As the technology industry continues to grow, so does the number of women working in it
Diversity and Inclusion matter - it's proven that diverse companies benefit from an enriched talent pool, driving innovation and thus profits.
A report by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are, on average, 15% more likely to have above average financial returns. The findings also highlighted that companies with female leadership teams outperformed less gender-diverse companies by a staggering 48%.
The report indicates some very positive statistics, yet women are still facing several challenges when it comes to not only entering tech, but staying in the industry.
The importance of women in tech
The importance of women in tech roles cannot be understated. For starters, gender diversity encourages divergent ways of thinking, which can improve quality in the ideas output. This, in turn, drives innovation and growth. Many organisations are steadily attracting more women to the tech sector – but there’s still some way to go.
Today women make up around 50% of the UK workforce. Yet in tech, that number is half, with just 24% of roles filled by women. It will take consistent effort to ensure women have opportunities to enter and progress in technology jobs. Moreover, women must be able to see that they can have an exciting career in technology and succeed. It’s important, then, that the conversation around women in technology emphasises their overwhelmingly positive impact within the industry.
Why women are so important to tech
At the time of writing, 77% of tech leaders are men. Consequently, there’s a serious deficit in the number of role models for women and girls to look up to. Similarly, the talent pool of women developers and engineers is much smaller too.
There are many reasons why the business and technology sector would benefit from more talented women developers, IT specialists, engineers, and data analysts. Firstly, the more diverse the workforce, the more varied the perspectives on offer and the higher the likelihood that challenges will be approached and tackled in new and creative ways.
Similarly, the more women there are in technology roles, the more products and services will emerge across every industry with them in mind – that suit their specific societal needs and desires. So it follows that women should be involved in decision-making from the very start of the process.
Lastly, the more women leaders there are across the tech industry – and the more exposure they have – the more role models there will be for future generations of young women. Therefore, women leaders must get more exposure and be provided with opportunities to communicate an inspiring and positive experience to girls and women globally.
How is NovaFori making a difference?
Given the abundance of advantages women can bring to tech roles, NovaFori is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion by:
✅ Promoting women in leadership
✅ Promoting women in tech
✅ Advocating diversity
✅ Revamp hiring process
It’s important to us that as we grow, we’re building an environment for all our employees to grow with us.
techUK is marching forward to close the tech gender gap in 2023. Throughout March, coinciding with International Women’s Day (IWD 2023) on 8 March, we are exploring how we embrace equitable workplaces. The UN’s theme for IWD 2023 focuses on Digital for All or DigitALL, and we are proud to support this.
For more information, please visit our Women in Tech hub.
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