Less than half of tech businesses have programs to hire more women

New research has highlighted the lack of urgency from Australian organisations to make a concerted effort to increase the number of women workers in the tech sector.

It’s no secret that numbers-wise, men dominate the make-up of the tech sector’s workforce, with the majority (87 per cent) of IT professionals agreeing that there is a lack of gender diversity in the industry. However, according to ISACA’s Tech Workplace and Culture report, less than half (41 per cent) of businesses have programs in place to hire more women.

The irony of this is that according to the same report, 74 per cent of businesses also said that attracting and retaining talent is a challenge. It seems to be a no-brainer that organisations that are struggling to retain and attract talent would branch out and look into diverse talent pools; however, this seems to not be occurring in the tech sector.

The under-representation of women in the tech sector can be boiled down to a few differing factors, with many respondents pointing towards overwhelming male leadership (43 per cent of females and 21 per cent of men) as a key reason.

Another big culprit that was featured in the report was pay inequality, according to 42 per cent of women – but only 15 per cent of men.

“Australia’s tech sector faces a Catch-22; women remain under-represented due to a lack of visible role models, yet it is the success of these very role models that inspires others to adopt this career path and thrive,” said Jo Stewart-Rattray, ISACA’s Oceania ambassador and founder of ISACA’s SheLeadsTech program, arguing that the lack of women representation in the sector is exacerbating the skills shortage.

“To break this cycle, businesses must actively address pay and promotion inequalities, while creating pathways that allow women to achieve their individual career goals, including during pivotal life stages like maternity leave.”

The report highlighted that educational institutions can do more to drive gender inclusion in the sector.

“More needs to be done to increase the representation of women in the IT and technology sector – and more needs to be done to welcome their leadership and influence,” said Julia Kanouse, who serves as chief membership officer at ISACA and oversees the association’s SheLeadsTech program.

“This will not only help to address the global skills gap and boost productivity in the sector – it will also create a more inclusive and diverse working environment.”

Despite these findings, it’s not all doom and gloom, as 68 per cent of women who have managed to break into the sector have indicated that they are extremely or very satisfied with their career progression thus far.

Anna Murray, founder, president, and lead consultant of emedia and member of the SheLeadsTech advisory council, noted that each woman that is added to the tech workforce could have a flow-on effect that can inspire more and more women to give it a crack.

“Women thrive in tech roles, bringing unique perspectives and expertise to make impactful contributions within the industry and their organisations,” said Murray.

“It is vital for the IT sector to continue prioritising efforts to both address deterrents and increase awareness and outreach to bring more women into these professions and create a more equitable and balanced tech workforce.”