There are so many huge opportunities for growth and progression for people working in the technology industry. Having worked in the industry for over 30 years myself, I firmly believe now is the most exciting time to be working in this industry, and yet still so many young women don't consider it to be a viable career choice for them. Why is this?
As it stands, just 24% of roles within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers are held by women. According to a report by Engineering UK, the UK has the lowest number of female engineers of any country in Europe.
This lack of representation of women in STEM is a longstanding issue. The number of women in technology make up just 17% of all those in the UK tech industry and according to the National Centre for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), women hold only 25% of computing roles within UK companies.
How can businesses support women in STEM?
Enabling women to flourish in the UK workforce is worth a lot financially. According to research undertaken by the McKinsey Global Institute, gender parity in the workplace could add up to $28 trillion (26%) to the annual GDP BY 2025.
There has been a huge increase in initiatives to tackle the gap and positively affect the number of women choosing a career in STEM, especially within the last 5 years. Whilst these initiatives are undeniably having a positive effect, especially in awareness, they haven’t yet had the required impact to readdress the diversity balance.
Benefits tailored to appeal to women
Employers also need to showcase that they operate a female-friendly environment, and provide reassurance that they adhere to a strong equal opportunities policy that clearly lays out how they are supporting work-life balance and equal pay.
Flexible hours
Maintaining a work-life balance can be tricky. Women often juggle family responsibilities whilst looking to progress within their career. Many women in male-dominated industries find themselves taking a voluntary pay cut, to have time to spend at home. A working environment that is flexible to the needs of working parents will appeal to more women and encourage them to stay and progress in their career rather than to choose between work or family.
Higher salaries
In the same way women feel they must reduce their hours to spend time at home, they also take considerable pay cuts in to maintain a balanced life. Women in Technology found that an alarming 25% of women in STEM want to negotiate a higher salary for their role, but feel they are stereotyped as willing to settle for less money than a man in their same position. Ensuring women can work flexible hours without being forced to take a pay cut is the key to businesses gaining and retaining a key part of the workforce.
Opportunities for promotion
Empowering women by offering promotion when it is warranted helps businesses to stand out as drivers toward STEM equality. Many women in the industry feel as though they need to change employers to progress in their careers, whilst research found that 40% of women in the industry have experienced being rejected for promotions that have been given to a less-qualified male.
Encouragement from the beginning
Encouraging girls into STEM at an early age, at home and at school, is key to addressing the gender stereotypes that still exist. Currently, only 7% of students in the UK taking computer science at A-Level are female, and just half of all those studying IT and Technology subjects at school will go into a job of the same field, according to Women in Technology.
Positive female role models are vital, so companies and organisations should ask their successful female employees to visit local schools to meet with students and share their experiences. Examples need to be set at the highest level. It’s never about talking and promising; it’s about action and implementation. As more women are visible as examples of leadership, more women will be mentors to younger generations of women who will be encouraged and empowered to choose leadership paths. By sharing their personal experiences and successes, these female employees can inspire and encourage the students to follow their lead.
Businesses can also offer work experience placements or internship programmes, specifically targeted at young girls who are interested in STEM, but who are perhaps unsure about exactly what a career in this field entails. Park Place Technologies recently sponsored an initiative in Ireland aimed at female college students studying STEM related subjects, who wanted to gain experience in the industry. The two selected candidates were given the opportunity to fly to our US headquarters for a 10-day internship programme, where they received hands-on industry experience as well as the opportunity to network with the senior executive team and go through a leadership training program Internship programmes are invaluable both for an organisation and students. For the students it gives them first-hand experience of the type of work involved with that industry, and for the organisation, it can be used as a recruitment process to identify future talent who could one day join the business once they have completed their studies.
Prior to this a Park Place STEM committee was established in Q4 2018, consisting of a diverse group of women at Park Place, many of whom had no formal training in STEM.
Women on the board of directors
Organisations need to honestly ask themselves how many women hold leadership positions within the company or will have the opportunity to do so in the future? If the answer to this is very few, then you risk losing the already limited number of talented women in your organisation to a more inclusive competitor. Here at Park Place, there are several high-ranking women who contribute to the leadership of the company.
There is undoubtedly an appetite and acute awareness within the industry about the need to encourage more women into STEM. The media attention and various initiatives to support STEM diversity are helping to improve the situation, but this won’t happen without widespread industry engagement. There is clearly more work to do in changing outdated perceptions and unconscious bias and this is where employers can make a real difference -- by showcasing the opportunities available to women in STEM and ensuring access to the same opportunities for all. Employers have an obligation to immerse themselves in these initiatives, and where appropriate drive them to ensure that we are creating a STEM industry that is innovative, creative, progressive and diverse for future generations.
About Jennifer Deutsch
As Chief Marketing Officer at Park Place Technologies, Jennifer leads Park Place’s marketing and communication teams with a focus on growing the Park Place Technologies brand as the global leader in data center third-party maintenance and support.Jennifer brings over three decades of marketing and brand development experience. She has spent time on both the client and agency side. Prior to Park Place Jennifer was the Founder, COO of Antidote 360 and EVP, General Manager at Doner Advertising.
Her client side experience includes past positions at Marriott International where she served as SVP, Global Brand Management where she repositioned and optimized the Marriott brand portfolio. Jennifer began her career at Nestle USA as a Management Trainee and held several positions during her tenure at Nestle including Brand Manager, Lean Cuisine and Director of New Ventures for the Nestle Ice Cream Division. In her spare time, Jennifer is an avid cyclist and gardener. She is an active community member and on several boards including The Cleveland Film Commission, The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and The Cognitive Health Institute. Most recently Jennifer co-founded and serves as Chairman of the Board of FutureVision, a not for profit organization founded in memory of her father, promoting medical innovation and the visual arts. Jennifer is a graduate of Columbia University in New York City and the proud mother of two sons.
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