By Insaaf Daniels, Human Capital Director and Kelly Solomons, Talent Specialist at redPanda Software
There’s been a sharp focus on empowering women in tech. Particularly over the past few years, there’s also been a somewhat impressive movement of women into senior leadership roles in the industry.
However, we still hear phrases such as “it’s a man’s world” and “women are fighting for a seat at the table”. This is because, despite progress, there is still a gap.
There isn’t gender parity yet, certainly, from a recruitment perspective, even in an organisation such as ours which has made remarkable progress with a woman-to-man ratio of 40% to 60%, we need to build strong women recruitment and retention strategies proactively.
The industry needs to do this not as a box-ticking exercise, but because diversity is a strength. The talent pool is nowhere near 50-50 representation so there needs to be a sharp focus on finding the talent, hiring female employees and bringing on interns with a focus on women.
The job isn’t as difficult as it was a few years ago and a lot of credit must go to schools that include subjects such as coding in their curriculums – this immediately broadens awareness among girls.
Coupled with female technology leaders visiting schools and universities, girls now have a chance to see themselves in a technology career. This is crucial because the stereotype of a male-dominated environment needs to be addressed early.
From our perspective, when we visit universities to talk about software engineering, we make it our mission to dispel stereotypes and reinforce the truth that progressive companies welcome all personalities.
It’s beautiful to see eyes light up when young people realise that all types of people are welcome in technology and that the traits they need to succeed are a passion for technology, a strong sense of accountability and self-motivation.
Different businesses will approach empowering women in tech differently. At redPanda Software, the mere fact that the human capital director is a woman is inspiring to young people at the start of their careers.
More than 50% of our people leaders are women – and this was a strategic decision because it is an employee’s first touchpoint with a business.
We focus intently on internship programmes where we believe giving opportunities to young women is an investment in an equal workforce.
Alongside internship programmes, we find mentorship programmes to be crucial. The Red Ladies mentorship group, for example, has been highly successful in moulding and shaping young women in the organisation, not just with technical support but also through empathy, such as mothers speaking to mothers, among many more areas of support.
Women’s month is about shining a light on the empowerment and upliftment of women and giving younger people direct access to those who have blazed a path is worth its weight in gold. Turning the lens specifically to the technology workplace, there are common challenges that women face.
There’s no hiding from the fact that more women suffer from imposter syndrome than men, especially in technology.
In this country we come from diverse backgrounds and patriarchy is embedded in many cultures. Emerging from a world where women should be seen and not heard, and then walking into a professional environment that still has a higher proportion of men, many young women are afraid to make their voices heard.
Women often feel outnumbered – they must fight harder to be seen and heard. In large groups of men, there are often shared interests and life experiences, making it more difficult for young women of different backgrounds to connect with male counterparts professionally.
Businesses can make the work-life easier for women in tech. It is crucial because if they don’t, there will be employee churn and in a skills-scarce environment and a male-dominated talent pool, which presents a serious diversity challenge.
At redPanda Software, most of our initiatives including wellness and spiritual initiatives, are led by females. Reliable and accountable employees enjoy flexible work hours because we respect our staff’s families.
One of our female employees teaches pilates, and by creating an open, two-way relationship we have found a way for this to exist side by side with her professional career.
Beyond their recruitment strategies, businesses must have a longer-term plan of identifying women in the business that show potential.
They need to be placed on courses to be upskilled and surrounded with a support network to help them grow in the business while getting ahead in their careers. This leads to happy employees and happy employees don’t leave.
Women wanting a career in technology should look for businesses that provide a proven platform for them to share their skills, and career pathways that allow for growth.
Look for an organisation that prioritises a supportive workplace culture. Don’t be afraid to ask about culture during interviews.
However, the biggest piece of advice is this: Don’t wait for an invitation to take your career in your own hands. Use your voice, and seek out environments that encourage you to grow.
Identify where you want to grow and then make it happen. Seek out mentors, surround yourself with support and back yourself.
Lastly, always hold yourself accountable and strive towards excellence because when you add value to the workplace you start climbing the career ladder.
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