In recent years, there has been a growing trend of women making successful careers in the tech industry. Despite the industry being predominantly male-dominated, women are breaking barriers and carving out their place in the tech world. With the right skills, women are thriving in the industry, creating innovative solutions and driving change. They are proving to the world that they can rise to the top of the corporate ladder with the right skill set and force the industry to move away from its gendered past.
In addition to their moral and ethical imperative to provide equal opportunities to women in the field, the tech industry also benefits from the larger representation of women. For instance, research by McKinsey illustrated that gender-diverse workspaces are likely to outperform those that are homogeneous in terms of gender representation in terms of financial output. This shows that the industry needs to take on the onus of promoting women possessing the required skills. Highlighted below are the initiatives that have enabled women to achieve significant success in the technology industry.
1. More women are enrolling in tech courses
The advent of ed-tech means that more upskilling courses are available online than ever before. This means that women have more opportunities to prepare themselves for a tech career. As is evident in the gender distribution in terms of enrollment, they are availing these prospects. For example, surveys reveal that more women are enrolling in STEM courses every year, and this percentage will soon surpass that of men. Given these figures, many experts have proclaimed that in the future, we are likely to witness more women leaders and entrepreneurs in the tech industry.
2. Increased sophistication in the hiring process
There has been an amalgamation of technology in almost all aspects of functioning, and hiring is an exception to this. Software based on AI and Ml analyzes the candidate’s qualifications and augments the capacity of the human resources team to make decisions. This prevents any loss of opportunities due to unconscious biases and ensures that these critical decisions are made only based on merit. In turn, it further facilitates the representation of women in the tech industries.
3. Increased networking opportunities
With time, training and education institutions have realized the importance of mentoring and networking in securing career advancements. Therefore, platforms now offer courses that have these prospects built into them. Students are trained under experts in the field and interact with their peers across the globe, which increases their chances of knowing about the challenges and opportunities in their sector.
Moreover, some platforms also train the students enrolled in resume building and help them acquire skills that will aid in cracking interviews. This ensures that women are not held back because of a lack of training or their own anxiety about aspects of selection. They can confidently approach the interviewers and negotiate their salaries based on their skill set.
4. Latest industrial developments
The tech industry as a whole has reformed, especially after the pandemic. Based on surveys conducted across the country, many have adopted policies that encourage women to carry out their professional roles with ease. This includes longer maternity leaves, crèche services, flexible work hours, and even the provision of joining after a career break. This is done to ensure that women continue to flourish in the tech industry.
The idea that women are only suitable for certain roles has been smashed by those women who have not only chosen a career in the tech industry but have also risen to leadership roles. This owes largely to the efforts that they have put in to keep themselves updated about the developments in the field and opt for training programs that provide upskilling opportunities. Given the current industry scenario, women in tech can shatter the glass ceiling and achieve their professional goals with the right support and opportunities.
About The Author
Sonya Hooja, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder at Imarticus Learning plays a key role in developing and implementing business strategy, directing business development, and recruiting top talent. In her career of over 12 years, she has been involved in strategy development and project management roles across diverse industries such as financial services, education, tourism, the public sector, and pharmaceuticals. In 2012, she co-founded Imarticus Learning along with Nikhil Barshikar with an aim to make aspiring professionals in the financial services and analytics domain fully equipped with the necessary skills to excel in their careers, realising that professional skill development and training was the ideal solution to address India's workforce shortcomings.
