It’s well-documented that women are underrepresented in the technology sector. As of 2022, women hold only about a quarter of all tech jobs, despite making up half of the working population. And while things are certainly better now than they ever have been, we have a long way to go to achieving gender equality in tech.

Here at Prosum, we believe strongly in the importance of women in tech and want to do everything we can to empower women in this field. And Women’s History Month is the perfect time to do that.

What are the current statistics regarding women in the technology field? Why do we need more women in technology roles? And what can your company do to better support women as we move forward? Let’s take a closer look at the numbers and find out how we can empower women to have an even greater role in this cutting-edge field.

Women In Technology: Current Stats

Take a look at some of the current statistics surrounding women in the technology sector, and you’ll quickly get an idea of the disparities women face in this field. Here are some current stats from techjury.net:

• Only 37% of tech startups have at least one woman on the board of directors
• The ratio of men to women in engineering is 5:1
• Only 29% of women say they haven’t worked in technology companies that had a “boy’s club” culture
• Women hold less than 20% of all leadership positions in technology
• Women earn 18% of computer science bachelor’s degrees in the United States
• Of the $150 billion invested by venture capitalists, only $3.4 billion (2.5 percent) went to women-founded companies
• Women in the software engineering field aren’t paid equally to their male counterparts, making $.93 for every dollar men make
• 63% of men in tech firms think their companies are equal employers regarding gender
• Only 25% of employees at the tech giants – Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook – are female.

What Percentage of Women Work in Tech?

According to explodingtopics.com, 26.7% of tech-related jobs were held by women as of 2022. As you climb the ladder in rank, that number gets smaller and smaller. Furthermore, things don’t always trend in a positive direction. The total number of women in tech-related positions decreased between 2020 and 2021 by 2.1%. This is likely due to the impact of the pandemic since many women had to leave their jobs for family or childcare obligations.

Unfortunately, the situation isn’t much better for women of color. Out of all Fortune 500 Company CEOs, only two are African American. However, of the more than 140,000 women who worked in the tech sector in 2021, 56% were women of color.

Why We Need More Women in Tech

It can be discouraging to see the numbers when it comes to women in tech. But more and more companies are pushing for better representation for women and minority groups than ever before. But why is diverse tech staffing so essential? Why exactly do we need more women in tech?

There are all sorts of reasons why we need more women in tech, equality and fairness being just one of them. But there are also very practical business reasons for women having an increased presence in the typically male-dominated tech world. They include:

Demand for Talent

One reason why there is a need for more women in tech is simple: There is a need for more people in tech in general. There is a shortage of tech workers, particularly IT personnel, and companies need talented individuals to fill those roles. Women are in the perfect position to take advantage of this gap and fill crucial roles in tech and IT departments in companies of all sizes.

Increased Representation

Having more women in technology jobs is about increased representation, but not just increased representation for the sake of politics or optics. Technology shapes the world we live in, but women are underrepresented in this area – that means the technological tools and services that companies provide aren’t working for everyone. Women in tech can better advocate for the technological needs of women as consumers.

There are plenty of well-documented examples of these shortcomings. Smartphones are often designed for male hands, ultimately being too big for the average female hand size. Virtual-reality headsets are often too big for women. Technology of all sorts is often based on male-biased data sets, thereby making it biased. Having more women in the tech sector is the only way to rectify this.

Increased Innovation/Creativity

Another reason to have more women in technology roles is to increase innovation and creativity. When diversity changes in the tech world, innovation in the tech world changes alongside it. And with the wide range of skills, experience, and perspectives that women bring to the technology workforce, it’s a smart way for companies to boost creativity and inject new ideas into a field that has traditionally been a “boy’s club.”

How Can Your Tech Company Support Women?

We’ve seen how important it is to have women in tech – not only because women are underrepresented in the field, but because it benefits technology companies. So, how can your company support women, not only in 2022 but beyond?

Increase Women in Leadership

One of the most obvious and impactful ways to support women in your company is to increase the number of women in leadership roles. Remember: Women hold less than 20% of leadership roles across all tech companies. You can be a part of the change. Not only do women in leadership roles bring fresh perspectives and unique ideas that the traditionally male-dominated tech leadership might not but providing internal advancement opportunities will decrease attrition of the women at your company. It’s a win-win.

Modernize Recruiting Strategy

Did you know that job descriptions often contain language that excludes women, even if it’s not there intentionally? It turns out that words like “manpower” or “fearless” can turn off female applicants. Your company may be missing out on many great female candidates simply because of your job postings – it’s time to change that.

Do the research and talk to the women at your company to learn what they’re looking for in a job in terms of benefits, culture, flexible working hours, team transparency, etc. Then, you can work toward developing job descriptions that are modern, inclusive, and relevant to all.

Support Ongoing Learning for Women

Getting women into tech positions is one part of the battle. The other part is supporting them to grow and thrive. Bolster your company’s ongoing learning programs to close skills gaps and help women develop new skills. Not only does that improve retention rates at your company, it makes it even more likely the women at your company will advance to leadership roles.

Include Women in Interview Process

When your company interviews candidates, who are the people sitting across the table from the job seeker? The diversity of that panel is important in multiple ways. Not only is it putting your existing female employees in the interview process to reduce gender biases, but it’s also helping female candidates to better visualize their place in your company. If your current interview process doesn’t include women at any stage, it’s time to change that.

Partner with a Minority-Owned Tech Staffing Agency to Recruit Diverse Candidates

Women in the tech industry continue to be pioneers working toward closing the gender gaps inherent in this field. And it’s working. Just one example: Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved Nasdaq’s proposal to require companies listed on the exchange to have at least one female board member and another who is from an under-represented group. It’s clear that the push for women’s empowerment in the technology world – not to mention many other industries – is continuing to gain momentum and will have important and positive ramifications in the future.

Throughout Women’s History Month and beyond, companies need to do their part to empower women in the tech workforce – they can do that by putting women in leadership roles, modernizing their recruiting, providing ongoing learning and education, and including women in the interview process, just to name a few.

Do you need help with your recruiting efforts? Looking to hire women in tech? Why not turn to an experienced tech recruitment agency like Prosum? We’re a leading minority-owned tech staffing agency that can help you find the skilled employees you need for permanent roles or contract help. Learn more about our tech and IT staffing solutions by contacting a member of our recruitment team.