Non-traditional routes will increase tech diversity, says Tech Returners

Women in tech claim that diversity in the sector will improve if businesses focus on creating non-traditional routes into tech jobs, according to the Women in Tech North and Tech Returners’ 2024 Reframe women in tech report.

The research, which asked thousands of women from the Women in Tech North and Tech Returners communities about their experiences working in the technology industry, found that 76% of women said businesses need to work on developing and supporting alternative routes into the technology sector to encourage more women to consider tech roles.

Beckie Taylor, co-founder of Tech Returners, said that a recent drop in tech recruitment, as well as declining budgets – something she referred to as the “tech winter” – has had an impact on how businesses are seeing diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) practices.

“With cuts to talent and DE&I roles, not only has tech hiring slowed down, but DE&I is, once again, being seen as a ‘nice to have’ rather than a must have for real innovation,” she said.

“Diverse teams are key to creating products and services that genuinely reflect consumer needs, but many businesses just aren’t prioritising it – something we believe will hold them back in the long run.

“Those championing alternative routes to tech know the value and impact, but it’s tough getting businesses to prioritise. This limits the progress we can make in building more inclusive tech teams.

“During the ‘tech winter’, only a few truly progressive companies sought out or invested in initiatives like returner programmes, apprenticeships, bootcamps or mentorship programmes, and yet the impact for those companies has been huge and, in the end, they will be ahead.”

There are many reasons girls and women don’t choose technology careers, including a lack of awareness of tech jobs and what they involve, a deficit of industry inclusion making tech careers less appealing, and a shortfall of visible and accessible role models shining light on a path for those below them.

These issues can be solved through awareness, and 70% of women said that education surrounding the barriers women face in the technology sector should be a business focus.

According to the report, businesses should be learning more about the barriers women in the sector face by consulting with those both in and outside of their organisations, and using their findings to share these difficulties, making them easier to then address.

Emma Macgregor, head of marketing at Tech Returners, said: “This is for everybody. When we consider why this is important, there’s a gap between the experiences of women and society’s understanding of these experiences.

“Without a broader understanding, workplaces will struggle to offer the kind of inclusive support that’s truly needed. It’s about creating an environment where everyone can understand and advocate for the diverse experiences women face in tech, and beyond.”

Diversity issues exist in the technology industry throughout the pipeline, from education through to retention.

When it comes to the initial push to get women and girls to consider a technology career, a small number of women said that initiatives to make people more aware of tech jobs should start early in the pipeline, engaging directly with education providers to make girls more aware of tech careers.

Almost 20% said businesses need to engage directly with minority groups, encouraging them to apply for tech roles and making them more aware of what the industry has to offer.

But visible and accessible role models was a factor cited by a large number of women as making a huge difference to encouraging women and other underrepresented groups into tech.

Half of those asked said that businesses need to focus on leadership programmes to help ensure women make it to the top of the tech career ladder, both internally and externally, where they will not only act as role models for those outside of the sector, but will also have more power within organisations to make decision about how the business is run.

Just under 10% also said businesses should be “publicly showcasing” diverse role models, but only if this can be done authentically.

The Reframe women in tech report looked heavily into hiring, and while many firms are already focused on their practices to develop a more diverse tech workforce, more can be done to improve.

Almost 70% of those asked said that it’s important to have more female representation during the hiring process to offer a more diverse perspective – removing degree requirements and gender bias in job descriptions ranked highly among moves businesses can do to improve diverse hiring.

For example, 37% of women said it’s important to have salary transparency in job descriptions to ensure women and men who apply are both offered the same salary for the same job. A quarter of women also said that job descriptions should be written in an intentionally inclusive manner to ensure women aren’t deterred during the applications process.

But hiring is only the first step, with retention relying more on internal culture, and inclusion and belonging practices, which require more work on the business’s part.

Tech Returners’ Taylor said: “A DE&I roadmap can be instrumental in helping businesses understand where they are now and what the journey ahead looks like, using key milestones and priorities. A company focused on their ‘Why?’ might instead have multiple practices in place such as DE&I training, diverse input on business policies, inclusive job descriptions and public information on flexible working, to name a few. Each element builds towards a bigger goal, part of a bigger picture.”

Tech Talent Charter found last year that a third of women in the industry planned on leaving their current roles, and a quarter of those who left their roles in the past few years ended up leaving the tech sector altogether – these statistics will only get worse if the industry continues not to suit everyone.

To make the workplace more inclusive, half of those asked said that women should have more input on policy making within businesses to ensure they are representative of everyone in the workplace.

Employee resources groups were also a priority for 21% of women in tech, as they can act as an inclusive environment to share experiences, gain support and network with other people like them.

With several notable diversity initiatives closing in recent months, it’s increasingly important for firms to continue to work on their diversity and inclusion practices to prevent a backslide in progress.

Macgregor said: “Diverse teams bring different perspectives, which means better products and services. Diversity isn’t just good for people – it’s a smart business move that boosts performance and profits.”