Over the past decade we have seen an exponential increase in digital advancement. So much so, we are starting to forget how things used to be. Whilst this advancement has brought innovation, growth, opportunities and modern-day challenges such as privacy and security, one area that still requires more recognition and support is ‘Women in Technology’.
McKinsey report 37% of people who work in European tech and tech-adjacent companies are women. At Lean Tree, our gender mix is slightly higher with 42% of our workforce identifying as female. When we examine figures globally, BCG have reported that women represent only 25% of the STEM workforce worldwide and a mere 9% of IT companies’ CEOs.
You may think why does this matter? Well, women bring unique perspectives and problem-solving skills, which are essential for navigating complexities of digital transformation. For example, there is a risk that gender-based biases can creep into algorithms for AI, making it unethical and non-inclusive. It is important to build in a balanced perspective to these systems to ensure fairness.
Paving the Way: Female Technology Leaders
Throughout the years women have swerved obstacles and played a pivotal part in shaping the tech landscape. Ida Lovelace, the first computer programmer, Fei-Fei Li, a leading AI researcher who created ImageNet, and Reshma Saujani, the founder of ‘Girls Who Code’ are brilliant figures that demonstrate the critical role women play in driving innovation and solving complex challenges.
In addition, there are a number of global initiatives that aim to address this gender gap, such as Women in Tech® Global and Global Fund for Women which empower women and girls through providing education, mentorship, and support.
Did you know…
In popular culture, Barbie has had careers as a computer engineer, game developer, robotics engineer and many jobs in the STEM space. She may be viewed as being controversial and may not change the gender diversity divide single-handedly but acts as an early role model for girls, showing them that there is a world where they belong in a world of technology, which can often be the first step. To further support the cause for change, in 2018 The Barbie Dream Gap Project was initiated with a mission to help close the gap and allow girls to realise their full potential.
What Is the Way Forward to Address This Gender Diversity?
Unsurprisingly, it comes down to support in the early years of women’s education (primary, secondary and university) as well as creating career pathways that enable women to thrive and stay in the tech space. Nurturing talent is key, and it provides diverse talent which is beneficial to companies financially in the long run.
Globally we need to drive systemic change, change the language we use about women in tech, challenge the status quo and provide more support. Untapped potential is untapped growth. McKinsey have identified four interventions that could raise women’s share of total tech roles across Europe to around 45% by 2027. These four interventions are reframe, retain, redeploy and ramp-up.
These interventions can be applied to any organisation in a variety of forms:
Reframe: Through advocation and sponsorship networks, effective HR and recruitment policies, and the continued championing of flexible working to allow for external responsibilities.
Retain: Keeping women already in tech engaged through strong management support, progression and development opportunities.
Redeploy: Ensuring that female tech specialists are educated in market-leading sectors such as AI and machine learning, rather than roles that are at risk of redundancy in the ever-changing tech world.
Ramp-up: Focusing efforts on internships, apprenticeships, training and mentoring the next wave of women entering the technology landscape.
Female Leadership at Lean Tree
The team at Lean Tree consists of a diverse range of individuals with varying backgrounds and experience, providing us with a unique offering that our clients benefit from when we partner with them on digital transformations. We spoke to some of the female leaders in our organisation about their journey in the tech sector.
Rachel Prew, Director at Lean Tree and Head of our Growth Practice, commented on her journey as a woman in the tech sector:
“I have been in tech for over 25 years and have been privileged to never feel marginalised or less relevant than my male colleagues. I’ve often reflected on this, and my thoughts are that I have been fortunate enough to work with very enlightened, modern organisations with brilliant people, where you are given opportunities based on your potential and aptitude without boundaries or restrictions.
“We have also come a long way in recent years to embrace the softer (but not necessarily female!) skills associated with change adoption – the human approach hand in hand with delivering complex technology which has widened the world of possibility for roles in tech and improved the benefits companies can generate by landing difficult changes brilliantly.”
Claire Newstead, Business Operations Manager, shared her insight:
“The women at Lean Tree play a key leadership role in growing and developing our organisation and we continue to develop our female talent, from Junior Consultants right the way through to our Senior Leadership Team, to ensure that everyone feels valued and included. We firmly believe that diversity is essential for success, and we live and breathe these values throughout our recruitment process.”
Emily Kindness, Principal Consultant in our Advisory Practice added:
“With 16 years in technology across UX, business analysis, and product roles, and many different industries, I’ve had the privilege of working with diverse teams and cultures. Throughout my journey, one thing has remained clear—balanced teams, with different perspectives and skill sets, drive the best outcomes and truly helps to drive innovation and progress in technology.”
Looking Ahead to the Future
The future of women in the technology space is bright. As more attention and funding is directed to balance the scales, more women will be encouraged to enter, and more importantly remain, in the technology sector. We know that the world of digital technology, especially transformation, is ever evolving and can’t wait to see what happens in the next 5, 10, or even 20 years.
We are constantly exploring initiatives and ways to get involved with promoting diversity and inclusivity at Lean Tree, so watch this space to see what we achieve next.
Sources
- McKinsey – https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/women-in-tech-the-best-bet-to-solve-europes-talent-shortage
- BCG – https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/impact-of-skill-building-opportunities-women-in-stem
Author: Jasmeet Deogan, Senior Consultant, Advisory Practice
