A woman in tech is a valuable addition to the world of work. They bring new ideas, perspectives, and approaches that improve outcomes for companies and employees alike. Here are some reasons why you need girls in technology in your tech roles:
Diversity
Diversity is important because it brings new perspectives. Diversity helps a company expand its view of what’s possible, and it also helps create a more inclusive workplace. This can be especially beneficial if you’re an early-stage company looking to attract top talent.
A report from The National Center for Women & Information Technology found that the most successful companies were those with diverse leadership teams – including women:
- Women hold at least 40% of leadership roles at these tech companies.
- Underrepresented minorities hold at least 30% of leadership roles at these tech companies.
Recruiting strategy
Recruitment is one of the biggest challenges facing tech companies today. Hiring qualified talent is no easy feat, and fewer qualified candidates are applying for positions; filling them is even harder.
But women who want to work in tech face an uphill battle: they’re underrepresented in this field, so hiring managers may overlook them as potential hires because they don’t see them as viable options. And think about how much time managers spend on recruiting new employees.
This means that women will have less opportunity to get hired than men with comparable skills and experience, not because they aren’t good enough but simply because they weren’t considered from the beginning!
Companies that invest more resources into searching for female candidates stand a better chance at finding top talent — but only if those companies are willing to broaden their search criteria beyond what’s traditionally been considered “qualified.”
New perspectives
A secondary benefit of having women in tech is that they bring a different perspective to the table. For example, in a field where men make up 96% of the workforce, their ideas and experiences are lacking. Women have different experiences and problems to share with each other, which leads to new perspectives on things.
Women also approach problems differently than men. For example, they’re more likely to ask “why” when presented with an issue rather than immediately trying to fix it. The more female employees you have in your company, the better your solutions will solve real-world problems.
Innovation
Women are more likely to challenge the status quo and ask questions that haven’t been asked before. As a result, they are more likely to be risk-takers, which helps a company grow faster than its competitors.
If your product or service is new, having women on your team will help you figure out how it should look and function best. Finally, they tend to be more collaborative than their male counterparts, making them ideal team players.
Women in tech benefit everyone. Companies like Intuit suggest, “Girls Who Code reports that about 74% of young girls express interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and computer science. And yet, by the time they make decisions about what to study and where to start their careers, something happens. “
The world would be poorer without the incredible talents and insights of women in this industry, and it’s up to us as leaders to make sure we do everything possible to support them as they contribute their best work.