More than half of Americans in the workforce are women, yet women make up under 20% of those in tech jobs. These are some of the best paying jobs in America, averaging about double the country’s average wage in general. So what’s keeping women out and how can companies attract and retain top female talent into the tech field?
The bizarre behaviors of tech bros in Silicon Valley have made international headlines lately. In Emily Chang’s new book Brotopia she documents company lunches at strip clubs, broken or nonexistent safeguards against sexual harassment and assault, and a general feeling of women never knowing what they will be walking into when they are called for a meeting. But those are the women who made it into the field to begin with. Oftentimes girls lose interest in the STEM fields by the age of 15 despite the fact that at age 11 81% of girls express interest in the fields.
There are a few companies making strides toward greater gender equality in the tech field. SalesForce conducted a massive internal audit of 17,000 employees and ended up spending an extra $3 million on payroll in order to close the gender pay gap within its ranks. At Intuit they invest in mentoring programs for women, encourage leadership development in women, and have policies in place that allow for flexibility in scheduling so that results are more important than the quantity of time spent in the office.
Things like workplace flexibility and other forms of support can go a long way toward keeping women in any field, and some would say Silicon Valley has a long way to go toward that goal. But the first thing that needs to be addressed is the harassment and gate-keeping cultures that are keeping women out in the first place. Learn more about how to support women in tech from this infographic.
Infographic Source: Evia