More female colleagues, please

By Cat Allport – CMO, Roq

I recently attended a workshop with some of my colleagues and some partner guests. I really enjoy these types of sessions. The level of expertise that my Roq friends demonstrate is inspiring. They’re so eloquent, and knowledgeable - I never fail to leave the meetings having learned something new. But as I looked around the room I shared with 14 of my experienced, well-informed peers, I felt most certainly in the minority. My only female companion was one other woman on an administrative mission to capture what we were discussing for our guests.

But that can’t be right, can it?

A 2021 Kaspersky report stated that 48% of women in technology work in male-dominated teams and, according to other research, women make up around 25% of workers in the technology sector, and only 11% of leadership roles.

Nevermind the fact it’s the 21st century. When we also bear in mind that - according to Wikipedia - people first started getting paid for work during the Neolithic Revolution, which was sometime between 10,000 BCE and 6,000 BCE, there’s been plenty of time for workplace gender equality to kick in. At Roq, we actively promote the importance of women in technology, whether that’s getting them into the industry in business operations roles, or encouraging them into technical roles.

So, what’s going wrong?

I’ve done so much research on this, and there’s a huge raft of reasons that are given:

Workplace discrimination
Gender pay gap
‘Men’s club’ culture in tech
Poor/unequal work culture
Inflexible work conditions
Lack of educational encouragement
Barriers to entry
Harassment
Bullying
Subtle sexism
Lack of support from female colleagues
Traditional gender role expectations
Fewer opportunities for progression
Lack of female role models or mentors

To name a few…

From my own personal experience, gained over the 27 or so years I’ve been in employment, I’d say that I’ve probably experienced too many of those challenges. I’d also say, with the exception of a delicious few years working for a well-known high-street confectioner, I’ve always worked in what you could consider to be traditionally male-dominated environments and ten of those have been within the tech industry.

The fact is, we’re in the midst of a serious digital skills shortage.

Women are leaving tech - Consultancy McKinsey & Company's annual Women in the Workplace report, released in September 2021, stated that 38% of working women were considering leaving their jobs in tech by the end of 2023.
Their career span is shorter - According to Women in Tech, a whopping 56% of women leave the tech industry 10-20 years into their careers - double the rate of men.
The talent pool is decreasing - PwC’s “Women in Tech: Time to close the gender gap” report, stated that only 3% of females said that a career in technology was their first choice. Only 27% of female students surveyed said that they’d consider a career in technology (compared to 61% of males) and no more than 16% of females had been recommended to consider a career in technology; this is opposed to 33% of males.

We can’t change the past, we can only learn from it

We’re in this situation now and we must deal with the immediate challenge of a decreasing talent pool, as well as the longer-term issue of a widening skills gap in the technology workforce of the future.

Of course, it’s not just about gender. Everyone should be treated fairly and as an equal. For the purposes of this article though, I’m focusing on what we can do as individuals, based on my own personal experiences. I’m not an HR professional, however, Amanda Cole, our HR and Wellbeing Coordinator is, and she’ll be talking about what businesses can do to make workplaces more female-friendly as part of a wider diversity and inclusion approach in a blog coming soon.

Support and encourage your female colleagues

1. Challenge your thoughts around traditional gender roles

Have you ever been in a meeting and a female peer has been asked to make the drinks or take notes even though it’s nowhere near her role? Have you left the meeting room without your taking your coffee cup, safe in the knowledge that ‘she’ll’ do it? We need to question our assumptions on what might be seen as ‘blue and pink jobs’. These are often based on what we’ve observed growing up, but the fact is, we need to acknowledge it, act differently, and ultimately tackle the issue at the source by showing others, and indeed the next generation, how to do better.

2. Brain in gear, then accelerate mouth

Have you ever referred to the women in your office as “the girls”? Or maybe explained to others what your female colleague has just said in a different way after she’s stopped talking? What about a light-hearted comment that a female colleague is too emotional, or too bossy? What I’m saying, is we should all be more mindful.

What may be bants to you, could be very uncomfortable or even insulting for her. And, going that little bit further, calling it out when you hear someone else doing it shouldn’t be something you need to fret over!

3. Ensure they’re heard

Make sure that everyone gets an equal share of voice – particularly relevant in meetings. Let people be heard. Help them if you can see that they’re struggling to break into a conversation with a “I think [name] has a suggestion”, or a “What are your thoughts on that [name]?”. Use amplification – acknowledge their ideas whilst giving them credit (which, to be clear, is different from the ‘explaining/mansplaining’ that was referred to earlier).

Ladies - be confident and raise your own voice. Having the confidence to take the lead will give those with less self-assurance the boost they need to get involved. And gentlemen… Have you ever interrupted a female colleague when she’s talking, or talked over her? – It’s simple. Don’t do it.

4. Ladies, be supportive of your female peers

If you listen to psychologists, there are several reasons why women don’t always support women in the workplace. If you’re interested, there’s a really fascinating article on Forbes by Dr. Shaun Andrews that digs deeper in more reasons. One that I find particularly interesting is the "power dead-even rule" (a term created by Dr Pat Heim - Hardball for Women: Winning at the Game of Business). It’s essentially a situation where women are believed to have an innate need to be ‘even’ to other women in terms of status and capability. When one woman is seen to increase her rank, other women will essentially shun and even actively diminish her. There’s also a general understanding that men are expected to be assertive and confident, but women are expected to be nurturing and collaborative. So when women in leadership assert themselves to be heard, they face being regarded as aggressive and over-ambitious, rather than strong and confident, resulting in pushback from men and women.

Women feel enough pressure in their lives and in the workplace as it is. I refer you back to that long list at the start of this blog. So, to start with, don’t compare yourself to others. There’s so much pressure coming from every direction, particularly social media and preconceived notions of what we should be based on our upbringings. We are all unique. We all have our own special skills. What someone else has been elevated for, you may not be able to do, but it’s an almost certainty that you’ll be better at something that they’d be envious of.

Celebrate their accomplishments – acknowledge their skills and share, share, share.
Encourage them to ‘do it’ – give them a confidence boost to help them overcome any self-doubt.

5. Become a mentor

Research indicates that around 57% of women see the lack of role models as a barrier to working in tech, so now is the time to step up. Mentees are promoted 5 times more often than those without mentors, and mentors themselves are 6 times more likely to be promoted, so it’s win-win! Mentor, sponsor and offer your support – it’ll make a world of difference.

Inspire girls to look at roles in technology and the technology industry

According to research by Samsung, 91% of Gen-Z women say there are barriers to going into a career in tech. Only 22% of students taking a GCSE in Computing in 2022 were female, and worse still, 31% of girls studying information science, computer science, and technology at school level don’t choose these subjects at university. It’s very clear there needs to be more encouragement.

1. Role models

It’s widely accepted that role models provide people with inspiration, and this is even more valid for children. Like a mentor, role models provide motivation, guidance, and stimulus for individuals to emulate styles, behaviours, and habits. Women in technology should feel confident in taking the stage to become that positive role model, and men should vocally support and encourage, not only those female role models, but also children and young adult females who have an interest that could ultimately lead to big things.

2. Spark interest

There are many options open to parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents et al., to spark an interest in technology. There are Coding Clubs online as well as in many schools and towns now – some free, some paid. There are a range of children’s apps that teach how to make computer games or apps of their own. Talk to them about how technology makes the world tick and ask their opinion on what they think would be the next big thing in technology. Above all, keep it fun and let them know you support them in their interests. Let them know #Thisgirlcan.

3. Offer your time

Very much linked to both other suggestions, if you have a particular tech skill or area of expertise, have you ever thought about offering up your time to a youth group, school or college? Schools are well aware of the digital skills gap. Attracting and retaining skilled digital teachers in education is one of their biggest challenges. A 2022 EPI report stated that two-thirds of colleges found digital teachers hard to recruit. It’s also believed that nearly half of digital teachers were likely to leave their roles by the end of 2023. They’re crying out for support, and women already working in the technology field have the perfect opportunity to step in and inspire.

Change needs to happen, and we’re doing our part

I’m proud to work for a company that is vocal in the battle cry for gender equality. We have a completely fair equal pay approach, and on a leadership team of six, it’s a 50/50 split. That said, our gender split across the entire team is only a little higher than average at 27%, so we’ll keep championing the cause, removing barriers, and encouraging women to get into tech!

Of course, the best person for any job is the person who’s a right fit for the organisation, with the right skills and aligned values, but just so you know, I am recruiting for a Marketing Manager right now (and we have several other vacancies too). I’d encourage anyone with the right skills, regardless of gender identity, to get in touch – I’d love to hear from you!

But what I will say for sure… don’t let anything hold you back.

GENDER-DIVERSE COMPANIES ARE UP TO 48% MORE LIKELY TO OUTPERFORM THEIR COMPETITORS.

(McKinsey found a 48% profitability differential between the most and least gender diverse companies)

In acknowledgment of just some of the inspiring women who have changed the face of technology:

blog