Sheila Flavell
President of techUK, and COO, FDM Group
The 8th of March brings about International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD 2023) — a time to reflect on what you and your organisation are doing to support equitable workplaces for women in the tech sector.
A Diversity in Tech report, by global emerging talent and reskill provider mthree, found that more than half of businesses (60%) do not currently have diversity targets in place. Although businesses have been actively trying to ensure all employees feel comfortable and welcome, 20% of businesses have received complaints from current or former employees in this regard. These figures paint a picture of a tech sector that isn’t reflective of the society it seeks to serve.
Highlight diverse representation
Role models and diverse representation are integral to ensuring that people see themselves reflected in the organisations that are looking to recruit them. Diverse role models create a dialogue allowing other colleagues to understand various experiences in the workplace and the challenges they face.
This is why techUK has reaffirmed its commitment to abolishing all-male panels. It is important to ensure diversity among speakers at events as we want to hear from a variety of perspectives and do not want to compound unconscious gender bias that exists within the industry.
We also need to support our male allies, who are shifting the dial on unconscious bias and gendered stereotypes. Moreover, we are collectively responsible for our office culture. Simple actions can enable a better working environment for women.
Organisations that take transparency seriously reap the benefits of giving 100% of their employees the best chance to succeed.
Transparent pay and promotion processes
Let employees know the criteria and process for decision-making in areas such as progression, salary setting and pay and performance reviews. Organisations that take transparency seriously reap the benefits of giving 100% of their employees the best chance to succeed.
Transparency can have a positive effect on equality and diversity. The Behavioural Insights Team have identified this as part of their evidence-based guide for employers to increase their gender diversity, as women are less likely to put themselves forward for a promotion if the criteria are ambiguous.
The United Nations are exploring innovation and technology for gender equality as part of their campaign for IWD 2023, and this mission should be at the centre of every digital business.
That is why, throughout March and coinciding with IWD 2023, techUK is running a campaign that aims to march forward to close the tech gender gap in 2023. We are bringing together the industry to influence perceptions and attitudes to do this — let’s do it together.