Almost half of women working at technology businesses say that getting more female workers onboard is not a company priority and although businesses are increasing their gender diversity efforts, there's still a long way to go until equality is achieved.
That's according to a report by Booking.com which revealed that although 56% of women think their employer is attempting to close the gap between women and men in the workplace, organisations need to prioritise nurturing female talent rather than taking a half-hearted approach.
"Driving greater gender diversity in tech is as much about unearthing untapped talent as it is about supporting women who have already built the skills, knowledge and expertise in our sector," said Gillian Tans, CEO of Booking.com. "Diversifying talent with all aspects of experience, backgrounds and career paths needs to be front of mind."
Women working in the tech sector said they're committed to helping businesses ramp up their gender diversity efforts. A starting point would be for organisations to offer more flexible benefits for women as well as an "improved work environment".
"Over the last ten years there have been significant changes to drive positive progress towards making the tech industry a more gender diverse place to work," Tans added. "We need to make sure that we continue this momentum. Companies that prioritize inclusivity at every level and tap effectively into the existing talent pool as well as encouraging new talent will continue to grow and thrive."
One major theme in Booking.com's research was that women find it hard to re-enter the tech space after a break. Almost two-thirds of women questioned said they think taking a career break was detrimental to their career progression, while almost three quarters think they should be better supported if they decide to return to tech after taking a break.
"What our research tells us is that the tech industry needs to work more closely together to align on strategies to encouraging women to pursue a career in tech," Tans concluded. "Women bring tremendous value that can positively impact both tech companies and the industry globally and should be part of proactive initiatives focused on inclusivity, retention and skills development."
