WOMEN IN TECH REPORT: 'STUCK UNDER A GLASS CEILING'

In tech, women face unique challenges that often prevent them from breaking through the glass ceiling, according to new findings from Skillsoft's annual survey.

The annual Women in Tech survey gathered data from 1,321 women in the technology sector, taking a snapshot of the industry and the women who support it. The findings also reveal the key challenges of women in tech-related roles, what’s important to them, and what they want and expect from their employers.

Resulting from the survey is an in-depth report that shares the findings. In the report, you’ll find women in tech face several key challenges, including ineffective leadership, inequity in pay and opportunities. The consequences of these challenges vary, and to overcome them, employers must take action.

Get the report to see the data, read the analysis, and understand how to better support women in tech.

In this blog, we cover some of the report's highlights. Read on to learn more.

The ratio of men-to-women in tech has gotten worse, according to this research, and women still find themselves up against many of the issues revealed in the first edition of this report.

“Despite the efforts of organizations to make diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace a greater priority, our research shows that the gender gap remains quite wide, and significant work is needed to achieve true parity at all levels,” said Orla Daly, Chief Information Officer, Skillsoft.

This year’s report finds that women are still greatly outnumbered at work. Only 12% of the women surveyed reported an equal ratio of men and women in the workplace. Consider these stats…

• The gender gap grew. 45% of women technologists say men outnumber them at ratios of four-to-one or greater. This climbed 20 percentage points from 2021.
  
• Women see inequities standing their way. 42% report a lack of equal pay; 40%, a lack of professional development opportunities; 39%, inequity in opportunities; and, 26% cite a lack of representation.
  
• The main reasons why women quit their jobs: Compensation, a lack of equity in opportunities, ineffective leadership — to name a few. Nearly 40% are likely to switch job roles in the year ahead.

In tech, some of the leading challenges organizations face have to do with attracting and retaining skilled talent — and yet, many women in the field still aren't getting the opportunity to put their skills to work.

As an employer that struggles with skills gaps or hiring workers, it's important to scrutinize your training programs and recruitment strategies to ensure they're equitable and built with purpose. Doing so can help identify ways you can elevate women and support their advancement.

Largely, women in tech aren't getting enough opportunities to further their careers and build a future for themselves.

Survey findings show a lack of equity in pay and opportunities remain among the top challenges women in tech face. The same is true for a lack of work-life balance and a lack of professional development opportunities. All of these ranked among the very top challenges reported by women in 2021.

Challenges like these have consistently stifled success and career advancement. Women deserve access to more opportunities, and they want to take advantage of learning new skills and earning certifications.

“Women in technology are calling for more opportunities to advance their careers via leadership development, technical training, coaching, and mentorship," Daly said. "Meanwhile, organizations are facing a critical need for technology and leadership competencies. This presents a mutual growth opportunity that helps organizations thrive and empowers women to increase their impact by filling these critical gaps.”

More than half (55%) of technologists surveyed say organizations should provide more training opportunities to attract and retain women in the industry. In particular, women are most interested in developing skills in these areas:

• Leadership and Management
• Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning
• Project management
• Cybersecurity
• Data Science

Both employers and employees benefit from developing new competencies.

Women surveyed said earning certifications helped them gain more responsibility at work, land new jobs, and earn promotions. For organizations of all kinds, investments in professional development and training lead to win-win scenarios, like higher employee engagement, faster resolution times, and a competitive advantage.

In Skillsoft's IT Skills and Salary Report, the highest percentage of IT leaders say certified staff add more than $30,000 in value to their organizations over non-certified employees. The reasons cited include higher productivity, meeting client requirements, and closing skills gaps.

For reasons like these, companies stand to miss great opportunities by not investing in women's futures and education.

Women in tech are hungry to learn new skills and apply them. They deserve these opportunities to further their careers for themselves and those around them.

For employers, you must help create these pathways for advancement and remove barriers along the way. Issues like unequal pay have hampered progress for far too long, and if they persist, the tech industry risks losing skilled, capable workers at a time when companies are already desperate for talent.

In parallel, women must look out for one another. Connect with mentors, embrace new opportunities, and advocate for yourself. For those who wish to pursue a role in tech, one woman gave this advice: "Pursue, pursue, pursue. Never give up!"

Read the entire report and see the complete findings by gaining access today: