Barriers for Women in Tech Report 2022 launched

WeAreTechWomen has partnered with Ipsos MORI and the Tech Talent Charter to look at the barriers women face in the tech industry, launching findings in its ‘Barriers for Women in Tech Report 2022‘. The research canvassed the views of 369 women across a multitude of sectors. The findings show that 1 in 5 women in tech are thinking of leaving their jobs. With just 21% of women working in the tech industry*, if they chose to leave this would have a significant impact in terms of female representation in the sector. The findings also highlighted that 58% of respondents said that visible role models are one of the things that attract them to organisations but noted the lack of female representation at the top of their organisations. The other key finding was that only a third felt that processes and systems were in place to prepare them for promotion.

75% of women say men are often not allies in the tech workplace

Mentorship was highly attributed to aid career progression; however, sponsorship opportunities appear to be lacking, with only 1 in 5 stating they have access to sponsorship programmes. Of those who did have access to sponsorship, 55% of them said it has greatly benefitted their career. With regard to male allies, over 75% of survey respondents stated that at least some men are not allies, two thirds of whom finding that men talk over them or don’t listen in meetings. Only 19% of those surveyed see all or most men as allies, with 85% citing the best way to demonstrate allyship is by giving credit for achievements. It is no surprise that 29% of our respondents also stated they have experienced sexism or gender bias in some form. It is also interesting to see that salary has now become the main driver in terms of women joining a tech organisation (84%), followed by supportive managers (83%) and an inclusive culture (76%).

One in five women are considering leaving their current tech roles

“The research data shows mixed results. There is good news that those tech women surveyed are attracted to organisations by higher salaries and supportive managers. And while one in five are considering leaving their current roles, this is broadly in line with other current data across sectors around the “Great Resignation” – and 80% actually intend to remain in a tech role or in the tech sector. That’s positive for organisations which are being proactive about their gender balance efforts, but it still has the potential to cause significant damage to the overall sector representation which is starting from such a low base. The report highlights that the tech women surveyed are flagging issues about a lack of clarity and transparency around career paths in their organisations. While mentoring appears to be of some benefit, it’s not enough – and only 49% are aware of what sponsorship relationships are. Depressingly in this day and age, more than half of respondents (52%) still feel that their gender limits them in their careers.” – Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO – WeAreTechWomen

“While it is deeply frustrating to see the numbers of women in tech at a plateau, there is much in this report to be optimistic about, IF you are an employer who is willing to act on it. We can see that women can be attracted to tech, can love tech, can be very successful and will want to stay in tech IF we as employers get it right. It is great to see that salary is being called out as a key factor, emphasising the positive impact and ongoing need for gender pay reporting. It is also positive to see other things that employers with smaller budgets can do to get it right in terms of transparent promotion structures, mentoring and sponsorship as well as good management and culture. The talent gap continues to grow and women are key to filling it. There are great actionable insights here, but it requires leadership, commitment and action. Every company willing to do this will reap the benefits.“ – Debbie Forster MBE, CEO, Tech Talent Charter

‘This is not about fixing women, its about fixing the environment & culture in which they work’

“Few disagree that better gender balance is better for the technology industry and those working in the myriad of tech functions within every business. As with all companies addressing similar challenges, there is no silver bullet which will bring overnight change. However, this research highlights the potential cost of doing nothing (1 in 5 women working in tech are thinking of leaving their current role). This is not about fixing women. This is more about fixing the environment and culture in which they work. Transparency of promotion opportunities, increased awareness of bias (conscious and unconscious) and policies that acknowledge the distinctive needs of working women could all have material impact on women’s likelihood to remain within an organisation. Ipsos has been proud to partner with WeAreTheCity to give leaders in tech some clear actions that will improve the gender balance in their organisations.” – Sue Phillips, President, IPSOS Gender Balance Network

Click here for further information, or to download a copy of the report.