Women in Tech - How to Hire

An Employer's Guide to Hiring Women in Tech

Why do you need Diversity in your Tech Department?

Only 23% of the people working in STEM roles across the UK are female. And only 5% of leadership positions in the technology industry are held by women. A more balanced gender diversity would benefit any company as a multiplicity of perspectives can spark creativity and innovation, and help organisations spot and seize new opportunities.

Women are underrepresented in the Tech industry and part of the challenge is changing the perception of what a career in technology within your company can offer.

How can we inspire women to consider a career in Tech?

The best place to start is with the recruitment process itself, by creating a female focused search. Whether you are using your in-house Talent Team or an external agency, communicate your need for gender diversity and your goal to increase this. Whilst recruiters go out of their way to source female tech talent, there are things a company can do to spark women's interest in the role.

1. Include female employees in your interview panel

Female applicants are more likely to develop an interest in your role if there are women in the company's senior leadership team. If your leadership is male dominant, then include fellow female employees in the interview process to represent your company's culture and diversity whilst reassuring female candidates that there is room for a successful career for them within your company as well as the industry itself.

2. Promote family-friendly policies

Women are more likely to apply for roles if your company has policies and benefits in place that are relevant to them, i.e. maternity leave above the statutory eligibility or flexible working. Female applicants want to know that they can grow with the company and that they will not have to make a choice between a career and a family, if they choose to have one. To ensure this, it is important to openly discuss family-friendly policies during the interview process.

3. Tackle gender bias

The hard truth is that we are all biased as a result of our experiences. Avoid instinctively hiring people who have similar hobbies, went to the same university, etc. Instead write an objective list of what makes an 'ideal candidate', based on skills and aptitude, to help you avoid hiring candidates based on instinct or because you believe them to be a good 'culture fit' to the team you currently have in place.

4. Run a campaign

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network and it's a great way to target your audience. Think about how your company can advertise its need and want to have a more balanced gender diversity. Also reach out to your existing female employees and ask for their feedback, i.e. why did they join your company and how can these reasons appeal to applicants? And when running any campaign specifically aimed at Diversity & Inclusion, ensure that the face of these campaigns are a representation of the targeted audience.

Why did I join Amberes?

Although there were several factors that contributed to my decision to join Amberes Recruitment, a huge motivator for me was that the company was founded by a woman (Sara McLean). I found Sara's success to be an empowering insight into the potential success my career holds in the company. Every candidate, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality etc. looks for representation within the company they are looking to join. It is important to be able to relate to others in the work place as this allows us to share difficulties and successes with each other.