Help Women Claim Their Place in Tech!

Table of Contents:1. How do gender inequalities manifest in tech?2. When helping women in tech drives corporate transformationAccording to a Michael Page Technology study (2021), only 20% of IT professionals are women. Job security and employability are top concerns for women in tech: two-thirds of women professionals in the sector have chosen salaried employment. Too often, this choice means overcoming the gender inequalities that characterize the field. Why do women struggle so much to build careers in tech?

How Do Gender Inequalities Manifest in Tech?

Gender inequalities in business affect all sectors. While progress in the right direction can be observed in tech roles, recruitment and leadership remain insufficiently inclusive.The problem exists on both sides. On one hand, HR struggles to find profiles with all the required skills. On the other, women struggle to position themselves in recruitment against a backdrop of a labor shortage market with specific needs. Finally, women are present in tech but mainly hold cross-functional roles rich in soft skills (project management, systems optimization, etc.) and develop fewer technical skills, which are more sought after and highly paid.Helping women claim their place in tech relies on a winning combination of actions related to the work environment, talent employability, and leadership.

Recruitment Open to Women

Democratizing IT for all women. While Ada Lovelace created the first computer program, role models among contemporary women in tech remain rare and inaccessible. Yet the IT sector, in constant evolution, is brimming with opportunities. Companies that establish partnerships with engineering schools or IT training centers are on the right track!Using potential detection in the recruitment process. Since every tech role requires regular training, the focus should be on detecting soft skills and character traits conducive to learning. Predictive recruitment makes it possible to evaluate adaptability, cognitive flexibility (linked to learning), curiosity, open-mindedness, and the person's motivations. Simply revising the recruitment process and hiring more women is too simplistic an approach. Stopping there would mean ignoring the mechanisms that hinder women's progression in tech.

Helping Women by Adapting Governance

Helping women means supporting parenthood in the workplace. Fathers now have the right to 28 days of paternity leave—let's encourage them to use it. Because a father who spends more time with their newborn provides invaluable support to the mother, even if she is also on maternity leave.Reviewing pay equity levers. The Michael Page study reveals that the majority of IT professionals earn salaries exceeding 50,000 euros. However, only 43% of women working in the same sector earn equivalent compensation. Shedding light on pay practices would help identify where gaps are widening. Greater salary transparency will also ensure fair promotions. In the latest Women in Tech TrustRadius report, 39% of women surveyed said gender bias was the main obstacle to their career advancement, particularly in promotions. How can we establish fairer recognition? Some companies automatically raise all employees at equal positions and skills when one of them receives a promotion. Tech offers economic and social empowerment opportunities for women. Achieving pay equity in this high-paying sector means slamming the door on gender inequality.

Training to Reverse Gender Inequality

Embracing new tech professions. Data offers new perspectives for women's inclusion because related careers require a blend of both technical and cross-functional skills. Characteristic of tech, employability also means upskilling in technical competencies related to R&D. Through targeted training efforts, employers can help women access the most sought-after tech roles.Women lack tools to position themselves effectively. 50inTech offers bootcamps for women in tech. On the program: personalized coaching, step-by-step career-building tools, and expert advice including salary negotiation workshops. Because there is strength in numbers, training also opens access to a whole network of women in tech. The organization lists and collaborates with employers who guarantee favorable working conditions for women by connecting them with the talent they seek. Their goal? Reaching 50% women in tech by 2050.

When Helping Women in Tech Drives Corporate Transformation

Gender inequality asks us to look toward the future. Two-thirds of the women surveyed admitted not having clear career advancement possibilities. Career longevity is a real issue and it is crucial to review talent management to help women better balance professional progression and life plans such as having children, which impacts the mother's career more than the father's. We can start by revisiting the equation between age or seniority and promotions or internal mobility opportunities, for example.

A Company Culture Conducive to Gender Parity

Gender inequality must be fought daily, in offices, emails, and hallways. The TrustRadius survey reports that 72% of women have experienced "bro culture." Half of the women who leave tech do so because of workplace discrimination. From inappropriate jokes to sexual harassment, the tech world still too often turns a blind eye to sexist behavior. Clearly, training is needed to learn to identify sexist and discriminatory behaviors.Every company must start by offering QWL (Quality of Work Life) more conducive to work-life balance. Priority should be given to offering flexible hours and workplace choice for employees who have children or elderly dependents. It will also be important to emphasize the right to disconnect, particularly for managers.Let's admit it, tech still has a long way to go in valuing women. But it's worth the effort because the sector is full of rewarding, well-paid, and above all fascinating careers!Get a demoTry free for 14 days.