The gender and digital skills gap is growing.
According to a report produced by Code First Girls in collaboration with TTC, they have gathered data from the UK’s largest group of female software engineers, including employees at TTC companies, such as Gymshark and Transport for London.
Microsoft estimates that there will be more than 149 million jobs created in the software, data, AI and machine learning industries by 2025.
UNESCO says that by 2020, 5.8 million new graduates will be qualified to fill these positions, with 20 percent being women.
We look forward to a future in which there will be 128 qualified women working in the technology sector.
Flexible working, parental leave policies and reproductive healthcare such as benefits for menstrual disorders, infertility and menopause are among the top recommendations for retaining women in technology.
Flexible working retains talent
Flexible working policies, in particular, have been shown to be effective at attracting and retaining talented employees.
It has been proven that putting job flexibility in the job ad increases the number of applicants and the proportion of women applicants.
TTC data on over 210,000 UK tech employees revealed that 88 percent reported flexible hours. Other flexible options included part-time work (83%), jobsharing (76%), compressed hours (65%), and remote working (47%). Tech companies also offer a 4-day work week in the summer, and a holiday without limits.
Emma Stewart, CEO of Timewise, said the following when discussing flexible policies:
“Trying to attract diverse talent while not offering flexible working options is like fishing without a netting.
To ensure diversity and inclusion in the workplace, employers must offer flexible working right from the start; they should consider all forms (not only hybrid); and make sure their approach is fair for all workers.
Anna Brailsford CEO of Code First Girls commented on the latest report.
It is a well-known fact that the tech sector has been dominated by men for far too long. But the tide is turning and we are working to accelerate this progress. The UK continues to have a huge skills gap. Improving family leave policies and reproductive healthcare policies is a good first step in retaining women.
We cannot ignore the needs of women in order to get them into the tech industry and keep them there. We hope that these recommendations will help the tech industry to accelerate its efforts in order to close the gender gap and bring it into the 21st Century.
Lexie Papaspyrou is the Co-COO of Tech Talent Charter. She said .
“If we want to make a real difference in the fight against gender inequality in tech, then we need to do more than “just hire women”. “Tech workers want companies who understand their needs in terms of career development, flexibility and work-life balance. They also value wellbeing, inclusion, and family formation.
Our new report sets the bar for what it takes to attract, develop and retain women in tech. It is based on the efforts of hundreds of companies that are currently facing these challenges. This report sets out the requirements to recruit, develop, and retain women in technology, based on hundreds of companies currently facing these challenges.
