Editor’s Note: This article was submitted by Anju Bhagat, a Dallas-based managing director in the communications, media and technology practice at Accenture. She is also a 2017 Dallas Business Journal Women in Technology award honoree.
When my sister’s beloved Sony Walkman broke, the first instinct of my teenage mind was to decompose and try to fix it. In college, as STEM-inclined and determined as I was, I’d wonder to myself—as I flipped through my telecommunication textbooks— "Am I cut out for this?”
Two decades later, I’m grateful I navigated past those choppy waters with the help of my teachers, mentors and my parents. Unfortunately, not everyone survives self-doubt and other obstacles.
Over the last 35 years, despite the absolute number of female tech workers dramatically increasing, the proportion of women in the tech workforce has declined, according to new research by Accenture and Girls Who Code.
What’s more, half of women who take a tech role drop it by the age of 35, compared to 20 percent in other jobs, and female workers leave tech jobs at a 45 percent higher rate than men. In higher education, women are switching away from tech majors at a higher rate than any other majors.
What’s going on? Women in tech don’t always feel at home at colleges and work.
While there are many reasons women abandon a career in technology, the highest percentage of respondents cite culture as the leading cause. On the other hand, university women who find themselves in inclusive learning environments tend to enjoy their majors, network more and are more likely to stick around in STEM.
And, we need a reality check. While 45 percent of senior HR execs say that it is easy for women to thrive in tech, only 21 percent of women agree, and that number falls to just 8 percent for women of color.
In the era in which the labor market is struggling to keep pace with explosive demand for tech talent, this is a problem for all of society. The world as diverse as ours needs innovative solutions designed by diverse people. And, tech jobs don’t just mean roles in the IT department. Technology is the backbone of the business world today; tech-savvy is as essential as business acumen.
So, how can we stop the bleeding, encourage more women to take up and stay in tech careers, and start to tackle the “bro culture” rife in the tech world?
On the college campus level, it means having representation and bolstering support for female students. Building a positive image of people—and especially women—who work in tech is key, but don’t stop there. We have to demonstrate clear links between tech studies and tech careers, especially for senior-level students. And that should start with the faculty. Based on our analysis, inclusive colleges have at least 35 percent of STEM faculty members who are women. Publicizing faculty and student diversity data is a way for colleges to ensure accountability, not to mention it speaks volumes for their commitment.
It’s also effective to offer support outside of class, such as study groups, office hours, guidance from an academic advisor and mentoring in order to retain women. And make no mistake, we must not tolerate behaviors that create a hostile environment for women. By all means, have a zero tolerance policy and to implement educational campaigns for students and faculty on the negative impact of sexual harassment and discrimination, as well as on the use of gender-biased language.
Similarly, in the working world, what’s measured gets managed. As bold as it may sound, companies should set targets for diversity in the leadership team and publish those goals publicly. Transparency goes a long way in building trust and accountability needed to identify and address any issues, create a pipeline and make meaningful progress.
To continue to crack the code on the culture of equality, we also have to let both fathers and mothers parent. So, don’t just have maternity and paternity policies, but senior leaders should set an example and organizational norm by taking parental leave themselves. Let’s also watch out for networking opportunities that take place at after-work drinks, breakfast meetings and sports event. Scheduling more-inclusive events, for example, during working hours, would enable those with other commitments to attend and could boost women’s aspirations while making them feel that they belong.
To help compensate for an uneven playing field, women in tech can benefit from targeted workplace support such as mentors, sponsors and employee resource networks. Finally, it’s worth remembering that many women enter tech because they want to make a difference in the world. Fostering environments where workers are rewarded for creativity and innovation does much more than—but certainly helps to—retain women.
Making it so organizations have the people they need to grow and women have the opportunities they want to succeed is a winning strategy for companies and for the strength of the economy at large. The reality is, STEM subjects can be hard, and the world faces many big problems that need solving. We must encourage both women and men to lean in—so they can apply technology and their collective brainpower to their fullest potential.
