According to Acronis, many IT companies have historically been male-dominated industries that have limited career development opportunities for female employees.
Issues such as a lack of mentorship, inadequate work-life balance policies, and even a culture of exclusion contribute to this. To gain insight into the current state of gender diversity in the IT industry, Acronis commissioned a survey of full-time female employees to gauge sentiment towards equality in the IT industry and encourage more women to join the IT profession. We explored what employers can do to encourage people to think about their careers.
Women work long hours to advance their careers
The survey results found that 32% of respondents already believe that men and women are treated equally in the workplace, while 31% of women strongly believe that men are promoted faster. did. 71% of women reported working long hours to improve their chances of career advancement.
Whatever inequalities exist, they are not the result of a lack of women’s participation in IT. Half of respondents said their team is between 25% and 50% female. Almost 17% say their sector is majority-dominated by women, and the global survey found that just over a quarter of respondents said their country’s IT sector has a roughly equal gender ratio. I answered that it was balanced.
Additionally, 63% of women in the technology/IT industry report that they feel there is a lack of female leadership in cybersecurity, and 84% of women employed in the IT industry report that they feel there is a lack of female leadership in the cybersecurity field. agree that women would benefit from more leadership roles.
Regarding career development opportunities for women in the technology and IT industry, 34% of respondents only somewhat agree that there are adequate training and development programs for women to advance their careers. The most important activities that women think they should participate in are master classes, learning courses and workshops (63%), followed by networking events (58%) and membership in professional organizations (44%). .
Mentorship opportunities (51%), actively hiring more diverse candidates (49%), and pay equity (49%) are among the top reasons organizations can do more to balance gender equality in the workplace. It was listed as the top initiative in response.
Hiring women in IT creates innovative ideas
Approximately 20% of respondents said a lack of opportunity is the main reason women are “hesitant” to work in the cybersecurity field. In contrast, 25% said they were focused on starting a family. Additionally, 9% of women said they avoided a career in cybersecurity because they didn’t “fit in,” and 15% said they didn’t want to work in a male-dominated industry.
Women are often less likely than men to promote themselves at work. This is a habit that women in IT need to break. The overwhelming majority of respondents reported tracking their performance for the purpose of career advancement. In fact, 60% said they record all their accomplishments for future reference, and another 34% said they record only their “big wins.”
“To advance gender equality in the technology industry, encouraging women into IT roles is not just a moral obligation, but also a unique opportunity for both women and the organizations that employ them. We need to recognize the strategic advantage it brings,” Arona said. Mr. Geckler is senior vice president of business operations and chief of staff at Acronis.
“By hiring women in IT, companies will gain a wealth of perspectives and innovative ideas driven by creativity and enhanced problem-solving skills. This will not only strengthen the team; , it will enable IT organizations to better meet the diverse needs of their customers in an increasingly complex digital environment, providing a significant competitive advantage,” added Goekler.
