Number of men who now recognize IT as
“unwelcoming” for women has nearly doubled; gives rise to more
opportunities for men and women to achieve real change together
Only one quarter of women (26%) become interested in technology
in high school or earlier, compared to almost half of men (44%) who
become interested during the same time, according to the second
annual Harvey Nash Women in Technology survey report. Men’s
interest in technology is piqued much earlier than women’s, as even
in elementary or middle school just over twice as many males than
females report their interest started there (20% vs. 9%). Further,
men are more likely than women to have entered IT through a STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) track in college, 59%
vs. 44%.
The survey findings indicate a clear opportunity to engage women
to enter the field of technology at an earlier age, potentially
making a significant impact on the widespread gender disparity in
IT careers today. In fact, 69% of all respondents, which included
658 women and men, believe the key to getting more women in tech is
encouraging females to pursue technology in high school or
college.
“The visibility and value of a STEM education has skyrocketed in
the last decade, but we’re not yet seeing the full impact translate
to the IT workplace,” said Bob Miano, Harvey Nash USA President and
CEO. “School and home life can spark the first interest for
technology, but individuals as well as companies need to take
action throughout the lifecycle of IT careers to keep that
enthusiasm alive. There’s no shortage of viable career
opportunities for those with an IT interest, whether they become
interested early or later. Increasing and keeping women in IT is
critical to meet the demand for tech talent in the midst of a
permanent IT labor shortage.”
In addition to increasing the number of women in tech, the
survey reveals ways to help women become more successful in their
IT careers. Findings show that mentoring programs and company
policies are proven strategies, particularly important since almost
half of women (43%) cite lack of advancement opportunities as a
major challenge in their jobs, compared to 26% of men. Women with
more tenure (8+ years of experience or in a leadership role) find
lack of advancement opportunities to be more pervasive than
early-career women in tech (44% vs. 28%).
An “unwelcoming environment” cited as major challenge to
working in IT
More than twice as many women as men (30% of women vs. 13% of
men) say an unwelcoming environment to women and minorities is one
of the greatest challenges when it comes to working in IT. The
number of women who feel this way remains mostly unchanged from
last year (29%), but the men who agree has nearly doubled (from 7%
in 2016).
Thirty percent (30%) of women aren’t sure whether they will stay
in IT for the rest of their careers, compared to only 17% of men
who feel the same way. An unsupportive environment is the number
one reason women left their last technology job. Furthermore, more
than twice as many women than men say they left their last job in
part due to unfair treatment by their team or manager (26% of women
vs. 11% of men).
That said, IT professionals find much to love about their IT
careers: the challenging work (75%), the variety of tasks (57%),
and the opportunity to be creative (53%). The largest proportion of
both men and women indicate a desire to stay in their current role
(38% of men and 32% of women).
Solutions and responsibilities: more c-suite ownership and
company programs needed
More than three-quarters (78%) of represented employers do not
offer any programs to support women in tech. Large companies
(1,000+ employees) are almost twice as likely as smaller and
mid-sized firms to offer formal programs, but that number only
reaches 28% for large and 15% for small and mid-sized firms.
Survey participants believe the responsibility for increasing
and advancing women in IT is shared among academia, individuals and
employers. Almost twice as many women than men feel the c-suite
should take action to increase women in technology (51% vs. 26%).
But more than any other solution, both men and women agree more
should be done at the high school and college levels.
Mentorship programs are grossly underutilized, despite 57% of
female respondents reporting that a mentor helped their career.
Only 6% of both men and women say they would go through their
company to find a mentor, and more than half (54%) don’t know how
to go about finding one at all.
“Mentors, coaches and executive sponsors play an integral role
in the tech ecosystem,” said Leslie Vickrey, ClearEdge Marketing
CEO and Founder and ARA Co-Founder. “Our work at ARA has proven
time and again that women in IT thrive in an environment where they
can openly exchange challenges and strategies for success. This
helps keep women moving forward and staying in IT, which could have
a direct impact on reducing the IT skills shortage.”
Balancing life commitments top area of weakness
Both men and women rank balancing other life commitments with
work as their top area of weakness for the second year in a row.
Thirty-four percent (34%) cite lack of flexibility and 38% report
long hours among the most challenging parts of working in
technology. These challenges also directly impact retention, with
18% of men and 17% of women leaving their last job to seek a better
work/life balance. Forty-one percent (41%) of women say outside
responsibilities threaten to slow their career advancement,
compared to 31% of men.
“Technology has long been an area from which a substantial leave
of absence is hard to recover,” said Anna Frazzetto, Harvey Nash
Chief Digital Technology Officer & SVP. “Because technologies
change so quickly, it’s hard for all tech professionals to stay
current when they take time out of the workplace. That has made
advancement to executive ranks much harder for women.”
For more information about the Harvey Nash Women in Technology
survey report or to request a copy, please email
awarren@clearedgemarketing.com or click here.
About the Survey
The 2017 Harvey Nash Women in Technology survey of 658 women and
men in technology was conducted in partnership with ARA, an
organization whose goal is to Attract, Retain and Advance women in
technology. The survey explores the differences between men and
women in IT while also recognizing their similarities and shared
pursuit of a rewarding IT work environment. It was conducted
between July 20 and August 12, 2017, and surveyed IT professionals
from junior level to the c-suite. Respondents represent small, mid
and large-sized companies across a broad range of industries.
About Harvey Nash Inc.
Harvey Nash Inc. is the U.S. division of the Harvey Nash Group,
a global professional recruitment firm and IT outsourcing service
provider traded on the London Stock Exchange since 1997. Harvey
Nash has helped over half the world’s leading companies recruit,
source and manage the highly skilled talent they need to succeed in
an increasingly competitive, global and technology driven world.
With 7,000 experts in 43 offices across Europe, Asia and North
America, Harvey Nash has the reach and resources of a global
organization, and it fosters a culture of innovation and agility
that empowers all employees across the world to respond to
constantly changing client needs. Harvey Nash works with clients,
both big and small, to deliver a portfolio of services: IT
recruitment, IT outsourcing/offshoring and executive search. To
learn more, please visit www.harveynashusa.com. Follow us:
www.twitter.com/harveynashusa and
www.facebook.com/harveynashusa.
About ARA
ARA is committed to attracting, retaining and advancing women in
technology roles. By cultivating relationships via mentorship,
events and programs, ARA helps businesses bolster the numbers and
influence of women working and advancing in technology, while
helping women navigate IT career paths and challenges. To learn
more, please visit www.aramentors.com. Follow us:
www.twitter.com/aramentors and www.facebook.com/aramentors.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171010006112/en/
ClearEdge MarketingAnn Warren+1 (770)
328-8384awarren@clearedgemarketing.com
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