Women in Tech: How we're tackling the gender gapPosted 10 months ago by Amy Taylor

What’s the current situation?

It’s no secret that there are several underrepresented groups in the tech world - women being one of them. This year it’s been reported that only 26% of those working in tech are women, and whilst this is an improvement on previous years, there is still a wide disparity between men and women in the technology industry across the UK.

 

Why is a diverse workforce in the tech industry so important?

You may wonder why diverse teams in the tech space, or any industry for that matter, are necessary in the first place. It can be transformational for business growth and impact, and the simple truth is companies that prioritise having a diverse and inclusive workplace are more productive and more profitable compared to those that don’t.

Diverse workforces create environments that welcome change, new ideas, and different perspectives, and there is an abundance of research out there showcasing how inclusion results in greater employee retention, increased creativity, improved team management, and overall better company performance.

Inclusion and diversity in the workplace are also important as it’s something that current and future generations of employees care deeply about. People in this day and age want to be part of a company that shares their core values and champions diversity. In fact, a PwC survey found that 85% of female millennials have diversity front of mind, stating that a company’s D&I policy was of high importance when deciding whether to work for an employer.

 

How can Client Server build a diverse technology team in your business?

This year we’re incredibly proud to have been nominated for ‘Best Recruitment Agency’ at the Women in Tech Employer Awards for our outstanding contribution to growing the female tech workforce. We always go above and beyond to help place more females into our client’s tech roles; it’s not something we do half-heartedly. Here are some of the ways we can make a difference…

 

Advertising:

We have an experienced team dedicated to writing job adverts and managing job board accounts to ensure your roles are getting the maximum exposure in front of the right candidates. Our Advertising team understands the challenges of hiring female technologists and can craft adverts to attract females specifically.

We use a gender analysis tool on all adverts to ensure the language is either balanced between male and female, or more female focussed if we are targeting this group, and we keep up to date with the latest research, studies, and products to ensure we are ahead of the curve.

 

Candidate Sources:

We advertise across all the well-known job boards, including our own website which is our most successful source of female placements each month, plus several D&I job boards to reach a wide pool of candidates. We invest a huge amount into advertising to ensure that your roles will appear at the top of the searches and we’re always exploring and trialling new sources, products, and targeted advertising campaigns.

 

D&I Partnerships:

We have partnered with Women in Tech UK and Diversity in Tech UK to share content, knowledge, and celebrate diversity in the tech sector. There’s always more to learn so we’re regularly communicating with our D&I partners to understand the latest stats and trends in the female tech market.

This year we’re excited to be sponsoring at Women of Silicon Roundabout in London. This will be a fantastic opportunity to meet with thousands of women working in the technology industry across the UK, and a great chance for us to promote our clients!

 

Final Thoughts:

There’s no denying the challenge of hiring females into tech roles, and it can often feel like an upward battle! Choosing the right tools and using a variety of sources is essential to succeed, but this is often costly. By partnering with Client Server, you are getting a pipeline of female and diverse candidates from a wide variety of sources, as well as an experienced team who have an in-depth knowledge of the women in tech market and can offer valuable insight and advice for your hiring needs.

 

Our 5 top tips for hiring female technologists…

• Include female employees during the interview process
• Show female imagery on your website and social pages
• Shout about your culture, female friendly benefits, networking groups, and all that good stuff
• Only include the ‘must have’ requirements on job specs - studies show females will only apply if they meet every requirement!
• Consider hybrid, remote, or flexible working models

 

Get in touch today if you’d like to find out more about how we’re building diverse tech teams across the UK and beyond!