Growing up in Northern California I was surrounded by technology and its continual focus on creating new and innovative products. That dynamic atmosphere inspired me to pursue a career that works toward making the world better and encourages others to pioneer their own path, including my two children. They are digital natives; both had smartphones by the age of 10. They still pack their tablets and smartphones before anything else and believe everything else you need can be delivered same day. This generation will see the biggest changes in technology and probably won’t even realize it. To them, it’s not a digital world; it’s simply the only world they have ever known.
I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in the tech industry, but a rewarding career seldom follows a straight path. And while women, in particular, have seen a lot of progress, it hasn’t been enough, nor has it come fast enough.
The tech industry is a global leader in providing employment opportunities, but it is still lagging behind when it comes to gender equality. Women are still underrepresented and underpaid compared to their male colleagues. Today, women makeup 47% of the workforce in the United States but still hold less than 30% of leadership positions within the tech industry.
It is our job, as female tech leaders, to continue to accelerate women into leadership positions, support each other, and bring more young women with us. There are no quick fixes to the industry, but there are steps we can take to expand the roster of female leaders within the industry, regain lost ground, and shrink the gender gap.
Here are five places to begin:
- Assess your own organization and make changes
It is one thing to talk about gender diversity as a goal to work toward. It is another to actually put in the work in the corporate world and make changes. Look within your business and startup and see how diverse your teams are. If you notice a need for improvement, look for more female talent to join your company.
I’ve worked for more than two decades in the tech sector in people and operations. During that time, I learned that for organizations to realize their full potential, they need to elevate and magnify the talents of a diverse workforce. To do so requires commitment, resources, a bias toward action, and human-centered exponential leadership through empathy, humility, servant leadership, collaboration, a growth mindset, high EQ, and a heart for people. I have also learned to foster a culture that emphasizes inclusion and diversity. Involving your team in creating such a culture builds space to discuss perspectives on diversity and stereotypical opinions that can be avoided. So how does the culture in your business stack up? Are there concerns you need to address?
2. Familiarize yourself with the inequities associated with a mixed economy
The pandemic dramatically accelerated the trend of companies permitting flexible work arrangements, and women have benefitted from this shift. Today, companies continue to incorporate flexible work arrangements, and fortunately, women continue to enjoy those advantages. A survey conducted by FlexJobs found that 68% of women prefer to work remotely, and 80% of the respondents said they considered working remotely a job perk.
Historically, women have been forced to choose between advancing our careers or caregiving and tending to household responsibilities. This became more prominent during the pandemic as women worked from home full-time but were still responsible for the majority of running the household. Fortunately, as businesses discovered that remote employees are just as productive as in-person employees, women were at the forefront of embracing the change.
Unfortunately, being amenable to flexible schedules is not enough to make women in the tech world successful. At the end of the two-year period from February 2020 to January 2022 (when flexible schedules were common), there were nearly 2 million fewer women in the labor force, according to a SHRM report.
In fact, the move can make the inequities worse if handled poorly. For example, in-person employees may be more visible to the management, getting more sponsorship opportunities. Leaders have to be intentional about enriching company culture for everyone. This could mean adjusting the workplace culture to ensure that women and remote workers are not underprivileged in terms of job security, upward mobility, and pay, or that companies emphasize the continuing challenges of child care and parental leave to retain working women and help support their advancement.
3. Provide opportunities to upskill
The nature of the tech landscape is constant change. There are always new innovations, concepts, and techniques to learn and incorporate into job performance. In an ever-changing sector, how can women be heard? The solution lies in becoming excellent at what they do.
As a leader within the sector, it is your job to be equally as inclusive across teams, geography and situation. You are responsible for connecting team members and colleagues wherever they are and creating opportunities for them to grow. Professional development has been particularly lacking for women in tech. A survey by Skills Soft found that 32% of women within the industry do not have opportunities to develop, which is one of the major challenges to pursuing a career in an industry that moves so quickly.
Fortunately, the hybrid economy provides a way out of this problem. In a remote-first world, women can take online courses and become certified — which is less disruptive than having to attend in-person classes- which will allow them to upskill and accelerate (or change) their careers to access higher-paying and higher-level jobs.
4. Work to bridge the confidence gap
It is not news that the tech industry is male-dominated. In such a world, women are more likely to experience imposter syndrome. Stereotypes and gender bias within tech are a real challenge. Women who will do well in the industry must learn to have confidence in their experiences, skills, and unique perspectives.
The National Bureau of Economic Research found that women underestimate their performance and abilities more than men. They are more likely to disqualify themselves for positions if they fall short of the full criteria. To break this cycle, we must embrace the fact that learning capacity is a strength — you may not have the skill, but you can learn it.
5. Allow for and encourage mentorship
Three out of four executives say mentoring has been critical to their career development. Few things are as empowering for the beginning professional in tech as having access to a professional network of experienced tech workers. Such a network is necessary to pass on institutional knowledge to the next generation of innovators. Mentorship allows women to gain visibility, social connection, and work opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise. The idea is to prepare women for senior roles the same way you would prepare other talent within the organization.
Remember that mentorship is more than just having a formal set time to meet or a lunch every month. It is about having someone inspirational close to you who willingly invests in your success, collaborates with you, and can act as a sounding board when you need it.
Research has well established the benefits of diverse leadership. For example, recent research by McKinsey shows that having more diverse teams improves financial performance in teams and creates stronger teams over time. Yet the tech world is yet to embrace diversity fully. There is still a glaring gender gap, and women are underrepresented at all levels in the corporate pipeline. As company leaders, we can begin driving lasting change and commit to advancing gender equality. We can embrace the fact that when we lift others, we all rise.
In addition to the company-wide and bottom-line benefits of having women in tech, when you help others, your life gains more purpose and meaning. You get real joy. When you give your heart in love and kindness and when you are generous with others, you feel abundant. Your life feels rich with possibility. Remember that leadership is about inspiring others to believe in themselves, in the impossible, and to become better. When your leadership serves others, you become someone of value. Everyone wins.
