Accenture, TEK and the Women in Tech and Mimmit koodaa (Women Coders) communities conducted an extensive joint survey titled Ingredients of Inclusivity for women working in the tech sector. In the survey women employed in the tech sector discussed their work and their experiences as employees, and based on the responses their employers were divided into more inclusive and less inclusive organisations.
Inclusivity affects how women think about their job and their workplace.
Women working in inclusive workplaces feel passionate about their work, are satisfied with their career progression, believe they receive equal pay with men and are loyal to their employers.
When compared to women who work in the least inclusive work cultures, the difference is dramatic.
– Companies should not expect inclusiveness to just happen. It requires continuous attention and improvement, says TEK’s Research Manager Susanna Bairoh to comment on the results of the Ingredients of Inclusivity survey.
Women in tech are ambitious but many find it difficult to succeed
Of the women who worked for the companies that fared best in the survey, 85 % were satisfied with their opportunities for career advancement while the same figure for companies that fared the worst was 21 %.
64 % of the women working in the least inclusive companies believed that men were paid more for the same work, while only 11 % of the women working in the most inclusive companies thought so.
46 % of the survey respondents were in a managerial role, and 25 % of respondents said that the number of women supervisors had increased significantly in their organisation. Inclusive work cultures had more women supervisors than the least inclusive ones. However, 30 % of respondents still found it difficult to succeed in their field.
– You still hear it said that the reason there are relatively fewer women in managerial positions is because women don't want these roles. However, these results further demonstrate that the culture of the workplace has a tremendous impact on this, says Bairoh.
53 % of the respondents working in the least inclusive companies agreed with the statement “I am likely to change workplaces”, while only 7 % of those working in the most inclusive companies believed they would be leaving their current employer.
And why do women leave the tech sector? According to the survey, a desire for change was the most common reason (36 % of respondents). The second most common reason was trying to find a better work/life balance (25 %). The statements “the role offered to me was more attractive and offered more responsibility” and “I didn't fit into the workplace culture” tied for third place (18 %).
Inclusivity is realised in the everyday operations of the workplace
The survey recommends that an organisation must systematically measure their diversity and inclusivity and set goals and an action plan to ensure that inclusivity is realised.
Because inclusivity is realised in the everyday operations of the workplace, an organisation striving for equality must survey the experiences of their staff and ask women who are changing workplaces about their experiences.
The organisation should also talk to its staff about its values and about what it is doing in practical terms to promote inclusivity and equal career opportunities.
The web survey Ingredients of Inclusivity was conducted in English in the summer of 2021 within the networks of Accenture, TEK and the Women in Tech and Mimmit koodaa communities. The survey garnered 770 respondents, 704 of whom worked in tech and 56 of whom had left the tech sector.