Diversity is crucial for the survival of every industry. That’s especially true for the technology sector, since diversity of perspectives is what sets average products or services apart from the best.
In order to create offerings that appeal to all genders, representation is needed to get a well-rounded opinion about what’s good and what’s not. The digital commerce industry targets everyone with the access and means to shop online. Having women involved at every level of innovation and creation in the sector ensures we’re adding their much-needed perspective to these products and services.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is one way in which the tech industry can ensure it’s representing broader interests and addressing diverse pain points in the products and services it creates. Broader ideas and solutions come from diverse perspectives, which lead to an increase in innovation.
What does diversity currently look like in tech?
Great strides have been made to improve diversity within the tech industry in the UK. However, even though we may have seen impressive progress, it doesn’t mean we can stop campaigning for more diversity and creating strategies that make a bigger difference.
At the moment, 22.2% of all directors in tech in the UK are women. If we look across all industries, that percentage rises to 28.6%. The UK workforce includes 15.52 million women, with the female employment rate sitting at 72.2% as of December 2021. Considering this, the low rate of female representation at a director-level in tech is an issue that needs to be closely examined.
In order to gain a true understanding of this matter, we need to look at the number of women currently working in tech across all levels. At the moment, only 19% of tech workers are female. That’s compared to 49% of the UK workforce as a whole.
Until we can ensure that there are more women working in tech in the UK, we can’t increase the percentage of women in leadership positions in these organisations. The first step will always need to be to bring more female talent onboard, especially in entry-level positions that allow for career growth within the industry.
How can we improve diversity strategies from a hiring point of view?
Speak to the next generation of UK workers
From the start, we need to be attracting more women into entry-level positions in tech. This means we should be encouraging young women who are about to choose their field of study to consider STEM subjects at college or university. The tech industry needs to feel like a good option for women who want to thrive in an energetic and exciting industry.
Women in tech need mentorship
In order for more women to be encouraged to grow through the ranks at tech organisations, they need to be able to see themselves in leadership positions. Having mentorship programmes for young women in tech businesses is a great way to help them feel more empowered and included in an industry that has been largely dominated by men.
Diversity should be a constant topic of discussion
Every tech organisation should have a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy to ensure it is making progress in this area. Diversity should be spoken about and discussed. It shouldn’t be a hushed topic brought up only to improve diversity metrics during hiring processes. Recruitment partners, internal hiring managers, and HR should all be in agreement about diversity goals at the organisational level.
Create an inclusive company culture
An organisation’s culture can either include or exclude people based on factors such as gender. Encouraging a diverse workforce starts with having an inclusive culture. Ensure that the organisation is a welcoming place for everyone - regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or background - by starting with leadership and working through the organisation.
Leadership needs to actively engage with and speak about ideas of transformation and diversity so the directive comes from the top. Every member of your staff should feel included in events, meetings, and team building activities.
A career map should exist for every employee so they are aware of what their next steps are and how they can grow their career within the organisation. It should be clear that there are no career growth limitations based on diversity factors.
Diversity in tech is within reach
It may have taken us many years to get to this point, but as an industry, tech is making great strides towards diversity. However, it can’t stop here. Companies need to push diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies to ensure they’re attracting more diverse candidates to their organisation.
If you’d like to discuss how to include diversity in your hiring strategy, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to walk you through our process.
Sources:
https://technation.io/insights/diversity-and-inclusion-in-uk-tech-companies/
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06838/SN06838.pdf
https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/diversity-issues-could-adversely-impact-uk-tech-sector/
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