Accelerating Momentum of Female Talent in the Tech Industry

What is driving the gender divide?

The gender divide plays a significant role whereby, we see society automatically excluding a segment of the population that can easily be trained and educated in digital skills. From an early age, boys are encouraged to undertake STEM-related subjects whilst women’s capabilities are underestimated. Recent data from UCAS and HESA[1] confirms this gender imbalance at an educational level whereby, they claim that just 35% of STEM students are female. The academic opportunities available to women at this stage are contributing to the gender disparity in the technology job market. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report[2], women make up only 14% of the cloud computing workforce, 20% of engineering, 32% of data and AI workforces.

Another contributing factor to the digital skills gap is job descriptions. A recent study[3] revealed applications from females dropped by 10% for roles that used male-coded words. In job descriptions, it is common to find more male-centred terms than females, this is a contributing factor as to why less females are taking up roles within the tech industry. By replacing masculine words with gender-inclusive terms we can encourage more women to apply. Furthermore, improving existing recruiting practices will be equally important. Rather than focusing on highly specialised skills such as blockchain development and complex data analysis – recruiters will need to shift their focus to more adaptable talents. With it globally estimated that 40-160 million women will need to change occupation by 2030 – these changes will be essential to broadening the workforce.[1]

How is Kubrick changing the landscape?

Kubrick are actively doing the work to shift this narrative, currently employing three times more females than the tech industry average, with ambitions to grow this number further. We recognise that the data industry has been predominantly male dominated and want to be at the forefront of this change, partnering with organisations such as Women in Data who are shining a light on female talent within the industry, as well as mentoring young women.

We acknowledge that more needs to be done to remove the barriers deterring females from taking their first steps into the tech industry. We are proud to say nearly half of our consultants are female or non-binary, but we are not stopping there and want to tip the scales in favour of women, changing the industry for the better.

Elmira Ahmedova, Kubrick, Associate Principal acknowledges that without Kubrick she might not have been able to enter this predominantly male industry. Elmira Ahmedova said: “It is amazing to be working in a company that grows and develops together with me. Every day is different and always filled with insights and opportunities to interact with the greatest minds across the industry – our training team”.

At present we are sitting at a tipping point whereby, the industry need for digital talent is outweighing the supply. The onus is on companies to remove gendered barriers, encouraging women to take these positions. These obstacles will need to be removed from primary education all the way through to the workplace to ensure the digital skills gap is filled. By recognising and encouraging those that have traditionally been left behind we can futureproof the industry whilst combatting the digital skill shortage.

To find out more visit www.kubrick.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

To hear more from Elmira, take a listen to the Kubrick Voices Podcast.

1 https://www.stemwomen.com/blog/2021/01/women-in-stem-percentages-of-women-in-stem-statistics

2 https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf

3 https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1743030/masculine-language-job-adverts-deterring-female-candidates