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 company transformationAccording to a Michael Page Technology study (2021), only 20% of IT professionals are women. Job security and employability rank among the 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 industry. 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 can be seen in tech careers, recruitment and leadership remain insufficiently inclusive.The problem exists on both sides. On one hand, HR departments struggle to find profiles with all the required skills. On the other hand, women struggle to position themselves in recruitment against a backdrop of a tight labor 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

Making IT accessible to all women. While Ada Lovelace created the first computer program, role models among contemporary women in tech remain rare and not easily accessible. Yet the IT sector, in constant evolution, overflows 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 job requires regular training, the focus should be on detecting soft skills and character traits conducive to learning. Predictive recruitment makes it possible to assess 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 valuable support to the mother, even if she is also on maternity leave.Reviewing pay equity levers. The Michael Page study notes that the salary of the majority of IT professionals exceeds 50,000 euros. Yet only 43% of women working in this same sector earn an equivalent salary. Shedding light on compensation practices would help see where gaps are widening. Greater salary transparency will also ensure fair promotions. In the latest Women in Tech TrustRadius report, for 39% of women surveyed, gender bias would be the main obstacle to their career advancement, particularly in promotions. How to establish fairer recognition? Some companies automatically raise all employees at equal positions and skills when one of them receives a promotion. Tech offers opportunities for women's empowerment, both economically and socially. Achieving pay equity in this high-paying sector means slamming the door on gender inequality.

Training to reverse gender inequalities

Embracing new tech careers. Data offers new inclusion perspectives for women, because data-related jobs require a mix of both technical and cross-functional skills. Characteristic of tech, employability also translates into upskilling in technical competencies related to R&D. Through these targeted training efforts, employers can help women access the most sought-after tech careers.Women lack tools to position themselves effectively. 50inTech offers bootcamps for women in tech. On the program: personalized coaching, tools to build their career step by step, and expert advice such as salary negotiation workshops. Because there is strength in numbers, the training also provides access to an entire network of women in tech. The organization identifies 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 company transformation

Gender inequalities require us to look toward the future. Two-thirds of the women surveyed admitted they had no clear career advancement opportunities. Career longevity is a real issue, and it is crucial to review talent management to help women better balance professional progression and life projects like having children, which impacts the mother's career more than the father's. We can start by reviewing the equation between age or seniority and promotions or internal mobility opportunities, for example.

A company culture conducive to gender parity

Gender inequalities must be fought daily, in offices, emails, and hallways. The Trust Radius survey reports that 72% of women have experienced "bro culture." Half of women who leave the tech industry do so because of discrimination experienced at work. From inappropriate jokes to sexual harassment, the tech industry too often turns a blind eye to sexist behavior. Clearly, training is needed to learn how to identify sexist and discriminatory behaviors.Every company must start by offering a quality of work life more conducive to work-life balance. Prioritize flexible hours and choice of workplace for employees who have children or an elderly person to care for. It will also be important to insist on the right to disconnect, particularly with managers.Let's face 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.