Ada Lovelace, who lived in the 19th century, is widely considered to be the first computer programmer. Grace Hopper, a U.S. Navy rear admiral, was one of the first Harvard Mark I computer programmers and the inventor of the first computer compiler. During World War II, more than 10,000 American women worked as code breakers for the Allied Forces, providing mission-critical intelligence that helped ensure victory.
And yet despite these history-making contributions from female scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, women remain underrepresented in the software development field.
According to research, 56% of students in undergraduate computer science programs are women, yet only 20% of women who begin a bachelor’s degree in the discipline graduate, and a mere 22% go on to earn a Ph.D. Meanwhile, women represent 47% of the U.S. workforce but just 36% of the high-tech workforce, and just 24% of computing jobs are held by women.
There is some good news on the horizon. According to BairesDev’s Women in Tech report, the percentage of applications from women hit 52% in mid-2021, compared with just 11% in 2015. Deloitte Global also reports overall growth in female representation at global technology firms, projecting that it would reach nearly 33% in 2022.
But there is plenty of room for improvement in gender representation in software development. How can we not just move the needle but manifest real change in the industry, ensuring equity and gender parity?
Why Do We Need More Women in Tech?
Software development is one of the most pivotal and fastest-growing fields around the world. It has the power to completely transform global society — and in many ways, it already has.
But innovation does not come easily. Right now, we are facing a dearth of tech talent to fill all the roles needed and available in the sector. We need many more software developers in order to meet that deficit.
It’s not enough to simply pinpoint certain individuals or groups as skilled. Talent needs to be cultivated and nurtured in a field that is constantly evolving and facing transformation every day. It also needs to be diverse.
Software development is an industry that demands constant innovation. For this innovation to take place, we need to fill roles with diverse thoughts, perspectives, backgrounds, and talents. Too many minority groups are underrepresented in tech, and women are one of the largest gaps.
There are plenty of advantages to improving gender diversity in software development, including:
- Research shows that companies that have women in leadership positions see an increase in return on investment.
- Businesses with stronger diversity are more profitable.
- Workplace morale improves when the company is made up of people from different backgrounds.
- Gender diversity brings new perspectives and ways of thinking that improve innovation and products.
- Businesses are better equipped to reach more diverse audiences when they are informed by a range of voices.
- Having more women in tech, particularly in leadership positions, means that prospective professionals in software development have role models to look up to and emulate, creating a strong pipeline of talent.
- Businesses with gender diversity — and diversity in general — cultivate a better image and brand for consumers and stakeholders alike.
Of course, the benefits of gender diversity extend beyond this list. Every day, we see how a diversity of thought and perspective contributes to a more robust, healthy tech company.
How Can We Bring More Women Into Software Development?
That’s the why. Now, it’s time to look at the how. How can we encourage more women to join and stay at software development companies? How can we encourage people of all genders to cultivate an interest and career in this important field? These eight ideas are only a starting point.
1. Have More Role Models
It is a bit of a catch-22, but in order to bring more gender diversity into the tech space, we need to have more role models from aspiring professionals’ backgrounds and demographics.
“It gets lonelier at the top because there’re even fewer women as you climb the corporate ladder,” Archana Manjunatha, executive director and head of platform transformation at DBS Bank’s consumer banking group, explains. “Having more role models means that other females won’t feel so lonely and don’t feel that they can’t do it. To some extent, it’s hard to become what you cannot see. That’s how people choose careers and paths — when they see somebody, then it’s easier for them to say, ‘I want to become like this person.’”
In order to attract more women to the software development field, we need to show them that there is a path for them and a means by which they will be rewarded and celebrated. They need to see the potential for growth in their career journeys.
Thus, we should be working on establishing role models they can emulate and look up to. We should be celebrating their contributions and providing them with mentorship and support. Mentorship programs, in particular, allow women in tech to connect with role models who can show them a way forward in the industry. But male mentors can also serve as allies and champion women in the field.
There should also be ample space for software developers who identify as female to ask for help and support — both in terms of the work itself and their roles and statuses in their companies.
2. Start Early
Traditionally, the path to careers has been gendered from the very beginning. This is a main reason why fewer women end up in STEM disciplines — as girls, they are not encouraged to pursue careers in these fields.
But childhood is the time when people are exploring and developing their interests. By encouraging girls and young women to participate in software-related activities and programs — and providing opportunities for them to cultivate an interest in and mastery of the work — we are laying the groundwork for young women to dive deeper into the field.
This goes beyond simply encouraging girls to take science- and math-related courses in school. There should be programs, camps, and after-school activities devoted to helping girls develop a passion for software development.
Existing initiatives and programs like Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code, and TechGirlz are examples of how we can create opportunities for women to get involved in and learn about tech from a young age, encouraging them to pursue careers in the field later on. But we need to do more. Because women have been marginalized in computer science, there need to be more ways to educate them about the discipline and give them the chance to become a part of it from a young age.
3. Revamp the Hiring Process
One often overlooked problem with the job search and hiring process is that employers often unknowingly exclude underrepresented populations, including women, based on wording and nuances. They might, for example, use gendered language or other phrases that deter well-qualified candidates from applying. Or, interviewers might ask questions that make people of certain genders uncomfortable, even when it is unintentional.
Revamping the hiring process starts with job descriptions. All organizations should take the time to craft listings that are inclusive and unbiased. For instance, they should filter out gender-specific phrases or words, and the postings should focus on skills and qualifications over demographics. They must take the time to better understand the kinds of nuances that can come across as gendered in tone, even the ones that aren’t immediately obvious.
Moreover, to ensure the hiring process is conscious of diversity, equity, and inclusion, all recruiters, hiring managers, and other interviewers should receive training on how to conduct interviews that welcome candidates from all genders.
4. Source Candidates From Unexpected Places
In order to create more gender diversity — and diversity in general — in the software development field, we cannot rely solely on traditional methods of sourcing and recruiting candidates. True, some of these methods, such as posting listings, combing job boards, and relying on networks, have served us well in the past. But they are not enough. To find diverse talent, we must also consider revolutionary ways of recruiting top developers.
Innovation is at the very heart of the technology industry, so thinking outside the box should come readily to professionals in the field. In order to attract more women to software development, we must consider a range of ideas, such as engaging local coding communities, looking to competitions and hackathons, networking with students and graduates of boot camps, and much more.
This is a time to be creative. Are there mentorship programs local to your business that you could partner with to learn about emerging talent? Can you sponsor or participate in meetups to identify potential candidates?
It is also important to adjust your requirements to be more inclusive. For example, consider whether a role actually demands a bachelor’s degree or whether that is merely how it has always been in the past.
5. Be Flexible
In light of the pandemic, only 30% of survey respondents said that their employer “increased access to flexible work,” according to Deloitte. Flexibility, in this case, refers to areas like the ability to work around caregiving responsibilities and other matters.
But given how the pandemic has disproportionately affected women in terms of household and caregiving responsibilities, a lack of flexibility means that fewer women are able to work in these tech roles since they have competing needs. This is harming women and preventing them from succeeding in the industry.
Now is the time to consider different models of work, such as remote and hybrid styles. Not only will this allow more women to fill roles in the industry, but it will also enable companies to access talent from a more expansive geographic pool. In fact, they can find professionals from every corner of the world, giving them the opportunity to access specialized skill sets and better meet their needs.
Flexibility extends beyond modes of work. Employers should also consider factors like schedule constraints, the availability of tools and resources, and methods of collaboration and communication.
6. Review Promotion and Salary Procedures
While we have made some progress in terms of gender-equitable pay, today, for every dollar men earn, women earn 77 cents. This is a problem across industries.
The tech industry is a high-paying field. But women and men are not paid equally for equivalent work. And paying women and men differently for the same level of work and seniority is simply discriminatory — full stop.
Businesses must take the time to review their procedures for promotions and pay. They should examine salaries by gender and create a standardized system for how employees receive raises and promotions. When there are procedures like this in place, there is less room for ambiguity. People should know what it takes for them to move up the ladder, and the steps should be clear.
The focus must be on talent, skills, potential, and quantifiable and qualitative contributions. Time off for maternity leave, among other circumstances, should not play a role in determining seniority. This is one justification many businesses have commonly made for holding women back, but it’s not the only one.
Additionally, tech companies should invest in cultivating female talent so that they are primed to succeed. They might, for example, provide career pathing.
7. Offer Unique Incentives
Attracting any talent requires more innovative thinking and creativity in today’s world. Increasingly, workers want benefits and compensation that extend beyond a generous salary.
In order to attract candidates from different backgrounds — different genders, to be precise — consider a range of incentives. Ample paid time off (PTO) is, of course, a major perk, especially when we consider how women have had to shoulder much of the burden when it comes to caregiving responsibilities during the pandemic.
In addition to holidays and vacation time, it is also important to offer paid parental leave. This is still not required by law in the U.S., and as of March 2021, only 23% of private industry workers had access to paid family leave, while 89% had access to unpaid family leave, according to our research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Onsite daycares, too, are an attractive benefit for workers who are required to be in the office at least part of the time.
Because female software developers are underrepresented in the industry, it is critical to celebrate and uplift these professionals to ensure that they see a path forward for themselves and recognize that there is a place for them. In addition to mentoring, consider offering education and upskilling opportunities.
Today, many employers across industries are also establishing employee resources groups (ERGs) to help diverse talent connect with others at their company who have similar interests, backgrounds, and demographics. A dedicated female-identifying ERG, for example, can allow women at your organization to connect with their female colleagues and discuss issues, ask questions, develop and make recommendations to ensure greater inclusivity at your company, and more.
8. Listen to Your Existing Talent
One of your best resources is your existing talent. These are the individuals who make up your workforce, and they have a lot of valuable insight into how you can attract people to your company. They joined you for a reason, after all.
By asking your female team members what they want from you, their employer, you are also demonstrating that you value their voice and opinion. Of course, every individual and professional wants to feel like they matter, and by giving them the opportunity to share their concerns and offer advice, you are proving that you respect them.
In turn, by asking for help from your existing talent and following their advice — actually taking their words to heart and implementing their suggestions — you can effect meaningful change. This will then encourage more people from similar backgrounds to see your company as an ideal place to work — an employer who respects their team members, values their perspectives, and wants individuals at their company to succeed.
Bringing More Women to Software Development: Final Thoughts
As the software industry becomes more and more pivotal to our daily lives and the industry grows, the competition becomes even fiercer. Tech companies will need to demonstrate their value not only as innovators but as upholders of diversity and inclusion. For too long, women have been excluded from one of the most important fields in the work landscape, and they have plenty to offer to the industry.
It has become abundantly clear that we need to incorporate more gender diversity into the tech sphere. While the process will take time and effort, it is within our grasp. This is a roadmap for bringing more to software development — one we must follow in order to make the industry more inclusive, innovative, diverse, and successful and achieve our larger goals.
