There has long been a gender gap in IT-related fields. But just where does this shortage of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field come from? And what can be done to reverse the trend?
BetterBuys.com recently rounded up some of the best information on the shortage of women in tech into a series of informative infographics.
Some of the key findings: While women only hold a quarter (25%) of chief data officer roles and just 13% of chief information officer positions, successful startups have twice as many females in senior positions than unsuccessful ones.
And just hiring women isn’t enough: Even if you land top tech talent, retaining that talent is even more important. Nearly half (41%) of women are likely to leave their current employer, more than double the figure for their male counterparts (17%).
Challenges for women in tech
The problem goes well beyond a lack of qualified candidates. It starts even earlier, with women feeling they’ve been forced out of the field or being discouraged from entering the field in the first place.
But hiring and retaining women in tech is about more than maintaining balance or diversifying the workforce. It’s been shown time and again to be an effective boost to the overall health of a company and to positively impact the work environment.